English pies and cakes.

[Khundon1975]

Hi Paderborn
Thanks for your post.

Yes Soi 102 has changed with loads more houses etc going up, so should be a good place to trade.
The family bought several plots in 2000 after my wife and I did a tour of HH land sites in 1999-2000.

When they were building the new shops, a friend rang me in Uk and told me about them, so we got the last one and I think it was the right choice as more and more Farangs are moving into the area.

As to other posters comments about distance from town, well, we are not bothered about that, as most of the expected will be by delivery.

We had a beech house coffee shop in Naebkehart road near Issara (the family still have it) and people flocked to it from BKK and also ordered cakes that their drivers would come to pick up. Thats a round trip of around 400k.

I believe that people will travel for something they want, and if you are in 102 you can walk it.
I used to drive almost 50k down to a little village, just for good, deep fried soft shell crab and take our staff there in the evenings.

Anyway back to the post, we hope to do some more research regarding product supply over the next few months and make a decision on what to do.
Who knows how things will work out, but my wife is not the sort of person to sit on her backside.
Thanks again for the post

[Super Joe]

As to other posters comments about distance from town, well, we are not bothered about that, as most of the expected will be by delivery

Deliveries apart, Soi 102 isn't far from centre of town (1.5 miles??), people complain about quality of 102 road, but many roads are like that unfortunately.

102 is 32 seconds from most popular shop (MV) in Hua Hin.

SJ

[Wanderlust]

Paderborn,
While Soi 102 has improved tremendously in what is on offer there, only in the dry season is the road acceptable; once the rains come and the road has been pounded by a few more trucks delivering sand, gravel etc to building sites it is horrendous, and a death trap to those on motorbikes at night. I doubt that the road will be permanently improved until the majority of the building work is completed, as those trucks do a lot of damage. The road aside though, it is a good location, although I wish there was a 'back way' into it from one of the other parallel sois nearer town so that you don't have to drive (in a car) almost to Khao Takiab to get to the u-turn! They could do with widening the entrance to the road from Phetkasem as well...

[margaretcarnes]

Hi Khundon - I remember your wifes' shop on Naebkehardt well and used it often. Didn't realise she had a farang husband at the time, but her products were IMO excellent and very good value. I was sorry to see that it had gone when I had a wander down there last year.
I was also surprised to see an early post here which cast some doubt over the standard of hygeine in the old shop, as compared for example with JDs. I don't dispute JDs high standards, but never considered the cake shop was anything less than spot on, as are several other food outlets in HH. Much of the prep was in fact done in full view of customers, which is more than can be said for most bakeries.
The fruit cakes in particular were excellent, with a nice smattering of nuts, and I never found the same elsewhere in HH. The high turnover ensured that even pastries were inevitably fresh. Granted - some products had to appeal to Thai tastes rather than farang, resulting in some sweetish sausage in the rolls, and very sweet sponges, but oh - the soft creamy toppings more than compensated IMO!
True, there are plenty of other bakeries, but to me the only ones worthy of note are Euro Bakery and your wife's old place. Euro Bakery is still excellent for a Danish pastry or chocolate shortbread, but for anything else she has to be on a winner even on Soi 102. Best of luck!

[margaretcarnes]

PS Don - if your wife can produce decent cheesecakes theres a market up North here in England already! Since Skeltons closed in the East Yorks/North Lincs area its impossible to get them here.
Cooplands took over the Skeltons shops and don't do cheesecakes at all. They do attempt 'maid of honour' buns, but they are piss poor.

Cake lover.

[hhfarang]

No offense meant to anyone by this, especially my British friends... but this thread is a good example of one of the reasons I want to get out of this town... 4 pages of comments and nearly 500 views in two days on the subject of "English Pies and Cakes". If it weren't for the weather, I'd think I was living in a suburb of London!

[moja]

The road aside though, it is a good location, although I wish there was a 'back way' into it from one of the other parallel sois nearer town so that you don't have to drive (in a car) almost to Khao Takiab to get to the u-turn! They could do with widening the entrance to the road from Phetkasem as well...[/quote]

There are a few back ways to 102 - OK they are not great roads but not too bad in some cases. The easiet way is to cross the railway line at Soi 88 and turn immediately left - just carry on along this road - over Soi 94 and you will soon come to Soi 102.

There are other ways from Soi 94 but this is probably the easiest

[Super Joe]

There's a short cut from Soi 94 (Pattana 2 road near Amara Inn) that takes you out next to entrance of Laguna project about 1km down Soi 102. Road is like a rollercoaster though, ok for motorbikes, SUV's or rollercoasters.

SJ

[sandman67]

I use the backroad to get to 102....left at the railway station, left at the dogleg railway crossing, then follow the red earth road......some bits are ok, with a less broken paved surface, and some are just pothole and gravel filled dirttrack....all in all a road only used in dry weather, or if you have a super-moto bike, or have been riding for a while. Watch out for dogs, chickens, horses and the odd wandering cow or pig.

Still

mate.... if you can do decent full sized Cornish pasties, big steak and kidney pies, and proper suety steak and kidney puddings Id crawl over a mile of broken glass to get to your shop

[Big Boy]

margaretcarnes wrote:

I was also surprised to see an early post here which cast some doubt over the standard of hygeine in the old shop

Margaret, I think you must be referring to my earlier post. I never knew the old shop, so couldn't have commented on its hygiene standards.

What I was trying to do was make Don aware of the changes that had occurred since he'd left Thailand, and the competition that was around. I cited the cleanliness of JD's business as an example of what his wife might need to achieve. I said that she would not beat JD's standards. I did not say that she could not equal them.

As it turned out, Don had previously met JD, so I assume he was already aware.

[Khundon1975]

Hi Khundon - I remember your wifes' shop on Naebkehardt well and used it often. Didn't realise she had a farang husband at the time, but her products were IMO excellent and very good value. I was sorry to see that it had gone when I had a wander down there last year.
I was also surprised to see an early post here which cast some doubt over the standard of hygeine in the old shop, as compared for example with JDs. I don't dispute JDs high standards, but never considered the cake shop was anything less than spot on, as are several other food outlets in HH. Much of the prep was in fact done in full view of customers, which is more than can be said for most bakeries.
The fruit cakes in particular were excellent, with a nice smattering of nuts, and I never found the same elsewhere in HH. The high turnover ensured that even pastries were inevitably fresh. Granted - some products had to appeal to Thai tastes rather than farang, resulting in some sweetish sausage in the rolls, and very sweet sponges, but oh - the soft creamy toppings more than compensated IMO!
True, there are plenty of other bakeries, but to me the only ones worthy of note are Euro Bakery and your wife's old place. Euro Bakery is still excellent for a Danish pastry or chocolate shortbread, but for anything else she has to be on a winner even on Soi 102. Best of luck!

margaretcarnes
High, I think you may be thinking of the shop on the left as you travel North along Naebkehart road towards the Palace end.

Our shop was in a beach house in a little compound 2 before the Issara.
The shop is still there as my wifes family still run it.
There are no big signs and you have to go through a big white gate keep to the left and follow little path to wooden door with Terra cotta coloured posts.

[Khundon1975]

The road aside though, it is a good location, although I wish there was a 'back way' into it from one of the other parallel sois nearer town so that you don't have to drive (in a car) almost to Khao Takiab to get to the u-turn! They could do with widening the entrance to the road from Phetkasem as well...

There are a few back ways to 102 - OK they are not great roads but not too bad in some cases. The easiet way is to cross the railway line at Soi 88 and turn immediately left - just carry on along this road - over Soi 94 and you will soon come to Soi 102.

There are other ways from Soi 94 but this is probably the easiest[/quote]
Hi moja
Yes driving down to go under flyover then back up to 102, when there used to be a gap in centre island almost opposite 102 that you could use.
I think to many accidents, so they blocked it off
Thanks for your post.

[Khundon1975]

I use the backroad to get to 102....left at the railway station, left at the dogleg railway crossing, then follow the red earth road......some bits are ok, with a less broken paved surface, and some are just pothole and gravel filled dirttrack....all in all a road only used in dry weather, or if you have a super-moto bike, or have been riding for a while. Watch out for dogs, chickens, horses and the odd wandering cow or pig.

Still

mate.... if you can do decent full sized Cornish pasties, big steak and kidney pies, and proper suety steak and kidney puddings Id crawl over a mile of broken glass to get to your shop

Hi sandman67
My little wife did suet S&K pudding for me last week, all mine!!! as she
does'nt eat beef. MMMmmmm.

Mainstay of the products will be cakes and sweet pies etc, but who knows, maybe a small range of things that expats miss the most, may go down well. (pun intended)

[Khundon1975]

No offense meant to anyone by this, especially my British friends... but this thread is a good example of one of the reasons I want to get out of this town... 4 pages of comments and nearly 500 views in two days on the subject of "English Pies and Cakes". If it weren't for the weather, I'd think I was living in a suburb of London!

Hi hhfarang
Sorry to hear that you are thinking of leaving HH.
500 views ! I had not checked, but maybe it shows that many people yearn for the little things they miss in life.
I bet you have, tucked away in some cupboard, a little luxury item from home.
Just because people live thousands of miles from their place of birth, it does'nt make them immune, from wanting things they remember with affection.
I would hazard a guess, that expats of every country miss the odd item, and seek it out where ever they live in Thailand.

Most expats, are more than happy to eat only Thai food and have the occasional "treat" from home.
Mine was Italian food and wine (I know I'm a Brit) and I dread to think how much we spent on these, in Chaio's in the Marriot over the years!!

Sorry if this post has upset you, but take a good look at the thousands of other post subjects on this site, many refer to items and food from various countries that HHAD members miss.

Where ever you go in the World, you will find it almost impossible to get away from people who desire something from their "old country".

Anyway HHfarang, thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts, and we wish you well, where ever you decide to settle.

[hhfarang]

Khundon,

I am in no way upset and wish only the best for you and your business if you should get it going here.

I sometimes just feel lonely as an American in a place where most of the topics are British, and if they do turn to America, they are usually not very complimentary.

I'm just being grumpy today... just ignore me!