I’m eggs-tatic to introduce our guest this week, Joanna Brennan, co-founder of multi-award winning Pump Street Bakery in Suffolk & Pump Street Chocolate. Established in 2010, and operating from their iconic pink premises in the village of Orford, Pump Street’s delicious products and exquisite packaging are highly sought after and regularly sell out. It seemed only right to ask an actual Easter Bunny, creator of incredible chocolate eggs, a little about her own Easter traditions… 

Jo, you and your dad co-founded and run Pump Street together. Growing up, what were your easter traditions as a family? And have you created any new ones as an adult?

I remember vividly - blowing eggs with my mother and trying a range of different ways to dye eggs or hand paint them in the week leading up to Easter. We had very close family friends in Canada where I grew up who had emigrated from Puglia and we would join in on their beautiful Easter baking of braided breads with hard boiled eggs woven into the dough. On Easter morning the Easter bunny would have left small foiled eggs around the garden for a hunt and then we’d meet our extended family for a leisurely roast, the adults would play cards and the kids would stay up late telling jokes… 

How do you decorate the house for Easter, any favourite decorations or easy tricks?

I like to go out into the hedges in our garden and clip a few large branches with buds on to make a vase full of Easter branches. I hang a mixture of paper and felt eggs we’ve made over the years. The height and decoration adds some of the sense of occasion that a Christmas tree brings.

What are your favourite presents to give & receive at Easter?

I really enjoy collecting a little range of trinkets for my two boys to wake up to on Easter Sunday. I’ll usually include something to do with being outside - gardening gloves, a small trowel or a pack of seeds - as well as an egg cup and a book. Sometimes a little wind up toy like a jumping bunny! My husband doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth (a missed opportunity for him, married to a baker and chocolate maker!) so I often buy him a lovely piece of cheese or a cookbook.

If you could choose one thing from Scribble & Daub, what would it be and why?

What a difficult choice! We have a lot of birthdays coming up in our family so a range of cards to suit each family member would be delightful - or if I were to narrow it down to one thing it would be the Charleston set of cards as I’d have plenty to go around and I’d be able to keep a couple to frame as well.

Here is Jo's wish list to inspire your Spring gifting - be it for Easter, a birthday, thank you or wedding, there will be something in her fantastic suggestions that makes the perfect present... 

Child’s apron - "Kids generally love baking but a little encouragement in the form of the right kit can’t go wrong. Pair this with their own favourite whisk and they’ll be whipping up a storm in no time."

"Egg books! Both Good Eggs by Ed Smith and Taschen’s The Gourmand’s Egg are perfect Easter gifts for anyone like my husband who shockingly doesn’t want large amounts of chocolate! At your good local bookstore". 

White Tea from the Rare Tea Company - every spring brings the new season white tea from Fujian, China which we’ve stocked at our Pump Street Cafe for fifteen years now thanks to Henrietta Lovell at the Rare Tea Company. 

Scribble and Daub streamers! "What a gorgeous gift and in so many tempting colour combinations."

Easter cheese box - "It can only be from Neal’s Yard Dairy."

Mud Oven Dish - "One of their beautifully simple and thin ceramic dishes that come in beautiful pastel hues perfect for Easter and go oven to table for those spring vegetable gratins I crave on cool Spring evenings… 

Smith & Munsen Flower Delivery - "A delivery of British grown flowers such as beautiful tulips by Smith and Munson, Also Scented Narcissi from the Isles of Scilly are another treat but the season is short and there won’t be any more now until late autumn."

She Grows Veg subscription - "Heirloom seeds from Suffolk straight to your door."

Sourdough Workshop, £195 - "Something new for us at Pump Street this year is our Workshop where we invite people to join us in making bread and chocolate. Our Understanding Sourdough class is a super fun way to spend a day learning all the basics needed to make a loaf at home. AND you leave with ongoing support in our dedicated WhatsApp group."

Thanks so much Jo! 

SCRIBBLE & DAUB X PUMP STREET CHOCOLATE COMPETITION

To celebrate the holidays this weekend, we are offering you the chance to WIN a 6 month subscription to Pump Street's Rare Batch Box (worth £120), a luxury Box of Ribbons from Scribble & Daub, plus a Spring selection of hand-painted cards & decorations (worth £130).

To enter, click here!