Friday 14 November 2014


Hello everyone,

I'm sorry it's taken me a few extra weeks to post. I've been very busy - though very happy and content - with my new life in Cambridge and I wanted some space to think.

The truth is I don't have enough time to blog. I can't cut corners and spend less time on things like testing and editing - it would feel so wrong and I can't bring myself to do it. Over the past few years I've approached this as a (much beloved) professional piece of work and as a result, blogging doesn't feel like relaxing time off. There's no finish line for a blog - no deadline or obvious point to retire - so it's difficult to work out when to let go, but I know that I want to finish on a high, feeling proud of Poires.

My plan is to turn the site into something that functions more like a book than an updating blog.

I will still try to answer any questions you have about the recipes in the comments or by email, though it may take me a touch longer than it used to. (On that note, I'm really sorry if you've sent me an email in the past few weeks and I haven't replied yet - I will get to them soon.)

One of the most exciting things about this is that I get to revisit the recipes myself - there's so little time to go back when you're always working on new content. If they need it, I'll edit any recipes I retry, so the site won't be completely static. Poires is not disappearing or being forgotten - it's just time to retire from the week-to-week work.

This little corner of the internet is very important to me. I've learnt and gained so much from the last five and a half years. It's hard not to sound cheesy and I really don't know how to convey how I feel... but it's been wonderful. Thank you.

All the very best,
Emma
(or Poire, as my lovely new friends have nicknamed me)

22 comments:

  1. We will miss you! You're one of the first food blogs that inspired me to start baking! Thank you for all the work you've done, I won't be leaving Poires anytime soon! Best of luck on the new direction you're going in!

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  2. Oh now I am starting to tear up. ;_; Your blog was one of the first I ever read, and still you are so inspiring with your gorgeous photography and recipes. Your readers will understand... wishing you best of luck on your new endeavors in life. :)

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  3. You are one of my most favorite blog ladies! I always look forward to your posts. I will miss you. Today I mixed up your Mincemeat recipe. I licked the spoon after the initial mixing & was blown away by the amazing flavor! I came across your recipe after the holidays last year & have been looking forward to making it this year. Looking forward to baking it tomorrow! Stay in touch. x

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  4. Oh no!! My sister and I will both miss you and your writing. You were a treasure!

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  5. Charlotte's Kitchen Diary15 November 2014 at 08:04

    I have been thinking of you over the last few weeks with your new start. Thank you for writing such a great blog and I wish you all the very best, Charlotte

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  6. I am so sad; I clearly discovered you too late! I wish you the very best in your new life. :)

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  7. Totally understandable! Remember, it's also a place you can come back to, should you get the urge but it is also a milestone you can leave to stand proudly on its own. Good luck with everything!

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  8. Thank you for all your hard work with the blog, it will continue to be such an amazingly useful resource!

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  9. I've loved your blog and your writing and I'll still be coming back for all the recipes, in fact I'm just making your Irish tea loaf.
    Enjoy going back and re-visiting the recipes and have a great time at Cambridge. I'l miss this little corner of internet.

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  10. Everything everyone so far has said and more! I'm so sad that you're making a move away from the blogging world (for the time being anyway, I have a sneaky feeling that somewhere down the road you'll be tempted back) but I think your honesty and professionalism are admirable. It would have been so easy to cobble together a few posts now and then but what makes your blog so wonderful is the thought, research and meticulous testing behind each post. Hope all's well with you Emma and that we'll get a chance to meet up again soon xx

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  11. Exciting, that you're still going to be here, but also pretty heartbreaking that there will be no longer anything new from my favourite baking blogger xx

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  12. You will be missed! Your commitment to integrity of content is beautiful though, and I only wish it was more common, especially in the food blogging arena.

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  13. So terribly sad to hear this. You were the first food blog to which I became addicted! I've actually just graduated from Queens' College, Cambridge, and can very readily confirm the intensity of life there as I'm sure you are aware. I wanted to start a blog whilst there but unfortunately lacked the time so have only just begun one now - I can completely understand your decision to stop posting. I also just wanted to let you know that it helped me get through multiple exam terms! Good luck with everything.

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  14. Emma, you will be missed. Cambridge's gain is our loss but glad to hear you will keep updating the recipes and "around" to answer questions etc... Good luck on the next leg of your journey. Your blog has been an inspiration to many!

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  15. I'm so sad to here that you quit blogging though I fully support your decision! Wish you all the best. x

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  16. Love your blog, although I am not a "commenter" ;-) Real life and priorities take precedent over blogging, if it's not to be fun and enjoyable, time to let it go. Which is sad for your followers, but I like what you intend to do with your virtual spot. A good idea, not a real goodbye, but a change.

    I must also say that I appreciate that you are taking the time and energy to explain why you are not going to blog the same way anymore - it is kind of sad when a blogger simply stops posting without a single line of explanation....

    I like an approach with a lot of class, like yours! ;-)

    Good luck with all your projects!

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  17. Take it from someone who went from an Oxford degree to studying Medicine: try not to let it consume you. Don't lose your outside interests. If you have to slow your posts down to four times per year, do that. Don't walk away entirely.

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  18. A sad day, but totally the right decision for the sake of your Cambridge sanity. I know I'll keep coming back again and again to this site.

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  19. Best of luck with what you're working on now and next, Emma.

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  20. So sad to hear there won't be regular posts to look forward to anymore. Your blog was one of the very first food blogs I read, and still stands out as one of the most carefully researched, beautifully photographed and genuinely written blogs out there. I have no doubt i'll still be referring back to your work on a regular basis for all your delicious recipes. Best of luck with life in Cambridge :)

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  21. emma, it's been a while. i had seen that you have been quiet lately and figured that your studies have been consuming your time. as much as it is sad that there will not be regular updates, i really admire your integrity and honesty. baking is such a precise art and your decision to ensure that you do not compromise the quality of what is exists is admirable. here's to wishing you the best in this new chapter. m xx

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  22. This must have been such a difficult decision for you to make Emma and it's clear that I'm not the only one who will miss your thoughtful posts and meticulous recipes but I can completely understand that this is what you need to do right now. I'm glad you're settling in well in Cambridge and I can't wait to catch up with you soon xo

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If you would like to leave a comment or question, please do - I appreciate every one and will reply as soon as possible.

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