You:   I don’t care for the seating arrangement in the Common Room.  It was better the way it was previously, with individual tables and privacy of conversation.

Us:  Until a few months ago we had many small tables which, because of the aged and uneven wooden floor, were constantly wobbling and causing spills. It was a dangerous situation, especially with so many small children wandering around.  We invested in a couple of long, solid wood tables that sit firmly on the floor and allow large groups of people to sit together and get to know one another.  We are constantly reminding people that we do not run a restaurant or café so make no real effort to provide private tables for people to have a tete-a-tete.   Nor do we play music or use a radio to drown out private conversations.  It is, as the name suggests, a space common to all.   No purchase is necessary to use the room and people are welcome to sit around and read , talk, play with their kids etc. It is obviously not ideal for everyone, but we have always resisted trying  to be  something we're not.  It never works without committment.  There are lots of restaurants and coffee houses  designed for privacy, but Fishhook Neyle's Common Room is just meant to be a hang out.  No frills. 

You:  The prices are outrageous.

Us:  Yes and becoming more so every day.  Customers who feel they are not getting good value will eventually go elsewhere to shop.

You: I really appreciate how clean the washrooms are.  Really!  They are always nice and clean!

Us: It is easy to have clean washrooms when they are cleaned properly even once a day and are used by customers who appreciate our efforts.  The health inspectors are equally  impressed by the cleanliness of our kitchen and bakery.

Comments from prior dates 

E-mail from Ontario
Hi Auntie Crae,
My husband and I just spent a wonderful week in St. John's.  During our time there, we fell in love with your longevity loaf.  Could you please let me know how to make it?  Or better yet, do you deliver to Toronto?  Just kidding. Thanks a lot for the good food and good service.  
Response
Recipe on the way!

Q.  There are a number of items listed among your bakery products that are not available when I want them.  Why?
A.  There are so many great items that we have to prioritize when deciding what to bake each day.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so let us know what you want and when you want it and we'll have it ready for you.  However, don't expect us to always  know in advance that you want a certain item without telling us.  Just call ahead, and if time allows,  we'll add it to our list for that day or the next.

Q.  How about some organics? Juices etc.
A.  Actually we have quite a lot of organic foods, but you may need help in finding them as they are dispersed throughout the store.  With help from our staff, especially Judy Whitten, our buyer of 28 years, you will find organic coffees, teas, juices, peas, beans, seeds, biscuits, flours, dried fruit, pastas,  grains, chocolate, etc.  There's always room for more, so tell us what you want, and if it's practical to stock it, we'll do just that.

Q. Why should I have to pay for butter?  
A. We keep costs down by charging you  only for what you need and use.   Although butter is included in the cost of a muffin or scone, it is otherwise a grocery item. We are not a restaurant, so the cost of each item you buy stands on its own. This includes condiment portions such as mustard, mayonnaise etc that you can purchase if needed.  We are the only ones around town who seem to do this, and it does cause misunderstanding from time to time.  However, where else can you buy a roll, a chunk of cheese chosen from  over one hundred  varieties, a mayonnaise portion, a bit of sausage, a cookie, and any number of small portions to make up a delicious meal, without having to pay for a full meal deal with added items that you don't want or need?  

Q. Would you please instruct staff not to use the same cloth to clean table and chair seat? Also not to pass customers plastic knives by blade.
A.  Both points are well taken. Staff have been instructed in the correct procedures but apparently are not consistent in their application.  You should now observe that a coloured cloth is being used for cleaning chair seats and a white cloth for cleaning table tops.  In addition, because it is so busy at the checkout, and because it is crowded, mistakes can easily be made in reaching for a plastic spoon, knife or fork.  Therefore we now supply  pre- wrapped plastic cutlery.  This should alleviate your sanitation concerns.  

Q.  Could the owner be more friendly?
A.  Probably, but it's a genetic problem. Janet Kelly, her mother, father and half her enormous family were born with cranky faces. Also, like others, she sometimes has a bad day, when everything goes wrong.  Maybe you caught her on one of those days. She's actually very friendly and sociable.

As a beauty I'm not a great star
There are others more handsome by far.
But my face  -  I don't mind it
For I am behind it.
It's the people in front get the jar.
                              by Anthony Henderson Euwer

Q.  Could you please put your lemon pies back the way they were in the old store?
A.  How were they in the other store?  We need more to go by and will then address your question. Should they look like this?  If so, they do.  The taste is delicious as always.

Q. What can we expect to see when we enter your store?
A. You will see a turn-of-the-century store space that has been upgraded with all the necessary wiring, plumbing, lighting, etc. necessary to turn it into a modern facility, suitable for a food shop. Those who are nostalgic about the Neyle-Soper Hardware Store will be pleased that we have retained the old counters, glass cabinets and shelving. Most of the modernization is hidden behind the walls and under the counters, so there is no conflict between the old and the new. .

Q. Do you have a restaurant or cafe?
A. No, but we  provide quick lunch items that customers can bring to our "Common Room", adjacent to the store space. This space is  known as "Fishhook Neyle's Common Room" in honour of Richard Neyle, who founded the Neyle-Soper Hardware Store, which occupied the space for about one hundred years. This room has proved to be a  gathering place for customers who would like to consume their lunch, meet friends, sit around and relax, play with their kids or just enjoy it's ambience. You can even bring your own food from another food establishment or home.  You'll still be very welcome.

Q. What hours are you open?
A. Our  hours are daily from 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Tuesday- Saturday.   

 Q. Have you considered staying open late at night? There's nowhere to get a coffee late at night without having to go to a bar.
A. Would you like to entertain the George St. crowd late at night?  Would you invite them into your home?  Sorry, you'll have to go home and put on a brew of our coffee.  We'll help you with directions.

Q. Where on earth can we  park?
A. People who already shop downtown know that the parking situation is not as bad as many  think. During the two years we were  renovating the building, and the  six years  we have been in this location, we have never had a problem. We park on Duckworth St., immediately behind our building where there are adequate parking meters. We walk down the steps to Water St., turn the corner and walk in our front door. It takes about three minutes. Other people have their favourite spots and there are plenty of them once you know your way round. It's a pleasant little walk with lots of things to look at on the way. It's about the same distance you'd have to walk after parking your car in a mall parking lot, and far more interesting.

 Q. Can you  improve production? You often run out of the very bread or cookie I want. If I have to come all the way down town, I'll want to be sure you have what I want, when I want it.
A. We will always run out of fresh product at the end of the day. If we did not run out, we would have no need to make new product for the next day. It is the very essence of a good bakery to run out daily. However, as we have  been telling customers for nearly thirty years, you can have what you want, exactly when you want it by using the same simple system we use ourselves. Plan ahead, order your product for the day and time you want it  and pick it up as planned.  

Q. Could you please provide a delivery service?
A. It is not practical for us to run an in-house delivery service. As you are probably aware, there are very few firms offering delivery service. The cost of doing so is prohibitive. However, the drivers of Jiffy Cabs have been delivering to our customers for many years. They charge us the exact cost of the delivery. We then charge our customers a flat rate of $8.00 for delivery within St. John's. At the end of the day, we are subsidizing the cost, but the charge to the customer is reasonable and consistent. You can phone in your order, charge both the products and delivery to your credit card and we will arrange with Jiffy Cabs to deliver to you immediately.

Q. Could you please include the nutritional value of Lemon Meringue Pie in your book of nutritional information?
A. The lemon filling in our lemon pie is one of the very few  commercial products we use in our bakery.  The lemon filling is a "Sherrif" product and the nutritional information is not provided. However, if it's calories and fat you're concerned about, there are plenty of both in all our pies.

Q. Could you offer a low fat dip with your veggie plate?
A. Yes, we can make a dip with yogurt instead of sour cream.

Q. Could you speed up the service?
A. Sometimes we can, and sometimes we can't. There are times when slow service is a result of inexperienced staff being forced into situations for which they are not ready. This can occur when regular staff are on vacation, or the store is just too busy. At other times there are just too many demands on the staff and facility, and no amount of organization can speed things up. We ask for your patience. Good food takes time to prepare.  Join the slow food movement and chill out!

Q. Why can I never get ___________ ?  (fill in your favourite baked product)
A. We bake hundreds of different products every day. Unlike canned goods, we cannot stockpile fresh baked breads and cookies, nor is it possible or practical to make every item every day. Our aim is to run out of most baked products by the end of the day, so that only fresh baked product is offered the next day. We want to provide you with only the freshest baked goods, and having all products available right up to closing time each day would be counterproductive in meeting this goal. Who would want to pay for the left overs? If you call in advance we can arrange to put aside what you want, or in special cases we can produce certain products to order. We use no preservatives.

Q. I wondered if one could freeze various kinds of peanuts? If so, for how long?
A. Nuts of all kinds freeze well. In fact if you are going to keep any variety of nuts around for more than a few weeks, it's a good idea to freeze them, as they will go rancid fairly quickly if not stored in a cool dry place. We know of people who have kept them for as long as a year and they've been fine. The key is to wrap tightly to prevent moisture from getting into the nuts.

Q. Could you please do up cookie packages in ½ dozen sizes? My children are left home and 12 is too many now to buy at a time.
A. Now that your children have left the nest, you're free to entertain when you like. Invite your friends and neighbours for coffee and you won't have to worry about leftover cookies. However, we did analyze the cost of meeting this request and it was out of proportion to the benefit. Cookies freeze very well, so there is no need to let them stale.

Q. Could you please make apricot filled braided bread? I purchased it here years ago and it was great.
A. Yes.  Ask for it at our store.

Q. Can you make Longevity Loaf without salt?
A. We don't like to fool with the recipes too much once they have been established, because it upsets the majority of our customers  who are happy with things as they are. We make Longevity Loaves in batches of ten and have not altered the original recipe, which we've been using for over 15 years. The entire batch contains only thirty grams of salt. As with any other product, we are prepared to change the recipe if a customer wishes to purchase the whole batch. This way we can meet the needs of an individual customer without altering the product for everyone else. Although this is often practical for people who want bread recipes altered, it may not be the answer in this case. It is a simple cake to make and we’d be happy to offer you the recipe.  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and you shall receive.

Q. I bought soup with a roll at your store and was charged a dime for the butter. Isn't that a bit tacky? 
A. It wasn't tacky, it was a mistake. There are many details for new cashiers to remember, and they do amazingly well, but they sometimes make errors. When offered as part of a menu item, butter portions are included at no additional charge. Otherwise they are sold at a specific cost like any other product and the cost is a dime. Sorry for the slip up.

Q. Can you make low carbohydrate bread and protein bread?
A. We're sure we could if we knew exactly what they were.. How many grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams deems a bread "low carbohydrate", and how many grams of protein per 100 grams determines if a bread is "high protein"? We need more information to work with. You will note that recently the federal "label police" have caught up with food producers who label products  low carb or high protein, and if you read the fine print on the label, you will no longer see these terms used.  They are not yet defined by the Canadian Food authorities.

Q. Could you please make apple flips with thinner crusts?
A. Apple flips are purposely made with a heavy, non crumbling pastry so that the apple filling will stay inside the flip and not run down the front of your shirt while you walk and eat. We do make another apple pastry, Apple Delight, which has a more delicate crust and although delicious, is best eaten with care and caution.

Q. Could you get friendlier staff, more willing to help?
A. We doubt it. You may occasionally catch someone on a bad day (or they may catch you), but generally speaking they're a very friendly, helpful bunch.

Q. I love your store, but couldn't you offer samples?
A. We think we probably offer more samples, more frequently than any food retailer we know. What would you specifically like to sample? We're open to suggestion. So far this week we've offered Christmas cake, various cheeses, meats, and cookies and various other odds and ends. We offer sampling almost every day.

Q. How do I know if nutritional claims on food products are correct?
A. It's a minefield out there. Certain companies are very reliable and others less so. If this is an important issue with you, and you are doubtful about food claims, you should check with the government food inspection authorities, who know the good guys from the bad guys.

Q. Does Janet, the owner of Auntie Crae's ever smile?
A. Hardly ever. A search of the Newfoundland Archives produced photos of the only times she ever smiled; once in 1945 and again in 1959.

Q. Why don't senior citizens receive discounts?
A. In over twenty years of consulting with customers, we have been told again and again that our customers are more interested in personal service than cheap goods. The positive feedback we get, particularly from our senior customers, confirms this. To this end, we concentrate our efforts and financial resources in providing superior products and customer service.

Q. We miss your store  in  Churchill Square. Could you establish a little mini outlet in the Square? Please? 
A. Maybe. It all depends. Perhaps. If the stars are in the right position. If the price is right etc. It's anyone's guess. But the real answer is "NO, not on your life!  

Q. Where are the sticky buns?
A. At the pastry counter, same as always.

Q. Could you please turn up the coolers?
A. No. The health regulations require that perishable products be stored at temperatures not exceeding 40 degrees F. Perhaps you meant turn down the coolers. We record the temperature of our coolers twice a day. They are all in working order and in the correct temperature range. If you purchase a food item from our cooler and do not consume it for an hour or so, it will not retain the low temperature unless you store it in another refrigerator or in an insulated container. You could try wrapping it in a few layers of newspaper. It's a great insulator.

Q. Could you sell the Gingerbread Family Pack in a smaller quantity package?
A. Yes. We have taken your suggestion and are now doing this.

Q. Could you make beef rolls with TVP instead of beef?

A. No.  Since the main ingredient in beef rolls is beef, TVP just wouldn't be the same. We could probably make a TVP (textured vegetable protein) roll if there was enough demand. Call us, and we'll try making a few samples for you to taste.

Q. Could we have "Brown Rice Amaranth Quinoa Bread" or something else with a fancy name that makes me look smart and important?
A. Sorry, it will take more than that.

Q. Why do I have to order 100 g or more of cheese if I want less than that?
A. You can have any quantity you wish, but you will be charged for 100 g or more because of the per item cost of cutting, wrapping, and labeling. Most delicatessen operators will not cut less than 250 grams, so we feel we are being more than reasonable.

Q. Why do we have to put up with a poor level of service at certain times in your store?
A. You should never have to put up with poor service that is a result of inattentiveness, incompetence or lack of interest. We suggest you note the name of the person offering poor service and the date and time it occurred. Please contact the owner, Janet Kelly  or ask to speak with a supervisor who will then address the specific incident. Please give as much detail as possible. A general complaint without details is almost always unproductive. We take complaints seriously, but need enough information to deal with them effectively.

Note: If, however, the inferior service is a direct result of more traffic than our store is designed to handle, there is not a lot we can do about it. We can only suggest you come at a less busy time.

Q. Could you serve other varieties of soup?
A. We serve two hot soups a day, plus cod chowder. Customers insist on pea soup as a staple, but we alternate the others, which although very popular, are very ordinary.  Ordinary sells.  Interesting soups made with interesting ingredients do not always sell.  Go figure! 

Q. Can you open later in the evenings?  How about late at night? There's nowhere to have coffee downtown after 12 on weekends.
A. After 12 you should be home in your own bed. That's where we are every night so we can get up early and open the shop by 8 am.

Q. Can you serve and sell Fair Trade Coffee?
A. Yes, it is always available. Ask the server to put on a pot of anything you like.  It just takes a few minutes to brew.

Q. Could you ask staff to remove rings and refrain from adjusting their hair?
A. We do not consider rings to be particularly unsanitary, considering the amount of hand washing and sanitizing required of our staff. However, any touching of the face or hair should be followed by diligent hand washing before handling food. If you observe any breach of the National Sanitation Code, we ask that you point it out to any staff person on duty.

Q. Could you carry bulk spices? 
A. Bulk spices do not retain freshness, and there is much risk of cross contamination through excessive and repeated handling. The spices from "The Spice Barn" are of the highest quality and are packaged under exceptionally sanitary conditions at their plant at St. Philip's. The packaging is made from a special film that is designed to retain freshness and keep out ultraviolet rays. We could not possibly improve on this.

Q. Could you have a coffee club where10th coffee is free?
A. Everyone else does that.  We choose to be different. Our present offer is an Auntie Crae Dollar, or a $1.00 discount on any product after a purchase of ten cups, and an opportunity to enter a weekly draw for a pound of coffee. We feel this is good value and do not plan to change it at this time.