Lucy found she was holding hers.
‘By not letting you in,’ he repeated, looking right at her, hopeful, yet still hurting. ‘I bolted after that night together, Luce. And I’m so sorry I hurt you. It wasn’t because I didn’t care about you … I-I cared too much … and it scared the hell out of me. And I know I went about it all wrong. But the way I felt about you … it was like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.’
This moment felt pivotal – a time of memories, and of moving on.
Lucy felt all her fears, all the uncertainty, dissolve. ‘We’ve got everything at our fingertips, Jack. All we have to do is reach out and touch it.’
She held out her hand towards him.
He grasped her fingertips, and then drew her towards him. They stayed like that for a few heartfelt seconds, looking into each other’s eyes, seeing so many layers of emotion captured there, nervousness as well as desire, caring, vulnerability. Lucy tilted her head towards him … The kiss that followed was tender, meaningful, sensual, and tasted of salt, of honey, of hope.
He took Lucy in his arms and lifted her, giving her a happy, giddy swirl, right there at the top of the sand dune. ‘I love you, Lucy. Have done from the first time I bloody saw you!’
‘Hah, even with a naughty dachshund peeing on your sign?’
‘I think that’s what did it, to be honest,’ he grinned.
Lucy beamed as he popped her back down to the sandy ground. She was silent for a moment, drinking him in with his gorgeous sandy hair and his warm, kind eyes. ‘I love you too, Jack.’
Daisy swirled around their legs, tail wagging happily.
‘Race you down the hill!’ Jack shouted out, as he began to set off.
‘Hey, that’s cheating,’ Lucy giggled, about to take up the challenge.
But they didn’t race, they ran together, holding hands over the bumpy bits … laughing and smiling as they went.
Recipes from the Seaside Cocktail Campervan
Morpeth Mule
(Serves 1)
Ingredients
50ml vodka
Ice
½ lime
2 thin slices of fresh ginger (optional)
Fentiman’s ginger beer (or other brand)
Fresh mint leaves
Equipment
Copper cup, or tumbler
Stirrer
Method
Pour vodka into your cup or tumbler, add crushed ice. Squeeze in your half lime and add the spent lime portion plus a couple of sliced shards of fresh ginger. Top with ginger beer, stir and add a few sprigs of fresh mint. Deliciously refreshing!
Raspberry Rum Smash
(Serves 1)
Ingredients
Ice
50ml dark rum
30ml raspberry liqueur
25ml raspberry syrup
40ml raspberry puree
25ml lemon juice
Raspberries and mint for garnish
Equipment
Cocktail shaker and strainer
Tumbler glass
50ml and 25ml measurer (jigger)
Method
Fill shaker with ice. Add all ingredients to shaker. Shake for 30 seconds.
Fill tumbler glass with ice. Strain contents into tumbler glass. Add garnish.
Enjoy!
Sunset Amaretto Fizz
(Serves 2)
Ingredients
50ml Disaronno
75ml fresh orange juice
20cl sparkling wine or champagne
Strips of orange zest to garnish
Equipment
2 flutes
Jug and stirrer
Method
Mix Disaronno, juice and sparkling wine in a small jug. Stir gently.
Pour into two flutes. Garnish with orange zest.
Sip as the sun goes down!
Sea Breeze
(Serves 1)
Ingredients
50ml vodka
100ml cranberry juice
50ml grapefruit juice
Ice
Thin slice of lime
Equipment
Highball glass
Stirrer
Method
Half-fill a tall glass with ice, then pour in the vodka, cranberry and grapefruit juice. Stir gently, then garnish with a lime slice.
The perfect seaside cocktail!
Virgin Mojito
(Serves 1)
Ingredients
25ml sugar syrup
3 limes, juiced
A small bunch of mint leaves
Ice
Soda water
Lime wedge and mint leaves for garnish
Equipment
Highball glass
Muddler (or small bowl and rolling pin)
25ml measurer (jigger)
Stirrer
Fruit juicer
Method
Muddle together the sugar syrup and leaves in a highball (tall) glass using a muddler (or a small bowl and the end of a rolling pin). If using a bowl, transfer the muddled sugar syrup and mint leaves to a highball glass. Add the lime juice and some ice to the glass. Top up with soda water. Stir. Add garnish.
Enjoy!
Jack’s Gin and Tonic Cake
A moist and zingy loaf cake. The perfect treat.
(Serves 8)
Ingredients
200g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g (7oz) caster sugar
4 medium eggs
200g self-raising flour, sifted
½tsp baking powder
Finely grated zest of 1 large or 2 small limes
1tbsp gin
Syrup
60g (2oz) caster sugar
4tbsp gin
4tbsp tonic
Icing
200g icing sugar
2tbsp lime juice
2tbsp gin
Decoration
1 lime zested and 1 lime sliced thinly, cut in half-moon shapes
Method
Preheat oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4). Butter and line a 900g loaf tin.
Cream together the butter and caster sugar; an electric whisk is ideal for this. Add the beaten eggs, bit by bit, whisking all the time. Gently whisk in the sifted flour, baking powder, lime zest and gin.
Spoon into your tin. Bake for 45 mins. Check with a cake skewer; if it comes out clean, take cake out of oven; if not, give it another 5 mins. Remove from oven and leave to cool slightly whilst making the syrup drizzle.
Put the sugar, gin and tonic water into a small pan over a low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Turn off heat.
Poke your cake lightly, at least 10 times with a cake skewer/fork, then drizzle over the syrup. Leave to cool in the tin.
Once cooled, remove from tin and place on wire rack (removing the liner).
In a small bowl, add your icing sugar and gradually mix in the gin and lime juice till you get a thick pouring consistency – too thin, and it’ll just slide off the cake. Pour icing over cake and sprinkle over some lime zest. Wait for 5 mins, then add some lime slices down the middle of the cake to decorate. Leave to set.
Serve with a cup of tea, or indeed, a glass of G&T alongside!
Nonna’s Clementine and Limoncello No-flour Cake
*Can also be made as gluten-free.
A syrupy, zesty, summertime cake.
(Serves 8–10)
Ingredients
375g of clementines (approx. 4)
1tbsp limoncello *(please check this is gluten-free or use lemon juice instead)
6 large eggs
225g caster sugar
250g ground almonds
1tsp baking powder *(use gluten-free baking powder, or omit this item)
Method
Put whole clementines in a pan with enough cold water to cover the fruit, bring to the boil. Simmer with lid partially on for 2 hours. Drain, and set aside to cool. Then cut each clementine in half and remove any pips. Put clementines, skin and all, into a food processor, and blitz to a pulp (or do b
y hand). Add the limoncello or lemon juice.
Pre-heat oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas5/375F.
Butter and line a 20cm/8in springform pan with baking parchment.
Add all other ingredients to the food processor and mix. Or beat eggs with an electric whisk or by hand. Add sugar, almonds, baking powder. Beat well, then finally add the pulped orange and limoncello (or lemon juice) and mix through.
Spoon into your prepared tin and bake for an hour (checking at around 35–40 mins and cover with foil, if need be, to prevent any burning), or until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin, on a rack. When cold, take out of tin.
Delicious served with crème fraiche stirred through with a sprinkle of clementine zest.
This cake keeps well and is even scrummier a day after baking, but hey-ho, you may not want to wait that long!!
Lucy’s Chocolate Mousse Cake
(Serves 8–10)
Ingredients for the Chocolate Cake
25g (1oz) cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
2tbsp boiling water
175g (6oz) caster sugar
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2 medium eggs, beaten
175g (6oz) margarine
½tsp vanilla essence
Method
Preheat oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Grease and line a deep 8in/20cm round springform cake tin with baking parchment.
Put cocoa powder in a large bowl and mix to a smooth paste with the boiling water. Add all other cake ingredients and beat together, ideally using a hand-held mixer.
Spoon into your prepared tin and level with a palette knife. Bake for 30–35 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin.
Meanwhile make the chocolate mousse:
Ingredients for the Chocolate Mousse
25g cocoa powder (sifted)
2tbsp boiling water
225g (8oz) dark chocolate (ideally 70% cocoa solids)
350ml whipping cream (or double)
Ingredients for the garnish
Any of: raspberries, strawberries, chocolate curls
Method
Mix cocoa powder to a paste with boiling water. Put aside.
Place the chocolate in a bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water, stirring continuously. Allow to cool a little. Mix with your cocoa paste, stirring well.
Beat cream until soft peaks form, taking care not to overbeat. Gently fold the melted chocolate and cocoa mix into the whipped cream and combine.
Pour onto the now-cool baked cake whilst it’s still in the tin. Level with a palette knife and refrigerate for 3–4 hrs or overnight.
Top with a dusting of cocoa powder, and some delicately placed fresh fruit (raspberries or strawberries are ideal).
*This cake needs to be kept in a fridge.
Deliciously decadent!
Easy Pizza
This is Caroline’s recipe, not Lucy’s – as she’d be making her own Papa’s pizza dough and using the San Marzano tomatoes! But this one is quick, easy and very tasty indeed! Makes one large pizza – enough for 2 people with a side salad.
Ingredients
1 x 385g (or similar) pack of ready-made fresh pizza dough
25g garlic butter (or crush a clove of garlic; add with salt and pepper to some softened butter)
150g tomato passata, approx. 12 fresh basil leaves torn (or ½tsp dried basil) and ½tsp dried oregano, all stirred together
150g grated mozzarella and 75g grated cheddar
Toppings: cooked chicken fillet (approx. 150g), chorizo, red onions, ham, sliced mushrooms, peppers, pineapple, goat’s cheese, chillies, chargrilled veg – any combo you like, really!
Garnish: fresh rocket and a drizzle of balsamic glaze (optional)
Method
Pre-heat oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas Mark 7.
Roll out your ready-made dough to a large circle or oval. Lay on a pizza baking tray (ideally) or a large flat baking tray. Spread with your garlic butter and cook for 6 mins, to start crisping the pizza sides.
Spoon over your tomato sauce evenly, taking almost to the sides.
Add half the cheese, then your choice of toppings. My favourites are chicken, thinly sliced chorizo, red onion and red pepper; or try chopped ham and mushrooms; or red pepper, onion and goat’s cheese.
Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
Bake for a further 10–12 mins until golden crispy and the cheese is all oozy and melted.
Garnish with a handful of rocket and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Delicious! Even better served with a glass of wine or a prosecco.
A Letter from Caroline
Thank you so much for choosing to read The Seaside Cocktail Campervan. I hope you’ve been delighted to spend time with Lucy and Jack and Daisy Dachshund, whilst touring Northumberland with the fabulous classic campervan, Ruby. Hopefully, you’ve been curled up with this novel with cocktails and cake, or a slice of scrumptious pizza to hand!
If you’ve enjoyed this book, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or leave a review. I always love hearing my readers’ reactions, and a comment or review makes my day and also can make a real difference in helping new readers to discover my books for the first time. You’d make this author very happy.
You are welcome to pop along to my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. Please feel free to share your news, views and recipe tips, or why not drop by to read all about my favourite cocktails, latest bakes, see Jarvis (my crazy-lovely spaniel) on one of our gorgeous Northumberland walks, and find out more about the inspirations behind my writing.
It’s lovely to make new friends, so keep in touch.
Thanks again. Take care, and see you soon!
Caroline x
Facebook: /CarolineRobertsAuthor
Instagram: @carolinerobertsauthor
Twitter: @_caroroberts
Website: http://carolinerobertswriter.blogspot.co.uk
Acknowledgements
This book was written during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns of 2020. Amidst such strange and unprecedented times, it was a joy to be able to head off (in my imagination) with Jack’s Cocktail Campervan and Lucy’s pizza horsebox to join in all these celebrations.
Most of my research had to be done over the phone and online, and big thanks go to Minnie of Minnie’s Mobiles Bars and Pizza, Graeme of Fizz on the Tyne and Richard of Crusts and Castles for all their insights into the mobile catering world and for giving up their time to answer my many questions. Thanks, especially, to Minnie for providing several of the cocktail recipes! I wish you all the very best with your business ventures.
Also, to Mary (next door) thanks for the inspirational touch of adding limoncello to the Clementine Cake recipe, and to my daughter, Amie, for delighting my tastebuds and inspiring me with her Gin and Tonic Cake. (Cakes and cocktails do work together, I promise you!) Thanks to Marie for her easy pizza tips. And to John Eyre for his insights into vintage VW Campervans that came just at the right time for the edits.
Big thanks, as always, to my fabulous editor Charlotte Brabbin and to the whole team at One More Chapter, HarperCollins. And to my lovely agent Hannah Ferguson and the team at Hardman & Swainson.
To the Northumberland Chapter of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, thank you. We will all meet again soon! Tea, cake and chat are long overdue. And to all the libraries, bookshops and their staff who support my books, here and across the world, many thanks.
A big hug and thank you to all my family and friends. Prosecco and parties are on the way!
My readers, last but never least, thank you for all your wonderful support, reviews, comments and for taking the time to chat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You make it all worthwhile, sitting for hours writing away in my little room. Thank you to all the fabulous book bloggers out there too! I hope my books bring you a little escape and happiness.
I do hope you enjoyed The Seaside Cocktail Campe
rvan and your adventures with Lucy and Jack.
Cheers!
Caroline x
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Ellie’s baking adventures continue in this second, deliciously festive Cosy Teashop novel. Don’t miss this Christmas showstopper!
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The Seaside Cocktail Campervan Page 27