Our First School Mum Edit ‘Back to School Brunch’ at Ottolenghi Bicester Village

There’s something slightly nerve-wracking about hosting your first event. You don’t quite know how it’s going to land, who will come, or whether it will feel the way you imagined. Ours sold out, which was a fantastic start, but what we weren’t prepared for was just how lovely it would actually feel.

We hosted our first School Mum Edit Back to School Brunch at Ottolenghi in Bicester Village, and from the moment everyone arrived, everything felt relaxed. There was no awkwardness, no cliques, just a lovely group of women ready for a fun morning.

Setting the tone

Laura, as expected, made the table look great, fresh, colourful flowers against crisp white linens. One long private table looking beautiful. Exactly what we had envisioned.

The small touches are something we’re really passionate about: Ottolenghi recipe cards on the table (including shakshuka, which we are now determined to attempt), books to flick through, and lovely samples from Charlotte Tilbury at Bicester Village, including a favourite: Magic Cream.

Before we ate, we gave a short welcome, and then the chef came out to chat to us about the food and the story behind Ottolenghi. I always love hearing the “why” behind things. It makes you appreciate what’s on your plate that little bit more

The Food 

We had a curated brunch menu, including vegan options, and everything was exactly what we’d hoped for: colourful, fresh and full of flavour. Carly had the eggs with salmon, which were genuinely delicious and a mint tea, Laura went for the eggs as well, but with a much-needed coffee! And as expected with Ottolenghi, everything was beautifully presented.

And the cakes… dangerously positioned by the takeaway on the way out. Some of us (who will not be named!) couldn’t leave without one for ourselves and also one for our friend Jacs, who should have been there but sadly couldn’t make it.

But really, it was about the people, our brilliant mums. This is the bit that mattered. We had mums (and daughters) come from all over, locally and a bit further afield, some with friends, some on their own. And within minutes, it stopped mattering who came with whom. What we loved most was the mix: This wasn’t a room full of one “type” of mum or one school. We had women from independent and local schools, women running businesses, working part-time, on a career break, full-time at home, or figuring out what’s next, local and not-so-local. and everything in between. And it genuinely didn’t matter.

No one was introduced by what they do, where their child goes to school, or where they live. No one needed to explain themselves. It was just a group of women talking, sharing, laughing and being themselves.

The Conversations 

We covered everything. Local recommendations: the best places for coffee, lunches, little gems, travel and hotels… and yes, the honest “maybe avoid that one” conversations too. But also the things that don’t always get talked about like schools, SEN support, IVF journeys, navigating motherhood and everything in between. It was supportive, open, and completely non-judgmental, which was exactly what we’d hoped for. And, of course, plenty of laughter.

The Unexpected Moments

There were a few! A slightly surreal moment when a song came on that happened to be by one of our guests, Hannah’s boyfriend, completely coincidental, obviously. And Mel, our wonderful photographer, captured everything beautifully, while her gorgeous daughter entertained us all with the best cheeky laugh.

For Carly, a really special full-circle moment was seeing my first primary school best friend, Claire and my university best friend, Sue, catching up as if no time had passed, while also introducing them to friends I now work with and meeting new ones at the same time. It reminded us of how important it is to make time for this.

What We Took Away From The Brunch

Yes, the setting was beautiful. Yes, the food was incredible. The sun was shining and, for a moment, we felt like we were in a chic European city rather than Oxfordshire. But it was the feeling in the room that stayed with us. Women being kind to each other. Open. Interested. Supportive. No pressure to be anything other than exactly who you are. Some came knowing lots of people. Others came knowing no one. Everyone left having connected with someone. And that, really, is the whole point of The School Mum Edit and exactly why we wanted to create it.

A Few Final Notes

We also have to mention the toilets at Ottolenghi because anyone who knows Carly knows she’s slightly obsessed with a beautiful bathroom and good hand cream… and these did not disappoint! As the sun was shining, we had a quick wander around Bicester Village afterwards to view some future TSME event venues, before heading back to real life, the perfect ending to a lovely morning.

We both sat at opposite ends of the table. So to those of you we didn’t get to properly sit with — we’re really looking forward to getting to know you better next time. And to those who wanted to come but couldn’t make it — we missed you, and we can’t wait to see you at the next one.

A lovely extra touch from Ottolenghi Bicester Village, they’ve kindly offered 10% off their private, at-home event catering for any of our TSME mums interested in hosting something special. Having now experienced the food, we can highly recommend it.

What’s Next?

A big thank you to Ottolenghi Bicester Village for having us. We will absolutely be back, and to Charlotte Tilbury for the gorgeous treats. And to every woman who came, whether you arrived confidently or slightly nervously, thank you. You made it what it was.

If you’d like to join us at a future event, make sure you’re on our email list where we share new dates, early access and little extras there first. If you didn’t make this one, don’t worry. There’s a lot more to come.

Have a look at the gallery to see more 🤍

With love,

Carly & Laura x