In the Kitchen with Molly Goddard
Words by Sarah Leigh Bannerman
Photography by Ariana Ruth
Sunday is a time to refuel the soul
Little feels more luxurious than a Sunday spent at home doing very little. To Molly and Joel Goddard, the husband and wife duo behind sleepwear brand, Desmond & Dempsey (D&D), soft cotton pyjamas, a good read and the food you love make the perfect additions to the day. Capturing the idea of a ‘sacred Sunday’ through everything from their cotton sleep masks to the quarterly D&D Sunday Paper, they encourage people to turn simple rituals into something meaningful.
“Sunday is a time to refuel the soul,” says Molly. “People all around the world have their own connection to it. Everyone is so busy these days but I love the idea that it’s still ok to slow down at the end of the week.”
What sparked her own Sunday love affair is an especially romantic story. “I was in Australia and Joel was in England. We Skyped every single Sunday for two years,” she says. “Because of the time difference we were always in pyjamas and it became our ‘thing’.”
Now married and living in London, their Sundays look a little different but spending time together remains a priority. For Molly, the perfect day includes a lazy morning, a long walk and warming, hearty food. In Australia it’s her mum’s home-baked ham and cheese croissants and in England it’s a traditional roast dinner with the family. Mornings are spent just her and Joel with no time pressures to adhere to.
“When else do you have breakfast with a real coffee pot, fresh eggs and eat with a knife and fork?” she says. “Joel makes the best scrambled eggs and my signature recipe is pumpkin baked eggs with thyme and feta. But I really love laying the table. I think using a linen napkin is such a luxury. To me, it’s details like this that make doing very little feel special.” She talks about sitting in her favourite pyjamas, swapping her phone for a magazine or a broadsheet paper and eating slowly. “It’s our chance to really enjoy a meal,” she says. “I love having spaghetti for breakfast on a Sunday.”
Anecdotes like this offer an insight into this business-savvy duo’s life outside of work and contribute to the personability of their brand – something that gives it an extra dose of charm. Aesthetically, their collections are a reflection of their personalities, too. A mixture of Molly’s light, carefree approach to life and Joel’s refined Britishness, designs are relaxed yet considered, effortless yet elevated.
Inspiration stems from travel, or ‘adventures’ as she calls them, and prints reference everything from childhood memories to a tattoo spotted on an LA local. “When it comes to what you wear, I think pyjamas are the one time your alter ego can come out to play a bit,” she says. “I don’t really wear print or colour during the day but some of my favourite D&D designs are the more daring, printed ones.”
Molly’s enthusiasm, not just for the brand but for life, is contagious. When she talks about hosting at home, there’s a twinkle in her eye. “When we have people over I set the table beautifully, get my good glasses out, make a lovely peach and mozzarella salad and then Joel goes out to get pizzas for everyone,” she laughs.
When she talks about food, it’s always in the context of people, whether it’s her extended family or the D&D team. Weekly rituals include Friday office lunches and the odd picnic dinner at home. Gail’s in South London is their most frequented coffee shop and though the ham and cheese croissants aren’t quite the same as her mum’s, she admits they come a close second.
The couple is clearly surrounded by adoring friends and family but it’s the dedication to their Sundays together that drives the success of both their marriage and their business. “Sundays are intimate, pyjamas are intimate and we’re intimate,” says Molly. “I’m really proud of our message and the fact that’s it’s true to who we are. When I wake up with Joel on a Sunday morning, everything about it feels genuine.”
Recipe for Molly’s Spiffy Baked Eggs
Ingredients
1 big old pumpkin (or butternut squash)
A handful of thyme & rosemary
Feta
Flakey See Salt
Organic Eggs
Sourdough
Parma Ham
Instructions
Chop the pumpkin into approx. 1 inch cubes.
Slowly roast it with oil and a good pinch of sea salt and the rosemary.
After about 1.5 hours take it out and pop them in a nice roasting dish. I use a fork to kind of squash them apart, making little dishes for the eggs.
Break in the eggs.
Squeeze in the Palma ham.
Crumble the feta over the top.
Sprinkle on the thyme.
Pop it back in the oven - It takes about 20 minutes.
Smother the sourdough with butter and pop under the grill until it’s toasted. It always taste better than toast!
Voila!!!
