Adventures: Bakehouse Wanders Brighton Part 2 Hi everyone! After months of procrastination, I'm thrilled to finally share part two of my Brighton adventure—because who doesn’t love a seaside story? Picking up from last time, I started my day at the Flint Owl Bakery for breakfast and coffee, followed by a visit to Vero Gusto, an Italian bakery, to pick up some delectable treats. Although I’ve been to Brighton plenty of times, my adventures have mostly centred around the Marina and the beach. This time, I wandered into The Lanes—a popular spot with locals and tourists alike, but a place I’d never explored. I didn’t even realise I was in The Lanes at first—that’s what happens when you don’t have a plan. From what I gathered, The Lanes are a mix of independent shops focused on ‘hip’ culture (do people still say ‘hip’?), fashion, and antiques. None of these are really my thing, but you know what they also had? A pasty shop. Now that is definitely up my street… or lane. The ...
Cake and Bake Show 2023 - A Culinary Adventure
I had been enticed by advertisements for both the Cake and Bake Show and the BBC Good Food Show Christmas for months. Both events were incredibly tempting, but fate had them scheduled for the same weekend! While I could have theoretically attended both, it would have made for an exhausting weekend, so I opted for the Cake and Bake Show.
Show of Two Halves
Upon arriving at Olympia in London, the venue for the Cake and Bake Show, I couldn't help but feel a bit surreal. I had visited Olympia numerous times in my childhood, but it was always for the Good Food Show. The distinct aroma of a bagel stand welcoming visitors with hot buttered bagels was a familiar memory.
The shows were divided by floor: the ground floor hosted the Ideal Home Show, and the upper gallery was split between the Cake and Bake Show and the Food and Drink Festival. While I won't delve into the Ideal Home Show in this review (for reasons beyond its non-food focus), the prospect of exploring three shows in one location was intriguing.
Although cakes aren't my natural inclination in baking, the Cake and Bake Show sounded interesting enough to warrant a visit. After a journey involving a couple of trains, I found myself at Olympia on a Saturday morning.
As I ascended the entrance stairs, lightly dusted with fake snow, the venue felt oddly different from my previous experiences at the Good Food Show. The ground floor was dedicated to the Ideal Home Show, while the gallery upstairs was divided between the Cake and Bake Show and the Food and Drink Festival.
The Ideal Home Show, to put it bluntly, did not live up to expectations. The event seemed more like a car boot sale under a fancy roof, devoid of the ideal home aura. Given my dissatisfaction, I won't dwell on it further.
Upstairs, however, was a haven for food enthusiasts. The gallery, adorned with a beautiful ceiling, was familiar territory from the Good Food Show days. I reminisced about the times when the wine section used to be upstairs, and my sister and I impatiently waited for the free food while our parents indulged in wine sampling.
Did Somebody Say Drink?
Ironically, my day began with an alcoholic beverage – a Black Forest-inspired Margarita from a charming Irish lady serving from a tastefully decorated caravan with a floral theme. Admittedly, the drink was on the pricey side at £9, a theme that persisted throughout the day.
The cocktail, with its ice-cold perfection, offered a delightful fusion of classic Margarita flavours with a cherry punch. The amaretto, though elusive, added a pleasant touch. The cocktail's garnish, a cherry and a paper turkey, added a quirky festive touch.
The Cake's Been Stollen
After aimlessly wandering with my cocktail, I stumbled upon the Christmas Kitchen stage. Here, a demonstration was about to begin, offering a welcome opportunity to sit down and thaw my hands.
The demonstration featured a couple of mixes from White's flour, creating a fig cake and a stollen. The fig cake, made from a carrot cake mix with coffee-soaked figs, intrigued me. The stollen, though not quite as expected, looked enticing.
Chef Richard, with his entertaining and clear presentation, showcased his dedication to his craft. The flour mixes, offered at significantly better prices than supermarkets, convinced me to purchase Ciabatta, Oat and Linseed, and Sun-dried Tomato mixes.
A Whole New World of Cakes
The Cake and Bake Show featured a cake competition, this year themed around Disney in honor of its 100-year anniversary. Among the many spectacular cakes, I voted for the "Nemo's World" cake, a standout creation.
This competition provided a delightful and aspirational pitstop amidst exploring the stalls, showcasing the incredible talent on display.
Lunch Time
With the Eat and Drink Show in full swing, lunch options were abundant, spanning cuisines from around the world. Despite the odd prevalence of fries, the choices were diverse, from Thai to Yorkshire Pudding wraps with a roast dinner filling.
I opted for a vegan bratwurst with sauerkraut, a nod to my three months in Zurich. Despite the challenge of finding a spot in the bustling venue, I enjoyed the food, even if the prices were steep.
I'm a Wanderer
To digest my lunch, I explored various stalls, each offering a plethora of cake-making supplies. Inspired by the possibilities, I picked up a few items, including Christmas presents and spray paint for cakes.
Great ideas emerged during my wanderings, particularly with the abundance of stencils for decoration. Though I didn't make a purchase due to the prices, I left with a plan to create my own stencils for use with the food spray paint.
Crazy Bastard Sauces
To my excitement I spotted the Crazy Bastard Chilli sauce stand. I love these sauces, I definitely didn't need the sales pitch, I've bought their sauces many times.
What I like about these chilli sauces is that not only do they actually go hot, but there isn't novelty to the heat, you can still taste the sauce. Often is the case with chilli sauce marketed as being hot, that's all you get, heat with no flavour, but these guys get it perfectly.
Needless to say I bought some sauces, the best being Trinidad Scorpion and Clementine.
Myst
I should explain that I'm normally wearing some variety of gaming apparel, nothing to loud, but something. I like that wearing something gaming related is completely invisible to the masses, but on occasion someone in the know will say something, and normally its starts conversation.
A bit more strolling, a voice beckoned asking about my jacket, that I bought at the League of Legends World Championships in the New York, 2016.
Turns out one of the people running the stand Myst, was an avid League of Legends fan and we struck up quite the lengthy conversation. Whilst chatting I tried out a couple off flavoured tequilas and a rum.
Either this guy was the best salesman on the planet, or the friendliest fellow gamer happened to be in the right spot because I walked away having bought a bottle of Salted Caramel Tequila and a Spiced Apple Rum.
In fairness to Myst, their drinks were incredible, normally when a drink says its flavoured by something, like spiced apple in this case, you'll go searching your plate and end up with a, maybe its there, these drinks tasted of what they said.
The Coffee Tequila, tasted like the best Espresso Martini by itself, there was so much coffee flavour I was shocked, if I wasn't using a backpack with a bad back I probably would've bought this one too.
Modelling Dresses
There was a demonstration that I didn't want to miss, a sugar modelling session, Disney inspired. This isn't something that I've ever looked into, but my niece is Disney mad, so I wanted to see what I could learn.
After escaping being talked at in attempt of wearing me down to spend some money I noticed time had moved on more than I'd thought and the show was about to start.
Trying to get from one end of the venue to the other when its this busy is not easy, but I just got there in time, although I did end up spending the entire session standing.
The demo was entrancing, I've never seen sugar working being done, and the skill in both the craft, and explanation, was majestic.
Christina Georgiou, who was the sugar queen, and teacher, was wonderful, her skill appeared so effortless as she held what felt like a class. The subject was creating a princess in a dress, all the time explaining with perfect clarity the process she was doing.
The knowledge of the human anatomy was remarkable also, which makes sense considering she spends her life moulding people out of sugar, but was nonetheless impressive.
Somehow I came out of the session wanting to take a class, when going in I'd never considered sugar craft, or its existence.
Greek Feast
Winding the day up ,I thought I'd check out another food stand, after ages deciding what to have I settled on the Greek stand, the enticing array of Greek pastries won me over.
I had a slice of filo pie, filled with aubergine, peppers, and feta, accompanied by a classic Greek salad.
This is two festivals I've done since starting my blog, and both times the Greeks smashed it, completely out of left field. The rest of the world has some catching up to do, especially since Greek cuisine isn't one that resonates with me.
The pie was so flavourful, and clearly expertly made, and the salad somehow had the freshest tomatoes, cucumber and feta I've tried; there were olives too, but since I don't like them we'll pretend they weren't.
The stand said they cater for work functions, I'll probably be unsuccessful, but I'll definitely nudge my work in their direction.
Let's Go Home
In conclusion, the day proved to be long and interesting. While the Cake and Bake Show may not surpass the Good Food Show, it was a worthwhile experience for £12. Cheaper than many offerings inside, the event is a must-visit for foodies and cake enthusiasts in the vicinity.
Despite the coinciding Ideal Home Show disappointment, the opportunity to gather ideas from both professionals and amateurs made the day truly inspiring.