Another sunny Foodies Festival? I really wasn’t far off the mark when I decided that 2018 was going to be the best season ever!
It’s been amazing sharing sunny days and so much sweet stuff with you all. Today, I am sharing the pictures from Birmingham BUT we will be back on the road this weekend – you can come and join in the fun at Tatton Park from Friday 13th July to Sunday 15th July. Bring the sunshine with you and skip breakfast because we are going to feed you until you pop! Click here to read all about the festival and pick up your tickets.
We will also be joined by the lovely people at SunSense, the UK’s number one prescribed sunscreen, who will be giving away samples of the best SPF that I have ever used. Because I love you and think you deserve a treat, I will be giving away a bundle of SunSense goodies worth £100 in the Cake & Desserts Theatre on each day of our Tatton Park show AND I have a bundle to give away to one lucky reader. To be in with a chance of winning, comment something sunny on this blog post or over on any of my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook). Every comment will go into the prize draw so feel free to enter here and on social media too!
Prize bundle includes SunSense Ultra 500ml, SunSense Ultra 125ml, SunSense Ultra 50ml, Daily Face 200ml and SunSense Lip Balm 15g
Thanks to everyone who came to see us in Birmingham. Here’s what we got up to…
Special thanks to the rather wonderful Helen Cripps from Leewood Roots who was our official photographer for the weekend. I hope you will agree that Helen captured the fun and has the BEST filters on her phone!
I whipped up a batch of my Rum & Raisin Brownies, loaded with California Raisins and Food Thoughts Cacao. Click the picture for the recipe.
Posing it up in my chef’s whites… AKA a dress from Glamour Bunny!
We added a new member to our Foodies family in Birmingham in the wonderful Emily Leary from A Mummy Too. Don’t be fooled by the sweet Mummy title – this is one rock’n’roll Mama who can bake up a storm without breaking a sweat!
Emily Leary from A Mummy Too and her Salted Caramel Marble Loaf Cake.
We love local talent at Foodies Festival and we are proud to be able to bring you the amazing artists right on your own doorstep. Enrique Rojas from Have Some Cake makes possibly the most stunning wedding cakes that I have ever seen. Put it this way, if Chris and I got married again, I would not be making my own cake again!
The rather incredible Enrique Rojas from Have Some Cake returned to show off his enviable but achievable cake decorating skills.
Enrique whipped up this beautifully decorated Lemon & Elderflower Cake inside of 30 minutes in the heatwave. Them’s some serious skills!
When I say that we are a little family in the Cake & Desserts Theatre, I do mean it. Helen caught these adorable photos of John Holland from Baker on Board and I at the end of one of his demos.
This man is as sweet as his bakes. Do click the picture to check out Baker on Board, where John shares his recipes.
We had a little surprise in store for the audience in a Cake & Cabaret Kylie & Jason Special – John and I were going to serenade the crowds whilst also baking a Salted Caramel Millionaire’s Shortbread! We used the layers of this tasty treat to illustrate how the producers at Stock, Aitken & Waterman produced the sound of the late 80s pop music that we grew up with.
Pre-performance drinkies and the most camp pout I’ve ever seen!
I don’t think I’ve ever had such a giggle or been so simultaneously nervous in my life! I’ve wanted to be Kylie since I was a little girl and this was my chance!
Here it is… Especially For You as performed by John Holland and I before serving up our treats to the audience.
I cannot tell you how much fun that was!
And we even managed to squeeze in a cookery demonstration!
Help yourself to the recipe for my Salted Caramel Millionaire’s Shortbread by clicking the picture.
After all of that excitement, Day Two had an awful lot to live up to! We kicked off with Helen Cripps of Leewood Roots demonstrating her delicious Chai Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter. This recipe is completely vegan and gluten free with no sacrifice in taste. It was amazing.
Helen puts me to work in the kitchen – I do try to be useful!
With Helen Cripps and her freshly chocolate drizzled cake.
John Holland was back and looking fierce! We must have bored the whole crowd senseless as we told them all about our Kylie & Jason exploits.
These are like little family portraits. I’ll compile them all into a slideshow with schmaltzy music one day…
We roped Rob, our amazing tech guy, in for a selfie! We really couldn’t put this show on without him so I like to embarrass Rob by calling him out to take applause everywhere we go.
Hard at work or hardly working?
Another batch of Run & Raisin Brownies and another frock unprotected by an apron! This one is from LindyBop and those are butterflies, not cake batter. Click here for more dress gorgeousness from LindyBop.
The crowds gathered for a slice of Emily Leary’s loaf cake.
That frosting? Cream cheese and salted caramel sauce. No, you’re dribbling.
Prep kitchen sensible shoe realness! Helen Cripps, Grace Hall, and I all know the benefit of 10 minutes off the heels.
Returning Birmingham family superstar Olivier Briault from The Edgbaston Hotel showed off his amazing patisserie skills.
Olivier makes it look really easy!
Olivier’s pavlova with French Meringue, Cumin Leaf infused Chantilly Cream, Mango slices and Lemon jelly was incredible. A real treat to look at and to eat. I totally ate that…
The award for biggest trooper of the weekend goes to Grace Hall from All’Scone Bakery who turned up to demonstrate and to perform with a broken finger! She was and will always be a total legend.
I was wired for sound to help if needed but Grace made it look easy!
An all vegan pancake cake! This is one of the most delicious things ever.
The concept for the Cake & Cabaret was born of how very talented my family of chefs are. Grace Hall is also an amazing Burlesque performer under her alter-ego-superhero-name, Bootsy Bonafonte. Bootsy joined me in the kitchen, bringing glamour and anarchy.
Serving showgirl chic with a glass of bubbly too! The wonderful Bootsy Bonafonte.
Friends who bake together and drink together…
No, Bootsy, you’re not helping!
Here is it for you, Bootsy Bonafonte’s blue light routine. I am reminding the packed theatre to make some noise as items of clothing are removed – because a lady taking her clothes off in a quiet room is just creepy. Burlesque is all about the fun both for the audience and the performer and if Bootsy thinks no-one is having fun, she will just keep her kit on!
Bootsy’s second routine involved a saucepan and a frying pan employed where feather fans should be employed. I am laughing my ass off because they are two different sizes… like most of us!
In spite of Bootsy’s help, I did manage to make her a Vegan Vanilla Cake with pink glittery frosting, raspberries and pistachios.
With my homegirl. You can see Bootsy performing regularly with The Folly Mixtures. Click here for details.
This is what feminism looks like. Sisters supporting each other and having a bloody good time doing it! I’ve known Grace for over 4 years now and am so proud of everything that she is.
Day Three was hot – really hot. We crammed the theatre with amazing demonstrations and cuddled up sweaty chefs in the prep kitchen!
We were joined on Sunday by the wonderful Kenny Tutt, winner of Masterchef 2018. Kenny made scones and jam AND brought enough scones with him to feed the whole theatre!
Kenny giggled throughout his demo and we totally failed to get a picture after the demo as we kicked off a 3-person production line with Kenny splitting, Helen on clotted cream, and myself on jam duty! At the end of the day, feeding you is our priority.
Grace Hall returned to bake up more delicious vegan treats.
This is mine… I don’t know what you’re having! Yum! My fruit salad dress is from Voodoo Vixen (click the picture for details.)
Enrique whipped up a unicorn cake to the delight of several young girls in the audience. We also got to eat it!
Special thanks to Helen Cripps from Leewood Roots for her amazing demos, the fantastic pictures, and for all of her support in the prep kitchen. I cannot thank this wonderful lady enough.
Boy, does Tatton Park have some big shoes to fill! I cannot wait to see you all for another sunny weekend of sweet treats, sunshine, and surprises.
Stay gorgeous!
Cxx
