I spent a solid three days laughing at Foodies Festival Tatton Park. How can I explain it to you if you missed it? I am going to do my utmost but you have to promise me that you will not miss our last two shows of the year – we have one in Edinburgh for our Scottish foodie friends from Friday 3rd – Sunday 5th August and one in Oxford for our southern foodies from Saturday 25th – Monday 27th August.
These are not to be missed because you just never know what is going to happen…
Day One was lightly photographed as I was limited to selfies without an official photographer. Here is a tiny taste.
I rocked Dame Edna chic for the weekend with purple hair. This tea dress was from Joanie Clothing (click for full details… psssst… it’s in the sale!)
With the wonderful Sarah Wilson-Gibbons of Hey! Little Cupcake.
With Jen Perry of Room Forty… a new addition to our Foodies family
On Day Two, I was joined by partner-in-crime and official photographer Helen Cripps of Leewood Roots and her filters. Thank goodness for filters! I am nowhere near this good-looking.
With the lovely Helen Cripps. This frock was also from Joanie Clothing and I am a little bit in love with it (click for details)
Helen Cripps is a wonderful chef and her White Chocolate & Maca Cake went down a treat! The recipe is available on her fabulous blog, which you can read by clicking this picture.
Helen feeds the hungry crowds.
Sarah Wilson-Gibbons made these beautiful cupcakes with Food Thoughts Cocoa and Renshaw Simply Create frostings and chocolate fondant icing.
So far, so civilised. Then trouble turned up in the shape of Masterchef 2018 winner, Kenny Tutt! Kenny is fabulous fun and always gets the crowds giggling.
#winning with Kenny Tutt
The Cake & Desserts Theatre was packed for Kenny’s scone demonstration.
Kenny tells the crowds all about his time in the Masterchef kitchen and all about his journey since winning.
And if you thought that Kenny was trouble, you clearly hadn’t met Colin Farquhar of Colin’s Time to Bake. Possibly the sweetest and daftest human I have ever met, Colin combines his love of baking with his love of all things theatrical to create musical parodies that I adore. Please do click through any of the multiple links that I have laid around this page to check out his YouTube channel and make sure you subscribe.
Colin Farquhar of Colin’s Time to Bake made Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Scones.
Well, Colin oversaw the hard work of a volunteer from the audience who did all of the hard work!
There was a good reason for Colin to take it easy. Hang on in there and you will see why.
Some of us DID do some work…
With my Rum & Raisin Brownies, decorated with Renshaw Simply Create caramel and chocolate pour over icings.
Baking without an apron again. Cavalier spirit!
Returning to Tatton Park were the hugely popular Rob Allen and The Baking Nanna from #twitterbakealong. If we are truly a family, then we need a Nanna! Rob and Jackie bring easy bakes with a whole lot of fun and, yes, that cake was as enormous as it looks. The cake is below the cleavage… look at the cake… or my eyes are up here.
With the wonderful Rob Allen and The Baking Nanna and their Chocolate Milkshake Cake.
The highlight of Day Two came in the Cake & Cabaret Musical Extravaganza Special. Colin Farquhar took the helm and basically did an episode of Colin’s Time to Bake live. It was brilliant to be a part of it.
Colin could not hide from the crowd – they had come to giggle and to be fed!
This is how we ended up…
And this is how we got there. Special thanks to Sam for filming the whole thing (and for driving all the way back to Salford to pick up the cake that Colin had forgotten). Supportive husbands are the best. We love you, Sam. Enjoy this.
I love how talented my chefs are! You would never get this on Saturday Kitchen!
Anyone else think that Colin looks oddly like Kurt Cobain in his Elsa wig?
Post-show cuddles and comfy shoes!
Helen and I recovered by going for a Thai meal. It was yummy. I am still dreaming of that drunken tofu – was sober, the tofu was drunk.
Day Three was a toasty one and started with a little wander around the amazing stalls. Helen noticed this one that matched my dress perfectly!
Wearing the Celestine Pink Lily Dress from LindyBop which is ridiculously inexpensive in the sale at the moment (click for full details)
When it comes to peanut butter, go big or go home, especially when it’s Freda’s Cornish Sea Salt peanut butter (click for details)
Helen and I found a massive cock and took a selfie because we are so grown up!
But seriously, back to work we went!
Helen Cripps of Leewood Roots and her Maca powder… it’s also known as ‘Spanish Viagra’ so apologies to any audience members who got a little frisky.
Rob Allen and The Baking Nanna made cupcakes with Gin & Tonic frosting for everyone!
Colin Farquhar from Colin’s Time to Bake came back and fed the crowds, not dressed as scary Elsa this time!
No, Colin did not do his own baking this time!
Another slab of Rum & Raisin Brownies for the crowds. Click the picture for the recipe.
Jen Perry of Room Forty showed off her French patisserie skills with these Lemon & Blueberry Friands.
Working hard?
Or hardly working? We love a pose in our theatre!
If you are based in the North, I cannot recommend Room Forty enough. Having tried Jen Perry’s delicious bakes, I can think of no one I would rather have round to cater my afternoon tea party. Room Forty will arrive at your home with all of the food and tea and bubbly, with vintage china to serve it on, and vintage linens to dress your tables. They will wait your tables and do the washing up afterwards. Click here to read all about their service – I think they would be the perfect solution for a big occasion which you want to celebrate in the comfort of your own home.
An arty shot by Helen Cripps.
With all this food left over, all that was left was for us to serve it up to our Foodie crowd in the End of the Show show. I made Sticky Toffee Puddings to add to the feast and even wrote a little song about them. I had been inspired by Colin’s Time to Bake…
All this food and all of the amazing chefs on hand to help serve them up!
The theatre was packed for the End of the Show show, which always makes me happy. We do have a lot of food to get through and The Baking Nanna even made an extra giant cupcake cake for the crowds.
Wasting away, all of them!
We all love to share our baking. It is what we live for.
And that was a wrap. But for a few silly selfies and thank yous.
With Sarah Wilson-Gibbons and Helen Cripps.
With Colin Farquhar and Helen Cripps.
Special thanks to Renshaw Simply Create for the delicious decorating products. I wanted to take that Sicilian Lemon icing home with me but we gave everything away to a lucky audience member! This range is currently ONLY AVAILABLE IN BOOTHS so only available in the North. As soon as this fab range rolls out across the country, I will let you know. If you were in Tatton Park and you loved these tasty icings, head on over to Booths now.
Thank you also to Food Thoughts Cocoa – we enjoyed some delicious chocolatey bakes thanks to these magic powders. Food Thoughts is available in Sainburys and Waitrose and Ocado if you are really fancy.
We all love baking with California Raisins and their snack bags have been a god-send to our audiences after they leave us and realise that they need to keep up the sugar levels! One of these bags is one of your 5-a-day and I have not soaked them in rum yet. Check the packet next time you buy raisins and look for ‘produce of USA’ or ‘produce of California’. Join us at a Foodies Festival near you for an exclusive recipe booklet too!
And a huge thank you to my friends at SunSense UK for giving away a huge bundle of goodies each day of our show. A personal thank you to SunSense UK for Daily Face SPF 50+ which I think may be reducing my rosacea flare ups. I worry that I’ll jinx it by acknowledging it but scroll back up to that selfie I took with Kenny Tutt – it’s untouched and one of the first photos of my skin I’ve been happy with in years!
To my Foodies family, thank you for the most wonderful weekend. Roll on our Christmas reunion at Foodies Xmas Tatton Park 16th – 18th November 2018! Tickets available now.
Stay gorgeous!
Cxx
