Special thanks to Steven Todd at Flare Photography for this photo!
Travelling to Edinburgh with Foodies Festival always feels like a homecoming of sorts. Foodies started in Edinburgh as a show running alongside the Edinburgh Festival, the idea being that chances were high that many of the visitors for the comedy and theatre and music may also be interested in food too!
Fast forward 12 years and we were back with another summer show running alongside the Festival.
Tony Rodd, my opposite number hosting the Chefs’ Theatre, and I started as we meant to go on. We met at Smith & Gertrude for a cheese and wine flight. It was the perfect casual and cheesy way to kick off a busy weekend!
You’ve got to love a cheesy selfie!
When in Edinburgh, I love to rock the tartan and plaid.
This particular frock is the Rhoda’s Revenge by British Retro (click for details)
I removed the detachable fur collar from the Rachel dress by Voodoo Vixen for the perfect chilly summer’s day pick (Click for details)
Larah Bross from Bross Bagels popped in to show us how to top her delicious Montreal bagels, and show off her rather lovely tote bag!
I got to work with the amazing Kevin Geddes of Keep Calm & Fanny On for the first time on stage!
Amy Lorimer from Baking with Granny showed off her perfectly accessible Scottish bakes.
The darling Jane Devonshire, winner of Masterchef 2016, shared her gluten-free bakes in support of Breast Cancer Care’s Afternoon Tea campaign (Click for details and PLEASE get involved!)
Your hosts with the mosts! Tony Rodd and I worked hard all weekend and ate like kings.
Surrounding myself with incredible bakers, Amy Lorimer from Baking with Granny and Lee Majhen-Todd from Fondant & Apron Strings
Amy Lorimer made me a batch of Scottish Tablet (far superior to fudge!) to take home with me.
Mmmmmmmmm tablet…
Masterchef 2017 semi-finalist Brodie Williams popped in to show off his delicious desserts and enviable height!
Stop! Fanny time.
Kevin Geddes from Keep Calm & Fanny On was a real highlight of the weekend as we both struggled NOT to fall into cheap innuendos. We failed. We really failed.
The standard of Cake Off entries in Edinburgh was incredible. This was our winning cake.
Aside from tasting great, the cake featured the baker AND the recipe book.
The tiny details were all made from fondant icing.
Our happy winner, Sacha, with her very much half-eaten cake! Sacha is now awaiting delivery of a KitchenAid Mini for her efforts. Most well-deserving!
We also felt that we needed to have a second winner this time… this incredible Strawberry Surprise Cake, in the shape of a vegetable patch was made by some very talented young bakers.
Aidan (11) wears a very appropriate ‘believe’ jumper and has decided that he would like to be a chef when he grows up! Hopefully a KitchenAid Mini will come in useful, though he will have to share it with twin brother Owen and little brother Elliot (8) who both helped with the cake.
There are still two more chances to win a KitchenAid Mini at Foodies Festival this summer – just bring your best bake to the Cake & Desserts Theatre at Alexandra Palace, London (26 – 28 August, click here for details) or Oxford (1-3 September, click here for details) to be in with a chance of winning. It’s really simple, best cake wins. The winner is announced in the end of the show show on the last day of the show.
This baker is busily working away on a wedding cake but looking forward to hanging out with you all next weekend!
Stay gorgeous!
Cxx
