Wee Birdy

Shopping in London: Broadway Market

I finally paid Broadway Market a long overdue visit recently to re-discover some old favourites (Violet has some of the best cupcakery in London), as well as stumble across some exciting new finds. Since we moved to South-East London it's a bigger effort to 'make the trip' to what was once my little local market. It's more of an event than just nipping out to stock up on veg (and uh, cake) for the week. Can't wait til they open up the new rail line next year...

But first, I need to indulge my Violet obsession with a pic of their incredible chocolate devil's food cupcake with marshmallow icing (no wonder this stall was one of the first things I blogged about when I first started Wee Birdy)...

And I loved the look of these apples sitting in the sun...

But it was Karin Andreasson's jewellery that caught my eye this time: a mapgie's nest of vintage-style hairpieces, pendants and jewels. She's a local East Londoner and I love how she's used old ballerina jewellery boxes and mannequin busts to display her wares. It all adds up to a rather charming little stall...

I really love the '20s-style single-feather hair pins embellished with antique lace and vintage diamantes, which are perfect for tucking into a bun or chignon for a special occasion. And if you like quirky pendants, keep an eye out for Karin's re-purposed watch-faces, miniature hand-mirrors, keys and crocheted-edged charms. 

(You can also pick up some of Karin's gorgeous pieces online from Wee Birdy sponsor Cerise.)

Broadway Market, every Saturday
Hackney, London, E8
Nearest rail: London Fields
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Click here for more Wee Birdy reviews of stalls and shops on Broadway Market.

Handmade Xmas Part 1: Cakes and cookies

Peggy Porschen is standing in her gleaming Battersea studio and demonstrating how to make perfect squiggles using a piping bag she’s fashioned out of a piece of paper. But I’ve only got eyes for the bowl of edible glitter in front of me, appropriately named, “White Disco Hologram”. Which might explain why my subsequent squiggles are considerably less than perfect.

 

As London’s Queen of sugarcraft, Peggy’s cakes are sold in Fortnum and Mason and her clients include Elton John, Gwyneth Paltrow and Stella McCartney. In fact, she made Stella’s wedding cake in 2003.

She has just launched a series of masterclasses where students can learn the secrets to decorating cookies and cakes, in Peggy’s irresistibly pretty signature style. 

 

After some initial apprehension about my distinct lack of decorating/kitchen skills, I was relieved to learn that I wasn’t the only beginner in the class. There were, however, a couple of skilled decorators taking part, with one girl travelling all the way from Germany to learn Peggy’s tricks of the trade.

Taking our places around a huge granite tabletop in Peggy’s airy commercial kitchen, we set to work straight away, learning how roll out marzipan and cut out a pile of holly-shaped leaves. These were the main decoration for our traditional Christmas fruitcake.

It didn’t take long to get to the fun stuff – playing with gorgeous shimmers and edible glitter, and learning how to make veins in our leaves using a moulded stamp.

There’s no need to worry about cleaning up as Peggy’s staff are on hand to whisk away bits and pieces you’ve finished with. And when it comes to learning the art of piping, we’re presented with our own set of freshly baked gingerbread snowflake cookies, ready to decorate.

 

Peggy shows us how to hold the piping bag and and demonstrates the correct piping technique. This is where it’s easy to just sit back and watch Peggy’s mesmerising and deceptively simple control of the piping bag. She makes it look way too effortless, but after several botched attempts (which are hurriedly disappeared down my throat) I start to weave my own little sugarcrafted magic.

After breaking for afternoon tea – delicious finger sandwiches and cake – we’re back in the kitchen and standing behind our own individual (and marvellously alcoholic) six-inch Christmas fruitcakes. We learn how to brush the cake with apricot jam, before rolling out a sheet of marzipan and carefully draping it over the cake.

Next, after brushing the marzipan with a layer of vodka, we’re rolling out a perfectly smooth layer of sugar paste to drape over the cake. This is where cake smoothers become your new best friends in your quest for sugar paste perfection.

 

With the tricky bits out of the way, we get to the fun part of decorating our (mostly) smooth iced creations with the holly leaves we’d made earlier, creating a simply wreath around the top of the cake. So pretty!

 

"I can't believe I made them!" ... the finished snowflake cookies

Want to learn Peggy's cake decorating secrets? Ask about the next masterclass at www.peggyporschen.com.

Peggy's beautifully designed Christmas bauble cookies are also available to order for Christmas, with prices starting at £8. To guarantee delivery in time for Christmas all orders must be received by Sunday, December 7. See the full range at www.peggyporschen.com or call 020 7738 1339.

Top London tea spots: Parlour at Sketch

With a reputation for displaying cakes “like jewels” (The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon), it didn’t take long for me to sniff out The Parlour at Sketch when I first arrived in London.

Located across the road from Vivienne Westwood on Conduit Street, it offers an avant-garde setting for taking tea. Think traditional private men’s club complete with dark-wood panelling meets edgy gallery with odd-matching furniture and a chandelier fashioned out of Angelpoise lamps. It’s the sort of place where a live bird in a Victorian wire cage is replaced by a mini LCD screen playing looping clips of the real thing. And the toilets? Let’s just say that Kubrick wouldn’t be disappointed.

I was delighted to discover that said cakes were, in fact, exquisitely displayed in a carefully lighted glass showcase, and considering the location and setting, a reasonably-priced menu. Here, a delicious cream tea (fruit scones served with jam and clotted cream with a choice of tea) is £7.75 per person, compared to £10.75 at Liberty. Afternoon tea is also competitively-priced at £18.50 for the traditional line-up of assorted finger sandwiches, fruit scones served with jam and clotted cream, a selection of pastries and choice of teas.

The tea menu offers an excellent range catering for all tastes, with traditional blends and herbal infusions starting at £3. My pick is the deliciously-fragrant Jasmine Silver Fur for £4. There’s also a rather handy free Wi-Fi service, which I noticed quite a few people taking advantage of on both occasions I visited.

Just keep in mind that despite the fabulous cakes and edgy gallery setting, the service is notoriously snail-paced. But what does that matter if you’ve got all the time in the world (or a few emails to write). And did I mention the toilets?

Sketch
9 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XG
Tel. 020 765 94500
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Top London tea spots: Tea at Liberty

“I believe that it is customary in good society to take some light refreshment at five o’clock.”
- Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

Tea at Liberty is of one the little places I like to keep up my sleeve whenever I want to treat myself and escape the maddening crowds of Oxford and Regent Streets. Situated on the ground floor of Liberty, right next to the all-too tempting handbag department, the tea shop is an elegant indulgence in all manner of tea and cake goodies. Tea is taken very seriously here at Liberty, with a menu packed with over 30 different blends and a range of fruit tisanes.

There’s a fine selection of light meals (the Welsh rarebit is a tasty savoury affair) and sweet things (classic Victoria sponge cake, fruit loaf cake and meringue served with clotted cream and rose petal jam).

My favourite tea-time treat is a pot of freshly brewed English Breakfast (£2.95) with hot buttered crumpets and strawberry jam. Here, the crumpets come square, light and fluffy, the most perfect accompaniment to a lovely pot of tea. Liberty use traditional Burleigh earthenware in the classic Willow design to serve tea and cake. (And if you really like it, the entire Willow range is available to purchase upstairs in the kitchen and dining department.)

There’s also a cream tea for £10.75, which includes scones with jam and clotted cream, served with tea or coffee. And if you really wanted to splash out, there’s the Liberty Champagne Afternoon tea, including champagne, finger sandwiches, cakes, scones and tea or coffee for £25.75.

It’s difficult to avoid being seduced by the lyrical descriptions of the hand-tied flowering tea range, which will set you back by a rather hefty £6.95. But seduced, I was, by Flower Jewel, which was described as “tender hand-picked white tea crowned by a delicate and bright pink amaranth flower. The dancing petals blissfully open as sweet jasmine scents this captivating elixir. Tantalizing the palate with its vibrant freshness and clarity, surrender into this everlasting ambrosia.” See what I mean? It actually WAS the most delicious and beautifully fragrant blend I’ve ever tenderly sipped, but I was a little disappointed that the hot water was added before it reached my table. I really wanted to see the petals ‘magically’ open! You kinda want some sort of entertainment value for your £6.95, eh?

Tea at Liberty
Great Marlborough Street
London W1B 5AH
Tel. 0207 734 1234
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
 
Click here for more shops in W1.

London cakemakers: Lavender Bakery

One of the greatest things about starting up a blog like Wee Birdy is the opportunity I’ve had to meet some pretty amazing London business owners – who all share a certain passion, energy and talent for what they do. Like Michelle Scorah of Lavender Bakery in Islington. After a couple of emails I not only discovered that Michelle had a particular talent for creative customised cupcakes, but she also grew up in the same Australian town as me, and we probably spent many a summer holiday splashing about in the same suburban public pool.

Michelle is passionate about cake-making – and it shows. After working in the industry “for a while” she finally decided to take the plunge and launched her own business in January this year.

Specialising in customised cupcakes, cakes and biscuits made to order, Lavender Bakery uses quality ingredients like organic fruit and vegetables, Shipton Mill flour and fair trade sugar, cocoa and coffee.

Cupcakes are Lavender Bakery’s forte, so I was delighted when a special delivery of these gorgeous gems arrived on my doorstep recently. Daintily iced in Italian meringue buttercream and decorated with Wee Birdy’s feathered friends, they demonstrated the breadth of Michelle’s extensive skills with a piping bag, and her ability to customise just about any order.

And proving they tasted as good as they looked, the raspberry and vanilla cake was moist and delicious. Sadly, it wasn’t long til this lot were demolished to a pile of (rather tasty) crumbs – after I showed severe restraint with a mini photo shoot first.

Take a look at the Lavender Bakery blog for more examples of Michelle’s handiwork, like these incredible iced sneaker biscuits for Lacoste, a very pretty Angelina Ballerina birthday cake for a very lucky three-year-old, and some customised cupcakes for the launch of The Make Lounge (mental note to check out their upcoming workshops).

Lavender Bakery
www.lavenderbakery.co.uk
Order line: 07507 863502
Email: [email protected]