I spent a very happy few hours on Friday at the UK’s biggest experiential baking show – Cake & Bake Show, Manchester. Last year, the British Media Awards rightly named the Cake and Bake Show the ‘Event of the Year’, and this year, the organisers are expecting thousands of people to visit Manchester Central over the three days.
One of the main features was a fabulous display by ‘CakeBomb’, a collaboration of 17 cake artists and decorators who together had created the UK’s largest completely edible cake installation, including over 1700 edible flowers and animals including a life size baby elephant(!).
The show played host to over 150 exhibitors, numerous celebrity chefs, cake competitions, live demonstrations, masterclasses, sugar craft sessions, bread workshops and, most importantly in my opinion, lots and lots of delicious food and drink!
It’s not ALL about cake, though. Exhibitors were selling everything from pizzas, pies, artisan breads, marshmallows, brownies, prunes, flavoured icing sugars, wines, flavoured oils and even flavoured popcorn (Gin & Tonic popcorn, anyone?!)
Winners of this year’s ‘Britain’s Best Bakery’, The Cake Shop Bakery (photo above) took to the stage in the Tala Competition Theatre and in between their various demonstrations and media interviews, I also saw the likes of Rosemary Shrager, John Whaite, Cat Dresser, Paul A Young (in the photo with me below), Simon Rimmer, Eric Lanlard, Peter Sidwell, Charlotte White and Frances Quinn milling amongst the crowds.
It was a fantastic atmosphere, all the staff were friendly and helpful, the stands were well laid out and everyone seemed to be having a great time – myself included! (Even though Peter Sidwell (photo below) didn’t choose my Rolo Cake as the winner in the Clandestine Cake Club’s ‘Taste on the Table’ Competition! 😉 In all honesty I was really pleased that I’d even got to make it for the competition and that he tasted it.)
I’m looking forward to next year already, but will consider taking the train as the Nielsen-Massey Cupcakes and Cocktails Bar were creating some fantastic looking cocktails, and if they were half as tasty as their cupcakes, which were made by Cake Boy aka Eric Lanlard, I will be in for a treat!
The Cake & Bake Show will return to London’s Earl’s Court in October.
