SLIDER

Bread Ahead Doughnut Workshop

Wednesday 30 June 2021

Heading to Borough Market early on a Saturday morning is always an exciting start to the weekend but this time, we had something extra special planned for when we got there.

Bread Ahead are, hands down, my favourite doughnuts. Their raspberry jam filled ones are simple but just done perfectly. I never leave the market without one, so upon discovering that they have their very own cookery school behind the stand, I promptly booked a couple of spots in their doughnut making class.



We arrived at 10 am for the 2 hour class and along with 12 others, we were checked in and ushered to our own tables. In the interest of social distancing, they had pre weighed and distributing the ingredients and of course there was mask wearing throughout, although the kitchen was pretty cool so it wasn't too bad. 

Initially I was a little sad because we were given a ready made ball of dough but as it turns out, a good doughnut, like Rome, isn't built in a day. The dough needs to rest overnight so we used the original ball to make our doughnuts in the class - dividing it up, rolling to shape and proving - and then we made our own fresh dough which we took home to have a play with later on.


We also learnt how to make jam from scratch which is something I'm very excited to try at home - super simple and just as good as store bought which can't usually be said for anything I make in the kitchen. The second filling was a thick vanilla custard which was much less exciting and not very special at all so we quickly forgot all about that.

Once our dough balls were proved, it was time to drop them into the deep fat fryer, allowing them to achieve the all important ring of truth (that's the light ring around the middle.) Since the dough floats to the top of the hot oil, the middle doesn't get a chance to fry and instead, is steamed which leaves it super soft. This makes it the perfect place to pipe the filling into.


After two minutes on each side, they were golden delicious, with a perfect ring of truth and ready to throw into a bowl of sugar before being stuffed with the fillings. 

Albeit a little uneven, and almost bursting since I was a little eager with the jam, the doughnuts were finished to perfection, and even sweeter knowing I had made them myself (possibly because I was also a little eager with the sugar coating too)

I'd highly recommend the cookery school as a gift experience or just something fun to treat yourself to. If you are interested, be quick because the classes are currently, almost 50% off!

My UK staycation ideas

Monday 21 June 2021

I haven't left the UK since 2019 and actually, I'm not sad about it. Of course I hope to be on a plane out of here as soon as I can but I am in no rush to do so before it's safe.

I have never really had much interest in travelling around the UK - I think this has a lot to do with my main motivation for travel - which is food. 

Nonetheless, if you'd have asked me a few years ago, I would have told you I hated London but having spent the past 2 years making the most of it, there is no place I would rather live so - maybe it's time to leave my passport at home give the rest of the UK a chance too. 

I have had a few thoughts about a little bit of internal travel and here's what spikes my interest:


Cornwall

This one does slightly appeal to my foodie nature because Cornwall has lots of iconic things to try. It'd be the perfect excuse to indulge in a decadent afternoon tea -  and of course where better to sample my first Cornish pasty.


Kent

I actually visited Kent last summer during COVID and had a wonderful time. We hired a car and stayed at a cute little air B&B which made it very easy for us to isolate from everyone else. Once we arrived, there was Dover castle and the white cliffs to explore.

I'd also highly recommend visiting Canterbury as it is very cute. 


Brighton

OK this is the one place that I know I do enjoy and in normal times, we visit every summer - something my mum and I have missed over the past couple of years.

After an early drive down, breakfast in the lanes and a morning of shopping, we love to grab a table by the water and eat seafood all afternoon.


Bath

I had a spare hour to wander around Bath once and all it did was leave me wanting more, we had just about enough time to look around the Baths but what I really wanted to do was explore the town, it looked lovely!


Manchester

I don't know why, but I've always wanted to visit Manchester. I guess that should be a pretty easy one to tick off. 


Isle of Wight

My boyfriend sailed from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight on a boys trip last week and the photos that were coming back were incredible so I'm making sure he takes me with next time!



In collaboration with Hotels.com, but all views are my own

The Lost Year at Gaucho, Richmond

Thursday 17 June 2021

I've always loved Gaucho. I've been for birthdays, graduations, date nights and for brunch at the weekend! It was the first place I wanted to go to as we came out of Lockdown one last summer; so yes, needless to say I'm a big fan.

Having just moved to Southwest London, I was very eager to check out the Richmond venue - which is not only my new local branch but it also sits on the riverside. I'd actually not been to Richmond before so having spotted with current promotion on Instagram, I couldn't resist making a booking. 

Book your table at any Gaucho restaurant from Monday to Wednesday between 17th May and 28th July and we will give you a fantastic celebratory percentage off your food bill for your birthday decade. If you’re celebrating your 26th birthday, you and your table will enjoy twenty percent off your bill"

I got lucky with this one. I made this booking maybe six weeks ago and it just so happened to be 29° when the day finally rolled around. Ii had picked up one of my favourite dresses from home the week before and it was the perfect opportunity to wear it. I was ecstatic to get a table outside - it was the perfect evening.


The food was as good as ever, plus even more of a treat than usual as it had been a while since I'd eaten steak. 

I don't rate the starters at all but it seemed silly not to make the most of the discount so I tried to sea bass ceviche whilst David ordered the empanadas. Nice, but nothing special.

Luckily I can't say the same about the steak, that was just what I needed it to be. We shared a 400g fillet which was served sliced up on a board in the middle of the table. In the heat, I found this much less overwhelming than having a huge lump of meat placed down in front of me. 

Buttery soft and cooked just as we wanted it, I ate mine with béarnaise sauce and garlic spinach whilst trying to avoid gorging too much on the mac and cheese we'd also ordered.


Washed down with a sweet, summery blackberry and gin cocktail, I also insisted on dessert after seeing a huge slab of sticky toffee pudding arrive at the table next to us.

It was pretty dreamy too.


It was my first proper trip into Richmond and I thought it was just the most magical place.

We went for a little wander after dinner to let to food go down and make the most of the wonderful weather. Like us, there were lots of friends and couples enjoying green space and waterside paths. The river was filled with local boats and lined with lovely pubs. One particular place had dished out cushions so people were sitting against the walls and on the curbs, with a plastic pint watching the sun go down over the water. I just didn't want to leave. 

Next time I'm in the mood for steak, I know exactly where I'm going. 

Budget shopping tips

Thursday 10 June 2021

Travel was always my priority in the past, so much so that the idea of even spending £5 on a new top bothered me quite a lot. But now that travel isn't an option and I've spent the best past of the last 12 months locked up inside, treating myself to some new clothes doesn't seem like such a bad idea. 

With everything opening up again, I've gone a little bit crazy when it comes to buying new clothes. I want to make the most of every opportunity to leave the house and with meals, bars, and picnics booked in every week, there are now a whole bunch of occasions to get dressed up!



That being said, I am still trying to be as thrifty as possible when buying anything new - especially with the prospect of more travel on the horizon soon! Here's where I like to look for a bargain when on the hunt for something new:


Amazon 

A couple of times, I've spotted people wearing things - dresses particularly - on Instagram and when I've gone to see where they got it, it was Amazon. I was a amazed because it was definitely not somewhere I would have thought to look for clothes but I had a look for myself and found loads of bits and pieces I liked. I love the print on this dress and instantly ordered one for myself. 



Supermarket brands 

I've always been a fan of the supermarket brands for picking up plain, knitted jumpers although they seem to have caught my attention for the summer this year. There was the red gingham dress from F&F that took over the internet and this awesome cropped blazer set that I'm waiting to come back into stock in my size - much cheaper than the high street versions but just as nice!


Depop

I'm not one for mindless scrolling but Depop has always been awesome if I'm on the hunt for something specific - especially when it's been discontinued! I found two amazing dresses, that were no longer avaliable anywhere last summer for less than a quarter of their original price. 



Birthdays or bank holiday sales 

It's that time of year where I've noticed that I'm filling my basket and then waiting until the next bank holiday before  I even consider purchasing anything online, there seems to be at least 20% off almost every other weekend at the moment which is a nice chunk. This is also helpful if you've got a birthday coming up so make sure you sign up for newsletters from your favourite brands. I've been putting these codes through their paces at New Look and ASOS this month.



Miscellaneous

Then there's all the weird and wonderful ways to find cheap clothes online. Whether that's a strange Chinese website selling questionable clothing for 10p, or a catalogues with credit selling the basics for low prices. With a little bit of research, it's very possible to find nice clothes for very low prices online - plus anything that involves a package of new clothes turning up at your front door all adds to the excitement. 



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