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The 14 Allergens and Anaphylaxis The most common 14 allergens must be provided on food labels by law. Some are found in unexpected places so I’m going to lay out the sneaky ones to look out for. As well as the allergens I’m going to explain what anaphylaxis is, what...

Best Baking Classes in London Fancy getting out for a group class, or staying in for a baking class in your own kitchen? Here is our top 5 choices of baking classes in London. Turning you from micro chef to master chef in no time. Bread ahead Bread ahead are famous...

Gluten Sensitivities The following 3 varieties of gluten sensitivity are adopted terms. These explain a varying degree of one of the causes of reactions to gluten or wheat. Since they are so widely used, it is important that it features in this list in order to...

Love it or hate it Christmas pudding is a must on Christmas day. We have all had awful ones in the past and that can really put you off. Lucky for me, my Grandma has a fantastic recipe and always hands over a big pudding basin when I see her before Christmas for the...

The first thing to understand when looking at gelatine is what it actually is. Gelatine is a colourless and flavourless ingredient, that is commonly derived from collagen from animals. It can come in two forms when used in baking, either a brittle sheet or as a...

Vegan pastry work has grown massively in the last few years with substitutes for eggs, dairy and gelatine products popping up everywhere. Most of them can stand up to the original ingredients in terms of quality. One of these products is aquafaba. Aquafaba is...

What are the different types of sugar and where would you use them? Sugar is obviously one of the most important ingredients in everything related to a kitchen’s pastry section. Knowing which type to use and when will transform the flavours and finishes on all your...

We all know about white, milk and dark chocolate but since 2017 there has been a new kid on the block, Ruby chocolate. This new variety isn’t just a coloured or flavoured white chocolate, it stands as a separate type. The reason is that the dark pink colour is...

Getting the perfect buttery pastry for mince pies that can be a challenge. The pastry needs to be strong enough to hold a lot of mincemeat while warm and still be thin and crisp. Then there is the flavour. Using a lot of butter will leave you with a great taste but...

What is it? Technically any fat that is solid at room temperature is classed as shortening. This is because a fat such as butter or lard coats the strands of gluten in flour. Stopping them from stretching and becoming elastic. Joining and stretching of the gluten...

Baking at home for profit, why do it? Baking at home for profit by starting a food business from your own kitchen is something that a lot of people try to get into. It can be great fun and grow rapidly. But only if you pair the right products with the right local...