The Helensburgh baker, entrepreneur and founder of the Scottish Baking Awards, Melanie Andrews MBE, tells Shereen how cakes and pastries don’t need to be the dietary bad guy; and why teaching skills to local youngsters is one of her many passions.
It was quite a day at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh on the 4th July 2017. I was here to meet Her majesty the Queen to recieve my MBE. The weather was typically dreich and wet but nothing on this earth could have dampened my spirit. There are very few people on this earth that i respect , admire and bow too and Her Majesty the Queen is at the top of that list by a long shot. There will never be another like this remarkable lady - Never. Honoured .
Absolutely great to read in The Guardian, that Jay Rayner is now singing from the same Hymn Book re Restaurant Desserts being a last resort on a Menu . I have been writing about this for years and now finally the rest of the world is catching on . I have earned my reputation as a Food Critic by actually owning ,running and currently working in the Food industry with my chain of 4 Restaurant's over a 43 year period . Being a Masterbaker myself is thoroughly depressing when you are presented with liquid desserts at the end of a great meal . Hence this year as you all know, I have put my money where my mouth is, and set myself the year long challenge to review Scotland's Michelin star and Bib Gourmand Restaurant's dessert course to prove or disprove my view. All these reviews can be seen at www.scottishbakingawards.co.uk and in print at Bite Magazine and Helensburgh Advertiser. This weekend I am returning to 21212 in Edinburgh to see what Paul Kitching has to offer . At the end of July 2017 my synopsis of all these Restaurant's in Scotland will be sent to all National and Local Newspapers, Radio and Media . The results so far are not as you would expect !
It was an absolute honour to meet and eat at Tom Kitchins place this weekend in Edinburgh . The Kitchin Review is now live at the www.scottishbakingawards.co.uk website under Hotel/Restuarant review tab. You can also read this review in Bite Magazine or Helensburgh Advertiser in due course.
