Glasgow
Today was a beautifully sunny day in May and a trip closer to home - in Glasgow's fair city . I was about to meet the talented lady Shuna Gillies who is the lady behind the bespoke Vintage Tea parties - The Tea Jenny at your service . I was not quite prepared for the beautiful display of Cakes and Tea that awaited me in her lovely home. The amount of care and attention to detail that was quite obviously put in to making my experiencce out of this millenium world , was spectacular. If you would like a vintage Tea Party with cakes that not only look great but taste amazing then this is the lady for you . I tried 7 different cakes ranging from golden fresh cream meringues to Rhubarb and custard creams and a new one on me - A peanut butter and Chocolate chip cookie with a smooth creamy filling - lovely. The coconut macaroons were quite simply the best i have tested , light, moist and full of flavour . The crockery and china including vintage cutlery really makes this already fabulous experience taste even better. For bespoke vintage Tea parties with Award winning cakes then look no further than Shuna at -The Tea Jenny at your service. !
Today was my last Assessment before the 2014 Scottish Baking Awards 2014 in Mar Hall . It all started a bit weird as my normal Tartan sash and Clan pin went missing . I always wear the same outfits for Assessments and this i thought was an" Omen " . It was also the first day that Scotland had seen such heavy rain and the end of the Glorious Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. I arrived at the home of Sonnda Catto the proprietor of " Hautecake" - a great name for a Cake business. Sonnda has a french connection and this is evident in her style of Baking. A very passionate baker and perfectionist in all her Cakes . I am no lover of French Patisserie as i have been heard to say vocally on occassions but today my mind was changed. I was treated to the most beautiful plate of baking that included the most delicate Rose and Raspberry Gateux,Green tea Financiaer ,Chocolate Financiaer ,Basil Macarons and Jasmine,Coconut Summer Fruit Cake . Just like Scottish Baking - there is Good and bad and not so great . Sonnda has managed expertly in my humble opinion to marry both traditions into her Baking. The finest Patisserie to look at as only the French can achieve and the fantastic textures and flavours as the Scottish create effortlessly. These two combined are a winning and groundbreaking experience for a baker like myself to sample. What most impressed me however was the lack of ego and confidence in such a talented woman. Sonnda is striving to achieve what the Scottish Baking Awards were first created for - To produce an Excellent quality Cake with a professional stunning decoration. In my opinion this is a woman to watch closely - if you want a Cake and you want a great cake then look no further. If you want an excellent cake to look at only - go elsewhere and take your chances. I am very glad you found us Sonnda - keep up the Great ethos !!
Today we took a drive through Glasgows Commonwealth Games traffic and first stop was Kirkintilloch . A lovely town with plenty great shops to browse around. D'nisi Coffee is a Family run business chain of 5 shops ,but today we were only interested in the one - "Kirky" Shop. This is a very busy stop with many locals and tourists alike and a lovely atmosphere of a bustling clean and friendly shop. I have to say the cake display was the full length of the shop and full of just about every type of scone i have ever witnessed. In fact i have never seen a bigger range of scones from savoury to sweet and unusual and i got to try the lot - i really do suffer for all these reviews you know . All these Scones are made daily on the premises along with some beautiful strawberry tarts ,Apple rounds ,Carrot cake and Gingerbread . Everything without exception was lovely Baking and well worth taking a drive for, if even for the lovely atmosphere that this place has. It reminded me of Lovely little Italian coffee shops that you get abroad. There is a large seating are on the outside of the shop and i could have been back in Italy today with the mercury hitting nearly 30oc- unheard of in Scotland. Anyway keep up the good work at D'nisi as i will be back very soon for one of your lovely scones .
Today we took a drive through Glasgows Commonwealth Games traffic and first stop was Kirkintilloch . A lovely town with plenty great shops to browse around. D'nisi Coffee is a Family run business chain of 5 shops ,but today we were only interested in the one - "Kirky" Shop. This is a very busy stop with many locals and tourists alike and a lovely atmosphere of a bustling clean and friendly shop. I have to say the cake display was the full length of the shop and full of just about every type of scone i have ever witnessed. In fact i have never seen a bigger range of scones from savoury to sweet and unusual and i got to try the lot - i really do suffer for all these reviews you know . All these Scones are made daily on the premises along with some beautiful strawberry tarts ,Apple rounds ,Carrot cake and Gingerbread . Everything without exception was lovely Baking and well worth taking a drive for, if even for the lovely atmosphere that this place has. It reminded me of Lovely little Italian coffee shops that you get abroad. There is a large seating are on the outside of the shop and i could have been back in Italy today with the mercury hitting nearly 30oc- unheard of in Scotland. Anyway keep up the good work at D'nisi as i will be back very soon for one of your lovely scones .