2014 - Marvellous Marmalade, Jamtastic Jams, Brilliant Bread and Cracking Cakes

2014 was a year of many new beginnings for us as well as building on previous successes.  We devised our own blog and began our journey on twitter.  Christopher has really developed his interests in all areas of baking and preserving, however all of us have been involved in various ways.    Here are a few of our highlights.

Winter

Having eagerly awaited the sevilles, they arrived in January and we made many batches of marmalade: dark and gingery, thick and chunky, Seville and apricot.

Having worked extremely hard with our marmalade making, Christopher and Charlotte proudly scooped Gold and were winners of the World's Original Marmalade Awards (Children's Section).  Christopher also won Gold for his Seville with Grandad's cider marmalade. 

Spring

The Jammy Bakers appeared in several local newspapers and were featured on Anglia TV.  We were also visited by Jessica and Louise who spent the day watching how we made blood orange marmalade and wrote about it in WI Kitchen Stories

Summer

When summer fruit was in season we started our jam making again, trying hard to get our friends involved this year with jam.  We experimented with  lots of different jams.  The worst jam we made was chocolate banana jam which no one liked!.  Mum even made jam on a campsite with a group of WI ladies which she sent to the World Jampionships.  We sent in group entries made at the village hall, and a scout group entry. 




Christopher was delighted to win the children's section of the World Jampionships with his Tutti Fruitti Jam  and 2nd Raunds Scouts won the group entry with their Blackberry and Apple Jam



We learnt how to make cordial this year and successfully made several batches of elderflower cordial which was delicious.  In the Isle of Man our campsite was full of blackcurrants and the owner allowed us to bring some back with us and we made some delicious blackcurrant syrup with that.

 

Autumn

We bottled some plums and greengages for the first time. Christopher was also delighted to harvest his pumpkins and his beetroot.  The beetroot was soon pickled ready for Christmas. 

 We made some delicious chutneys with the remaining apples, plums and damsons.






We went to an inspiring bread demo with Dan Lepard which was held at the Small Bread Company in Oundle.  The bakery's owner challenged Christopher to enter into the World Bread Awards.  He, along with the other two Jammy Bakers all sent in entries.   Christopher's creation, won him Young Baker in the Under 12 Category of the World Bread Awards.  He was delighted to attend an amazing awards ceremony in London and met lots of inspiring people. He won his dream prize of a Kitchen Aid which has been put to good use making a variety of cakes, meringues and breads. He was especially proud of his first ever harvest loaf, which was displayed at a local church.




Christopher was proud to be use his baking talents when he was involved in organising a charity cake stall at school.  He then decided to hold two Big Bake Sales for the Wallace and Gromit Children's Charity fundraising for children's hospices.  The two sales combined raised £105 - the excellent result was a credit to his hard work in baking all these cakes and also to the generosity of those who donated their money to a good cause.

We have attended various food shows including the Cake and Bake Show and BBC Good Food Show.  Highlights included chats with Richard Bertinet, Jo Wheatley, Paul Young, Wendi Peters, the Meringue Girls, winning Culpitt's children's cake competition and meeting Mary Berry.

We were fascinated by a blender demonstration, and were delighted that Omniblend UK  was able to send Christopher a superb machine with which he has been trialling various recipes from sorbets to soups to hot chocolate!

Christopher and Charlotte entered the Wellingborough Bake Off and won first and second prize.  Christopher's cake won the attention of the BBC who invited him on to present and identical cake to Sue Perkins who ate it with much satisfaction!

Winter

Christopher ended the year making a jumbo Christmas pudding and a cracking Christmas cake.  We all had a part in making homemade foodie hampers for our friends and family that were really appreciated. 

What next?

We have learnt and mastered lots of new things this year, but there is still lots we would like to learn.  We would like to build on our sourdough baking, make some beautiful biscuits and possibly learn to make pork pies.  Several people have offered us a chance to see them in action in their businesses and we are looking forward to following this up.  Christopher still dreams of his own cooking book so we would like to see how we can take this forward.