The Tasting Table with Dulcedo, The Baking Jin and Bumble & Oak – Cambridge (UK)

I love it when a plan comes together. It’s no secret that I’m a great fan of the sweet treats produced by Andrew Hunter (Dulcedo), Jin Yee Chung (The Baking Jin) and Riadh Falvo (Bumble & Oak), but what if I brought together these three inventive makers for a special event? Some of us knew each other well, others only a little… but somehow they got on board with my idea for a collaboration, even though it was a lot of extra work for them. Jin and Riadh have full time jobs. Andrew and Joanna lost several hours of trade that day by closing early, not to mention the effort involved in all the preparation and using Dulcedo as the venue. I am so grateful for their trust in me to sell out the event.

The Tasting Table at Dulcedo Cambridge

The Tasting Table Dulcedo Cambridge

The three of them concentrated on designing and developing the 8-course menu – a sweet (mostly) and savoury parade of innovative dishes, fusion bakes, high end patisserie and artisan chocolate. I took care of all the marketing and admin stuff, such as the event description, photos and ticket sales. Riadh came up with the name The Tasting Table.

The Tasting Table Cambridge Dulcedo, One Two Culinary Stew, Bumble & Oak, The Baking Jin

Photo by Jin Yee Chung

The event formed part of my personal commitment to support independent producers and businesses so I didn’t charge for my services and paid for my own ticket and drinks. I did have a few advantages though, such as guaranteeing a ticket for myself and Paulo and getting a sneak peek at the menu so I could type it up and print individual copies. And of course, a glimpse behind the scenes is always a privilege.

The Tasting Table Dulcedo Cambridge Pina One Two Culinary Stew

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Double Truffle Tagliatelle

I love truffles… the subterranean fungus, that is (although I’m quite partial to the chocolate sweets). I had the pleasure of meeting Will Bailey of Truffle Face, a Cambridge-based importer of high-quality affordable truffles from Orvieto, Italy. I interviewed him for Flavour, Cambridge’s food and drink radio programme (podcast here).

truffleface-pina-and-will

truffleface-grilled-cheese-truffle-sandwich

Will even made me a truffle-laden lunch… The Ultimate Truffle Grilled Cheese sandwich (recipe here). What a treat!

truffleface-tagliatelle

truffleface-tagliatelle-in-plate

As we talked all things truffle, I couldn’t resist purchasing a pack of Tagliatelle al Tartufo, made by artisan company Margió, based in Umbria where Truffle Face source their truffles. I knew the tagliatelle would be tasty as the truffle is baked right into the pasta. You can actually see the yummy bits. All of Truffle Face’s products, such as truffles, pasta, cheese, oil and condiments can be purchased through their website.

truffleface-pina

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The Flitch of Bacon – Little Dunmow, Essex (UK)

UPDATE: Tim Allen took the reigns in 2018. It is now known as Tim Allen’s Flitch of Bacon Inn.

The Flitch of Bacon is located in Little Dunmow, a pretty village in the heart of Essex. I’ve been following its progress for quite a while. It’s an exciting new venture by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Clifford of Midsummer House in Cambridge.

The Flitch of Bacon

We received a warm welcome and I was pleased to see that it wasn’t a snooty gastropub (but let’s not use that word, shall we?). The atmosphere in this beautifully restored pub was friendly and inviting. There is even an informal bar at the front with cosy seating by the fireplace.

The Flitch of Bacon collage

I loved the casual yet stylish décor with a mixture of plush seats and wooden chairs. The flowery wallpaper added the perfect contrast and the lighting set a warm and inviting tone to our evening.

Flitch of Bacon wallpaper

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