The Cake and Bake Show 2015 London Review
The Cake and Bake Show Excel, London
2-4 October 2015
Reviewed by Rachael Osborne
I was incredibly excited about going to the Cake and Bake show at the ExCel in London. We travelled from Bedford by train to London St Pancras and then used the underground to get where we needed to be. The ExCel was right outside the last station.
As we entered we found the staff cheery and helpful. There were lots of toilets although the ones nearest the show were heaving there were some a bit further down that were less busy. They were nice and clean, with staff regularly attending them. There was a food court in the centre of the building outside the Cake and Bake room. Once inside Cake and Bake you were free to come and go as you pleased you just needed a stamp on your hand to regain entry.
The venue was light and airy, and despite the sheer volume of people didn’t feel overcrowded. You could purchase a programme and goody bag on entry, but there were boards regularly distributed around the venue listing the full events available on the different stages. There was the Super Cake and Bake Theatre and the Great British Bake Off Live Stage. Both of these were open to everyone and proved popular. There was also the Bake Classroom and the Decorating and Finishing Classroom, these both required pre-booked tickets for the events. And finally the Dr Oetker Even Better Baking interactive sessions. There were events running throughout the day with the four main venues boasting a full timetable. It was difficult to choose what to see. Our first stop was to see Jo Wheatley making mini meringue nests on the Bake Off Stage. There was a Q&A session during, which was informative. We then went to the Super Cake and Bake theatre where we saw Emily Leary demonstrating her dotty inside cake. She was talking about the series she’s done with Dr Oetker on YouTube. The demonstration was very clear and I’m keen to try this one at home.
There were numerous stands with various baking supplies. I must admit I was in heaven! A lot of the stands had special show offers and The Dr Oetker stand was doing a free surprise gift for signing up to their newsletter. Suffice to say I signed up and won some Salted Caramel Crunch sprinkles that I can’t wait to try on some cupcakes. I particularly found the service at Sam’s Cupcakes outstanding. They had a very good selection of cakes tools. I had asked her about a cupcake cookie cutter, special request from my little girl. She didn’t have any but was able to direct me to a stall that she had seen selling them! There were also food stands with items ranging from various cheeses to quiche and naturally cake, and lots of it! For lunch I opted for a Hog Roast roll with stuffing and Apple sauce from The Mill House Roast Company. It was delicious! My husband chose a quiche from the numerous selection available on one of the other stalls.
We also saw Aaron Craze at the Cake and Bake theatre. He was fabulous to watch and was paired with Greg Wallace who we had seen a few times wondering around the venue. In this demonstration they had two volunteers from the audience, one woman and one ten year old boy. The demonstration was fabulous and the pairing of Aaron and Greg hilarious. Aaron baked while Greg ran a Q&A session with the audience.
After this I went to one of the sessions in the Decorating & Finishing Classroom. These were pre-booked ticket only events. I went to see Britt Whyatt creating her Cupcake Christmas Wreath. She was fantastic to watch. She showed step by step how to construct it and recommended items to use as she was going! I’m going to be looking up washi tape on Pinterest!! She recommended it for decorating the sides of cake boards! After her demonstration she happily took questions, and was lovely to talk to! I asked her about using foam to dry decorations and she happily discussed the best place to get it from, and was happy to have her picture taken.
We finished off the day by watching Beca Lyne Pirkis demonstrating savoury macaroons on the Great British Bake Off stage. She was great to watch and again we had a Q&A session, which was fantastic. She was clearly at ease talking to the audience and baking at the same time.
We had a fabulous time and I can’t wait to go again next year!
Rating: 5/5 
The Cake & Bake Show is in Edinburgh from 30 October to 1 November 2015 and in Manchester from 12-15 November 2015. For more information or to book tickets visit www.thecakeandbakeshow.co.uk.
