Journal

Notes from the bake: what is on the counter, why a recipe stayed, and how the neighbourhood shows up.

Pastry

Why the chocolate stays glossy

A hotel ganache, cooled slowly, finished with a few nuts. It is the cake most tables photograph first.

Season

A winter tin, a summer berry

The window changes with the market. Halal gelatine is used where a set cream needs it. Ask on the day if you are unsure.

Neighbourhood

From festival stall to High Street

Kings Heath street festival, the coffee festival, Digbeth Dining Club. The queue taught the menu what to keep.