A Suffolk bakery is coming to London this weekend!
Plus I'm making some changes! Also, as always, more bakery announcements and delicious things to share.
I went to see the new Wonka film and it was lovely. Heartwarming and easy to watch. They did call cocoa pods “beans” and chomp their chocolate 😱 but I can forgive them (how magnanimous) because it’s otherwise magical. 😄
Have you seen it?
(some of) This week’s Delicious Things & News
Suffolk crullers come to London for this weekend only
Lemon & Raspberry Bun
Apple Spandeur
Challah French Toast
Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream
next day doughnut delivery across London
More mince pies
The last week for a London bakery 💔
Rav’s third cookbook
This isn’t even half of the delicious things I ate this week 🫣, but I’ll tell you about the rest next week in a Christmassy round up.
First, an update from me on my plans for this Substack … and more related events
Feel free to skip ahead, but I recommend you read the bits in bold if you’d like to know the gist of the plan! 😄
I’ve written a newsletter every week on Substack for 13 months now (except one - but some weeks I’ve written twice).
Before that was another 7.5 months of a newsletter/blog post combo. For 26 consecutive weeks of those 80+ total, I published a podcast episode, too. 🤯
FYI
I have moved the podcast to Substack but I’m struggling to locate it, you can still find the links to listen to it on Apple, Google, etc here: https://thenextdeliciousthing.com/podcast/, if you’re interested in listening!
I feel proud of that consistency. 🥰
I used to think I was commitment phobic. Eventually I realised I just really like to keep my commitments, so I don’t like to make ones I’m not sure I can keep.
Also, I want to be, do, have and eat everything, so any commitment that might cut off options causes me angst. 😵💫
I am planning to keep this writing commitment.
I prefer this medium at Substack and I hope it’s helpful, at least maybe in that it’s easier to search for things and allows for more nuance in commentary. And maybe even helps you stay off social media? 🤔 🤫
Another reason I like it here is because some delicious things are beyond my current ability (and interest?) to turn into a good video - or even photo - and it would be such a shame not to have a way to share their goodness with you.
Never mind when I forget (/don’t want to remember) that the camera eats first. 😅
I’m so grateful to all of you for reading, for commenting, for replying, for sharing, for following my recommendations and spending your money with the businesses I write about. ❤️
plans and changes…
Next year I will run more events in person. 🎉
I’m so excited about them. I’ve got some of my amazing friends willing to come along and chat. It’ll be something like live podcast recordings you can attend. Maybe (hopefully) even something like the energy we had in the public online Mystery Chocolate Tastings from 2020-2022. I won’t say too much more yet, but I am VERY EXCITED.
In the meantime, until I get things confirmed for the in person events, there is another online Chocolate Tasting scheduled for Wednesday 6th March at 8pm!
Going forwards some of these Substack posts will be for paid subscribers only.
I’m so honoured that there are more of you than I expected who are paying subscribers 💓, without me even holding back any of what I share (at least not if you signed up early enough!). 🙏
I had hoped that writing every week might lead to tour sales, or perhaps paid collaborations, but hanging out with other Substackers made me realise that what I put into these newsletters has value in itself, and I don’t really want to sell this space to companies who want to advertise to you. That doesn’t feel right.
I hope that some of you will agree, but there will still be free-to-read posts, too.
As another sign of appreciation, from 2024, paid subscribers will also get the first opportunity to book the events, and I’ll be offering occasional giveways. 👀
I’m also going to be featuring some of my food friends’ top hits as well.
I’ve seen quite a few writers on Substack offer discounts on their subscriptions recently. I’m planning to increase the price of mine 😁 so this is your heads up so you can lock in the current prices to have access to all the new posts and the archive and the monthly chat AND the first access to the events and exclusive - or extra - access to giveaways.
😵
I’ll be increasing the price of the paid subscriptions on the 25th of December. If you subscribe before then you’ll remain at the lower price forever.
I totally understand if paying isn’t available to you right now and I still intend to provide you with lots of suggestions every month, so I hope you’ll stick around.
What about a Christmas present?
If you know someone going to Melbourne, Copenhagen, Abruzzo, Paris or coming to London they might appreciate a gift subscription which will give them access to the lengthy guides I’ve written to these cities. It’ll be a gift to them and like a gift to me. 🥰 How’s that for two birds with one stone? 😆
(Obviously you were planning to get me a present, right? 😘)
This About page has links to the posts above and a couple of others that have been particularly popular.
(An annual gift subscription will give the recipient access to the archive and all of the above for the next year.)
I do periodically still post videos on Instagram and TikTok and YouTube
These are mostly giving you a glimpse inside places or products, usually new places.
Please do follow/subscribe! 🤗
@thenextdeliciousthing
Onto the Delicious Things!
Pinch Crullers are coming to East London
I’ve been wanting to try Pinch Crullers since I first saw them in my Instagram feed. I missed the last time this Suffolk micro bakery came to London and I won’t do it again.
I hope you won’t either!
What is a Cruller?
A ring of deep fried choux pastry that should be crispy on the outside and soft and slightly squidgy in the centre - more like a canelé inside than a fluffy doughnut.
The ridged ring of batter is created using a fluted piping nozzle. Usually it’s piped onto greaseproof paper and then frozen so that the soft choux pastry can be easily dropped into the hot oil and maintain its shape.
Though the internet briefly convinced me it was made by cutting a rectangle of dough, slicing a gap in the middle and then pulling the dough and twisting it in and over so that you create ridges.
The name apparently comes from a Dutch word meaning to curl.
The ridges delightfully hold the sugar or glaze they’re usually dipped in before handing over to you.
Like all deep fried things, they’re best eaten within an hour of frying, but will last longer.
The Oval East (which is near Cambridge Heath / Bethnal Green / London Fields, not Oval station) is hosting a Christmas market this weekend which they’re coming to.
As well as Pinch there will also be croissants and hot drinks from Pophams and food from Kricket, plus live music, face painting for kids and small businesses selling ideal gifts.
Timing: Friday 15th 4-9.30pm, Saturday 16th 10am-9:30pm and Sunday 17th 10am-5pm.
£: It’s £5 per adult and free for under 12’s.
You can get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-oval-christmas-market-tickets-759569551977
(There may still be early bird £4 tickets if you’re quick. Either way it’s considerably cheaper than a trip to Suffolk!)
📌 Lock Warehouse, 29, 32 The Oval, Cambridge Heath, London E2 9DT
NEAREST STATION: Cambridge Heath
Thanks to
for letting me (and us!) know about this one!