Food: Cakes, Cookies and Celebrations with The Busy Kitchen Co.

I first met the lovely Donna and Amanda from: “The Busy Kitchen Co” at the “Southwell Ploughing Match and Show” in September.

I instantly fell in love with their baking jars and other home-made goods; especially their delightful Raspberry Vinegar, which I must say is a personal favourite of mine.

After meeting Donna and Amanda I couldn’t wait to make and bake my “Gluten Free Carrot Cake” mix which I had taken away with me from the Ploughing Match. Carrot cake is my all-time favourite so I was very excited to see how a gluten free version would taste.

Once it was baked it smelt so good that I couldn’t resist having a bite whilst it was still warm and it was heavenly. In fact I can honestly say that it was the nicest carrot cake I have ever had. It was light, moist and fluffy inside yet it was lovely and crisp on the outside making it extremely moorish. I even made a cream cheese topping for it which I applied once it had cooled. It’s safe to say the cake didn’t last longer than a day!

We meet again…

Not so long ago I got an invite from Donna and Amanda asking if I would like to join them, their family and friends to celebrate not just their 1st birthday but also their success in winning the: “Nottingham Dragons Den 2015“.

I was very honoured to have been asked to celebrate something so special with both of them, so of course I accepted and on the evening I took a couple of friends along with me.

The party was held at Donna’s house and even the gorgeous family dog made an appearance; which made the evening a very intimate, comfortable and enjoyable one.

The lovely ladies had set out a cheese board complete with grapes and cheese biscuits as well as a selection of Amanda’s glorious home-grown/home-made chutneys and vinegar’s. They had also baked up some of their very scrumptious biscuits and cakes for all of us to feast on throughout the evening.

As well as having a table laid with an array of their delicious goods (some of which were from their Christmas range which you could order during the evening) the ladies also had a wonderful cake on display that had been made by a local cake baker in Papplewick village. Having the cake made locally fits with the couples ethos that we should all support each other by continuing to buy our food and drink as local as possible, rather than shopping at the bigger chains.

This is also something I whole heartedly agree with and support; so much so that I now shop for almost all of my food at the local farm shops (such as Gonalston where you will also find Donna and Amanda’s baking jars) and butchers rather than the larger supermarkets. In my opinion you get food that is better quality, better tasting and certainly better value for money.

Next to the cake, the ladies had displayed their cheque which they were recently presented with at the Nottingham Council House by the High Sheriff and Lord Mayor for winning the: “Nottingham Dragons Den 2015” competition.

During the speech later in the evening Donna and Amanda thanked all of their family and friends for their continued support over the past year; they told us how the two of them will use the cheque to invest in marketing and advertising which is exactly what the pair need in order to push their business forward.

The evening was a perfect way to celebrate Donna and Amanda’s first successful year of business together and also the ideal way in which to start the rest of their lives taking “The Busy Kitchen Company” from strength to strength.