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Georgina Pellant -23rd May 2022
A pastry chef from a little bakery in Trafford is set to compete on a spin-off of TV baking behemoth the Great British Bake Off this summer.
Jeffery Koo, the award-winning pastry chef behind A Little Sweet in Sale, will be rolling up his sleeves and donning his apron as he competes alongside other professionals in the 2022 edition of Bake Off: The Professionals.
A celebrity in Hong Kong, Jefferey has over 20 years of experience working as a pastry chef and chocolatier, and has established his own pastry brand in China as well as opening his first patisseries in Sale, Greater Manchester.
His enthusiasm for desserts is clear, and we expect that will shine through when he appears on the popular TV show later this year.
The new series, starting on 24 May, will also feature pastry chefs Rob and Mirea of the historic Levens Hall in the Lake District and Boglarka and Krisztian of the Gloucestershire pastry kichen Jó Szerencsét, with Stacey Solomon joining former Bake Off contestant Liam Charles as the host for the 2022 season.
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As in previous years, chef pâtissier Benoit Blin and Executive Pastry Chef Cherish Finden will be judging this series of Bake Off: The Professionals.
Sharing the news on Instagram, Jeffrey Koo said that he was ‘honoured’ to take part in the show alongside his talented sister-in-law, Venus.
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Read more: A late-night food market is coming to Manchester city centre
Having begun his career at just eighteen years old in a 5-star hotel kitchen, Jeffery is no stranger to the high-paced pressure a busy kitchen can bring.
With a string of awards already under his belt for his skills as a chocolatier, Jeffery boasts the titles of World Chocolate Master (Best Taste Award), as well as two silver awards in China’s fiercely competitive International Chocolate Master Competition and the Swiss Creation Chocolate Competition.
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The new season of Bake Off: The Professionals is set to air this week on Tuesday 24 May at 8pm on Channel 4.
Read more: The new bottomless brunch with fried chicken waffles and endless pints of beer
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Feature image – A Little Sweet
News
Manchester named one of the UK’s ‘most desired’ places to liveEmily Sergeant
Manchester has been named one of the ‘most desired’ places to live in the UK for 2024, according to a new study.
At this point, there’s really no denying Greater Manchester is mint and people want to live here.
Not long after two of the region’s towns have been highlighted as places first time buyers should considerlooking at to get themselves onto thepropertyladder, and another of our local neighbourhoods has been named one of the best in the UK to raise a family, we’ve now got another title to talk about with pride.
That’s because Manchester has just been ranked one of the ‘most desired’ places to live in the UK in 2024 – especially when it comes to relocation.
Whether you’ve landed a new job, you’re craving better weather, or you’re just looking for a change of pace, we all know there’s loads of reasons to relocate to a different city – but which locations are the most desirable of them all?In a bid to figure this out, the home insurance team over at Compare the Market decided to do a bit of research and devise a list.
To do this, they looked at the average monthly Google search volumes for terms relating to living and moving to different locations.
And Manchester’s made it into the top 10.
UK’s top 10 most desired places to live in 2024
- London
- Derby
- Stoke on Trent
- Birmingham
- Liverpool
- Wolverhampton
- Bradford
- Manchester
- Newport
- Sunderland
London ranks as the number one most desired city to live in the UK, and is followed closely byDerby,Stoke-on-Trent, and Birmingham, with our fellow North West neighbours Liverpool rounding out the top five.
Bradford and Sunderland are some of the other Northern cities featuring in the top 10.
“Relocation is an exciting adventure, but careful planning is key,” explained Anna McEntee, from thehome insuranceteam at Compare the Market, as the top 10 list was revealed this week.
Sharing tips for anyone looking to relocate in the future, Anna continued: “Make sure to thoroughly research the area you’re interested in, and consider factors like commute times and proximity to schools and amenities. You should also set a realistic budget thatincludes hidden costs like moving fees, potential repairs, and home insurance.
Read more:
- Manchester has been named one of the best cities in the WORLD to visit in 2024
- This Greater Manchester area has just been named one of the best in the UK to raise a family
- ‘Hidden gem’ village in Wigan named one of the poshest in Britain
“Additionally, you may want to consider extending your home insurance coverage withaccidental damage insurance orapartment insurance to make sure your property and belongings are protected from any unforeseen events.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
News
Trove breaks silence on shock closure and confirms Levenshulme site will also closeDaisy Jackson
Trove has broken its silence on the shock closure of its Ancoats bakery, and confirmed that its original Levenshulme site is also closing.
The bakery and cafe was first founded all the way back in 2011 and has always been a big name in Manchester’s food and drink scene.
Fans of the brand were shocked this week when its Ancoats location – which had already abandoned its cafe operation in favour of being a bakery – suddenly closed, with a forfeiture notice plastered in the windows.
And now Trove has confirmed that all of its locations around the north west, including its brand-new site in Wilmslow and its original cafe in Levenshulme, are to close.
In a statement shared this afternoon and signed by husband-and-wife co-founder team Marcus and Katy, they wrote that the business has been struggling ever since Covid.
They wrote: “We have been struggling mentally, physically and financially for a while.”
Their statement also said: “Our failure has been trying to keep something going that we were emotionally attached to, when we should have ended it.”
Trove also apologised to customers and employees ‘who have felt let down’, adding that they always had ‘good intentions’.
Trove had already shut its Stockport bakery, moving operations into its Ancoats location, and shuttered its unit inside the Bloc building in the city centre.
Companies House documents for Trove’s parent company Two Hexagons Ltd show that the business is in more than £1.6m of debt, including owing HMRC approximately £885,000.
Trove’s full statement says: “We wanted to leave a note here for everyone we have worked with over the years and the customers who supported us. Today we have sadly decided to close all Trove sites.
“We have been struggling mentally, physically and financially for a while, especially after covid.
“Our failure has been trying to keep something going that we were emotionally attached to, when we should have ended it.
“We are so sorry to any of our customers and employees who have felt let down. We have only ever had kindness in our hearts and good intentions.
“We have enjoyed being part of the Manchester food scene, the many people we have known and loved.
“Thank you to all who have worked for us. Thank you to the people who continued to support us through hard times. Thank you also to everyone who has contacted us with words of kindness recently. Your words have meant a lot.
“It is a very difficult world at the moment. Especially for small businesses and food producers. Please be kind to others, neighbours, friends, strangers. You never know who needs it.
“Our hearts are broken. So much love to you all, Marcus & Katy.”
Read more
- One of Manchester’s most luxury hotels is opening a new location at Manchester Airport
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- Almost Famous ‘overwhelmed’ by local support after sharing heartfelt cry for help
Featured image: The Manc Group
