Cambridgeshire’s first-ever chocolate festival is launching this Valentine’s weekend. The event has been organised by Riadh Falvo of Bumble & Oak, local boutique batch chocolatier and member of #WeAreCambsCreatives, and is being hosted at Histon Smokehouse on The Green. This unique three-day festival adventure will be overflowing with rich decadence – an ideal treat for you and yours to experience as you are immersed in all things chocolate, love and community togetherness.

Cambridge Chocolate Festival, sponsored by Click It Local and Small & Green, kicks off on Friday 11th February 2022 with a date night and the chocolate themed cocktail menu crafted by local mixologist Pawel.

The 2-4-1 chocolate cocktails will be served throughout the weekend and feature single origin chocolate from the cacao belt of South America. What takes your fancy? Will it be the Frisky Fashioned made with bourbon and topped with a Colombian dark chocolate origin truffle, the Choc-T Martini with tequila and dark chocolate from Nicaragua, the Chocolada with Malibu and Mexican single estate dark chocolate, or the Hot Kraken – a dark hot chocolate with rum and raspberry jam. Our taste buds are tingling already!

During the day on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th guests are invited to brunch and then meet the makers alongside touring and shopping between 10.30AM and 2.30PM. Histon Smokehouse also welcome you to join them for their Valentine’s set menu on Saturday evening with the special addition of a chocolate terrarium dessert from Riadh and live music from Hugh Boyde (Jazz) and Sandor (Blues Harmonica).

Get your free festival tickets here and make a reservation for dinner or brunch via the restaurant’s website.

Histon Smokehouse (Cambridge CB24 9JA) are passionate about quality in their business and source fresh and sustainable ingredients from local suppliers. The team will be serving brunch to festival-goers and walk-ins each morning with a very special addition of a savoury chocolate or molé breakfast plate on the menu. There will also be the option to order a chocolate tasting plate which has been put together by the chef, who has 30 years experience cooking in the finest restaurants, and selected local chocolatiers.

Don’t forget your golden tickets! On arrival, you will enter through the “chocolate factory” on your way to the outdoor garden. You will be met by Anisa Ather of Anisa & Chocolate who, alongside Riadh, will be touring attendees through the bean to bar chocolate making process – from roasting and winnowing to cracking and grinding. They will also be covering the more well known processes such as the creation of chocolate bars, truffles and desserts. You will then be directed towards the chocolate shops that will be housed within the smokehouse’s market stalls.

Riadh says: “Make your way through the Chocolate Factory, into the shops area where you can meet the makers, chocolatiers, and bakers themselves who work everyday with the world’s most popular natural aphrodisiac.”

Across the weekend you can expect to see Bitesize Bakehouse (Saturday), Truffles & Chocolates (Saturday & Sunday), Barbarella (Saturday & Sunday), Rachel Bakes (Saturday), Millie’s Hayfield (Saturday & Sunday), Grandma’s Rolling Pin Baking (Saturday & Sunday) and Meadows (Saturday & Sunday) – plus Small & Green will also be popping up on the Sunday in addition to proving a touch of greenery to the venue decoration.

We’re loving following the build up to Cambridge Chocolate Festival here – especially the educational facts. For example, did you know that chocolate’s 4000-year history began in ancient Mesoamerica where the first cacao plants were found? Or that it takes 400 cacao beans to make just one pound of chocolate? No, neither did we – but we are learning lots from Riadh already and can’t wait for the event next weekend.

Shop with Bumble & Oak online at Click It Local and be sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

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Local indie gallery Bleach Box Photography are taking part in this month’s Affordable Art Fair at Evolution London (Battersea Park, Queenstown Road, London SW11 4NJ). Eleanor Jordan and Richard Heeps, members of #WeAreCambsCreatives, would love to see you there and invite you to discover their collections which will be on show alongside 100+ national and international galleries.

Bleach Box is a specialist gallery that works with artists who exploit and experiment with film based photography and traditional printing techniques to create challenging images. It was founded in 2008 by Richard Heeps and Natasha Heidler with Eleanor Jordan joining the team in 2013.

What they create is a conceptual showcase, where one artwork is connected to another in some way, with photographs taken thirty years ago sitting alongside their most recent creations. The gallery works with other photographers to curate exhibitions and art fair booths which really stand out in their environment.

They will be returning to the Affordable Art Fair in London’s Battersea Park next week. You are invited to visit as their guest and can expect to find Richard Heeps, the Heidler & Heeps collaborations and guest artist Poppy Faun. As a guest of Bleach Box Photography you can register for complimentary tickets here!

Affordable Art Fair opens Thursday 21st October 2021 and is running until Sunday 24th. Head down to Battersea to discover the joy of collecting art at a venue packed with works to suit all tastes. There will be thousands of artworks and the organisers say “you’ll be spoiled for choice whether you’re looking for the perfect accent piece for your home, a bold new talking point, or inspiration for your workspace”.

The fairs are part of a mission to democratise the art world and make art accessible to all. Affordable Art Fair say: “We love nothing more than helping people learn about and fall in love with art, so each of our fairs are filled with a creative smorgasbord of artist performances, innovative talks and tours, hands-on workshops, kid’s activities, live music and irresistible restaurants and bars; making them an ideal day out with family and friends.”

Since starting out in excess of 2.8 million people around the world have visited an Affordable Art Fair with more than half a million pieces of artwork having found loving new homes. Click here to see a full list of participating galleries for the London event – you can also find two other Cambridgeshire based exhibitors taking part, Byard Art and Linton59.

For those interested in shopping online, we are really pleased to be collaborating with Richard and Eleanor to offer Cambridgeshire residents a special offer. You can use code CAMINDIE20 to get a 20% discount at checkout on Richard’s website from now until 31st January 2021. Click here to get started on your Christmas shopping early and brighten up your home for the new year!

Find out more about Bleach Box and the collections on show over on their website – and be sure to follow on Facebook and Instagram. You can also visit the Cambridge studio by appointment and sign up to their mailing list or subscribe to YouTube to stay up to date with all of their goings on including future events.

Keep up-to-date with what is happening across Cambridgeshire’s creative scene by subscribing to receive our latest news posts via email – and follow our #CambsCreativeScene tag on Instagram.

If you enjoy content from The Trove Cambridge then please consider supporting what we do by buying us a “coffee” at: ko-fi.com/thetrovecambridge

We are very excited to announce that Jade Boswell, owner of Bitesize Bakehouse and member of #WeAreCambsCreatives, will be making an appearance on Ainsley Harriott’s latest ITV show ‘Good Mood Food’ this coming Saturday, 11th September 2021. Tune in to see when chef Joseph Denison Carey visited Jade in her kitchen to chat fruits and berries for his segment of this new programme.

Bitesize Bakehouse is an award-winning bijou bakery serving Cambridge and the surrounding areas with bespoke cakes and dessert bars for weddings and events. They also create a range of artisan postal treats to send anywhere in the UK including hand-tempered chocolate, brownies and gourmet marshmallows. As well as a core range, seasonal flavours are added throughout the year.

Jade can’t wait for the opportunity this weekend to share with viewers an insight into how she makes her pillowy marshmallows. Check out our chat with her below to find out more about what to expect, the new marshmallow flavours in the pipeline, what her ideal 3-course ‘Good Mood Food’ meal would be and more!

When did you first hear about the opportunity to be on the show?

Jade: “I was actually approached by the media team directly, they had found my website online whilst they were researching interesting food indies that were doing things a bit differently. They advised that each episode would feature a different foodie theme and I am pleased to say that I will be on ‘Fruits and Berries’ with my fresh fruit marshmallows!”

What was it like having Joseph Denison Carey and the film crew at Bitesize Bakehouse HQ?

Jade: “It was quite bizarre but so lovely! They were all super friendly and made me feel really at ease during the filming and just talked me through each bit as we went along so it felt much more conversational and natural. Joseph was so happy and calm and totally made me feel at ease – very easy to talk to as well so I felt really comfortable chatting away. It was very nerve-wracking having a professional chef taste your food though, in front of you and on camera too! The wait for him to give his feedback and opinion felt like forever. Ha! Luckily he loved them and asked for more. I actually sent him, and the whole film crew, home with a box each to try.”

Can you tell us what your ideal 3-course ‘Good Mood Food’ meal would be?

Jade: “Oh, great question! It would have to be by Cambridgeshire based Puddini who catered our wedding five years ago. Having a peek at their current Autumn and Winter à la carte menu I would go for their ‘Beetroot cured salmon with shaved apple and fennel salad’ for starters. For main the ‘Slow roasted beef, pressed potato cake with cream, garlic and Parmesan, wilted cavolo nero and reduction of Chianti Classico’ and for dessert the ‘Caramelised lemon tart with crème fraiche and raspberries’.”

Are there any new fruity flavours lined up for your Marshmallow menu?

Jade: “Yes! I am currently trialling a champagne and strawberry flavour which should be out soon – actually Joseph gave me an idea on how to maximise the champagne flavour whilst he was with me, as I’ve been trialling this for a while to get it perfect and it wasn’t quite there yet. Some new flavours that have joined the menu recently are the ‘Biscoff’, ‘Coffee’ and ‘Peanut Butter’ flavours. Then before we know it we will have Christmas upon us so my ‘Snowflake Christmas Collection’ will be available from November too; which includes a mix of gingerbread, mulled wine, cranberry white chocolate, and double chocolate.”

Do you see a TV or filming aspect to your career/business in the future?

Jade: “I absolutely loved taking part in Ainsley’s new show and if there were ever further opportunities I would absolutely love to be involved. It wasn’t or hasn’t been anything I had particularly focused on as a goal really but having now done a small segment like this, I would definitely enjoy doing more!”

A huge thank you to Jade for chatting with us ahead of the show this Saturday. Fancy treating yourself to something from the Bitesize Bakehouse menu? Why not give the fruity marshmallows a try! Order the ‘Classic’ box of eight pieces or celebrate with the ‘Indulgence’ box of 16. We would highly recommend the ‘Smores’ postal brownies too if you like the sound of a chocolate cake and mallow mix. Shop now via the website here and for further updates follow Jade over on Instagram.

‘Fruits and Berries’, episode two of ‘Ainsley’s Good Mood Food’, will air between 11.40AM and 12.45PM. According to the ITV Press Centre, the series is “a celebration of delicious food that really boosts your mood”. They have also announced that “inspired by Jade’s use of fruit, Ainsley adds his twist to a classic and whips up A Wonderful Wandsworth Mess” during the episode.

Keep up-to-date with what is happening across Cambridgeshire’s creative scene by subscribing to receive our latest news posts via email – and follow our #CambsCreativeScene tag on Instagram.

If you enjoy content from The Trove Cambridge then please consider supporting what we do by buying us a “coffee” at: ko-fi.com/thetrovecambridge

Are you looking to experience something new this Autumn and eager for some time to yourself to get creative? Sue Rapley, local contemporary artist and #WeAreCambsCreatives member, invites you to her upcoming oil painting workshops which are ideal for beginners. You will learn the basics of colour mixing and take away new skills and materials to create your own artwork at home!

The dates for the next ‘Create A Meadow’ half-day virtual workshop series are Saturday 9th October and Saturday 6th November 2021. These immersive events will be hosted on Zoom where Sue will join you online from her studio table between 9.45AM and 1.45PM. Spaces are limited as these virtual events have been designed to be a nourishing, intimate and calming experience.

The ticket price includes a participant pack and a complete painting kit posted to your home ahead of the event. The workshops have tended to sell out quickly so book your ticket soonest via her website here.

Sue says: “Developing my skills and exploring the painting process has played such an important role in my life. I have had the opportunity to experiment and nurture my painting practice over many years, honing my ‘style’ to how you see it today. This half-day workshop that we will share together, is filled with all the guidance, tips and encouragement you will need to discover your own creativity.”

So, what will you learn on the day?

A simple step-by-step process has been crafted to demonstrate and guide you. To start, you will be taught an understanding of the colour wheel as well as the basics of working with water-mixable oil paints and the benefits of the medium such as not needing to use solvents. You’ll then be shown how to apply certain techniques using a palette knife to create the base layers of a painting, known as an ‘under-painting’.

During the second part of the workshop you will have the opportunity to complete a collaborative piece of artwork with Sue, who will pre-prepare a unique under-painting that you will work on top of – this will be supplied as part of your painting kit. You will come away from the session equipped with all the skills, including utilising the palette knife to create texture and layers, plus all the supplies you need to continue your own art journey afterwards.

The feedback for these new workshops, which launched earlier on this year, are glowing! One participant, Claire, said: “I enjoyed your class immensely. It was really exciting to receive the lovely materials pack and then go on a wonderful painting experience with you. Your clear friendly professional teaching helped me to produce pictures I am proud of. Truly ‘me time’ enjoyed in a way that I have never experienced before.”

You can find out more about Sue Rapley’s work over on her website here – and follow along on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter too. Be sure to sign up to her newsletter for future virtual and in-person workshop launches as well as exclusive offers. Sue adds: “Want to make it really sociable? Invite your friends to join with you to share in this enriching virtual experience together. Try something new without the need to create perfectly. Open your hand and let your curiosity guide you.”

Edit: An EXCLUSIVE offer for subscribers, followers and members of The Trove Cambridge! Make a saving of £10 per workshop booking using the code TROVE10 via Sue Rapley’s website; discount valid until midnight on Tuesday 28th September 2021.

*Ad | PR Disclaimer – this post is not sponsored. I received a personal invitation to attend the pilot workshops back in September 2020 with no obligation to share. Some images shared here were taken during the in-person pilot. I had an amazing time and highly recommend booking on – check out this Instagram Reel to see what we got up to!

Keep up-to-date with what is happening across Cambridgeshire’s creative scene by subscribing to receive our latest news posts via email – and follow our #CambsCreativeScene tag on Instagram.

If you enjoy content from The Trove Cambridge then please consider supporting what we do by buying us a “coffee” at: ko-fi.com/thetrovecambridge

Throughout lockdown hundreds of artists from across the UK produced portraits of NHS workers for free as part of the #PortraitsForNHSHeroes initiative which was launched in early April by Oxford-based portrait painter Tom Croft. There was an incredible response to the project inspiring similar initiatives across Europe and North America.

Caroline Forward, a Cambridgeshire artist and member of #WeAreCambsCreatives, completed three portraits as part of this inspiring initiative and we feel privileged to share them with you here on the blog with notes about each of the frontline heroes she painted, including a local nurse who works at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

You can find a detailed explanation of how #PortraitsForNHSHeroes came about over on Tom Croft’s website here. He talks about what portraits represent and how they immortalise people. He poses the question of who should be immortalised and “line the walls of galleries” today. Tom says: “The people who put self interest and self preservation to one side and literally risked their lives knowingly on a daily basis for our well being. The NHS workers. Absolutely.”

Tom helped to match NHS workers with participating artists directly but due to such high demand he also suggested that any artist willing to get involved with the project posted their offers of free portraits on Instagram. Caroline did just that and was contacted within minutes of posting her offer by Kate, a midwife working in a busy maternity unit in Barnsley.

Kate said to Caroline how difficult it is for mothers giving birth without their nearest and dearest around them. She described the exhausting impact of working in personal protective equipment (PPE), the high levels of staff sickness and therefore staff shortages, and the long shifts.

After completing her first painting Caroline agreed to do a further two portraits. Her second portrait is of Katie, a staff nurse in Coronary Care at Addenbrooke’s. It was incredibly meaningful for Caroline to be able to paint a local frontline worker and she was able to deliver the finished artwork in person – socially distanced of course!

It was a very special moment for Caroline when she met Katie outside her home.

Katie told Caroline that she tries to keep her patients as calm, comfortable and reassured as possible whilst giving them the treatment they need to get better, being their advocate and being there for them especially when they are at their most vulnerable. With no visitors allowed she does as much as she can for their mental health so they feel less alone.

Caroline’s third portrait is of Karen, a paramedic in the West Midlands Ambulance Service. Karen moved her four daughters into her brother’s home at the start of lockdown in order to protect them from her potentially bringing Covid-19 home with her after work. To be separated from your young children for several months is a hardship. Caroline says: “These stories of personal sacrifice by our frontline workers need to be heard.”

It has been a touching and emotional journey for both the artist and subjects. Caroline explains that although the portraits are of the individuals, and that they have been gifted to them as a thank you for all they do, they are also painted in gratitude to and recognition of all those who have done so much during the pandemic. She received some wonderful feedback, notably: “No one has ever done anything like this for me, given me their time and talent in this way.”

You can browse over 13,000 images which have been shared on Instagram with the project hashtag here – it is truly a wonderful and visually moving social media curation. You can also find a small online exhibition of selected works over at The Net Gallery.

It is hoped that there will be a physical exhibition open to the public of #PortraitsForNHSHeroes sometime in the future but in the meantime be sure to follow @tomcroftartist for updates and @carolineforward to see her latest work over! If you are a local artist who has also produced a portrait as part of the project we would love to hear from you – please do get in touch.

Keep up-to-date with what is happening across Cambridgeshire’s creative scene by subscribing to receive our latest news posts via email – and follow our #CambsCreativeScene tag on Instagram.

If you enjoy content from The Trove Cambridge then please consider supporting what we do by buying us a “coffee” at: ko-fi.com/thetrovecambridge

We are really pleased to announce that Lele Saa, member of #WeAreCambsCreatives, has been shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards 2020 presented by The Association of Illustrators (AOI). Lele’s submission was previously selected as one of 500 longlisted projects from more than 4,300 entries – and has now been selected for the final shortlist of 200 projects!

Lele Saa, an illustrator and visual designer based in Cambridge, balances her part-time role as Creative Director at a UX design and innovation studio with her art practice which involves illustration, frame by frame animation and ceramic experiments.

Hooray! It’s a totem parade! is a mural painted on the exterior of Horizon – a centre for adults with learning disabilities in Cambridge. This piece by Lele stands alongside work by various local artists designed to uplift the outside of the organisation’s facilities.

Lele says: “I tried to create a bold image using the space of the wall in an exciting way. The whole mural can be only seen fully from a specific point of view; marked by a spot on the floor. The main totem figure depicts a Phoenix Bird that is reborn from its ashes and gives a positive message to the viewers.”

The mural was completed across 12 sessions between August and October 2019. Lele notes that ‘the composition grew organically’ taking into account ‘the limitations of the bricks and wall elements’ – although the design was planned digitally beforehand.

The project has been shortlisted in the ‘Site Specific’ category for this year’s World Illustration Awards by the AOI, who have been running an annual illustration competition for over 45 years. You can take a look at all of the shortlisted projects here.

The AOI is the world’s leading illustration body supporting and sustaining illustrators and the illustration industry. They present the awards in partnership with The Directory of Illustration which is widely regarded as the world’s leading marketing program for illustrators. This year they had entries from illustrators in 79 countries.

Congratulations to Lele Saa for being shortlisted – this is such a fantastic achievement!

The award winners, category specific and overall, will be announced on Wednesday 21st October 2020. Celebrations for this year will be rounded off with an online programme of events which is set to include masterclasses, panel discussions and social opportunities for illustrators, agents and commissioners from around the world to meet, explore and celebrate.

Keep up-to-date with what is happening across Cambridgeshire’s creative scene by subscribing to receive our latest news posts via email – and follow our #CambsCreativeScene tag on Instagram.

If you enjoy content from The Trove Cambridge then please consider supporting what we do by buying us a “coffee” at: ko-fi.com/thetrovecambridge

Cambridge-based author and illustrator Lily Clarke is crowdfunding via Kickstarter to publish her first picture book titled Hector’s Perfect Cake. Less than 10 days into the campaign, Lily is close to hitting her initial target of £3,000 – but she really needs your support as the project will only be funded if it reaches its goal!

Lily Clarke, member of #WeAreCambsCreatives, works full-time as a technology consultant and also runs a small illustration business, Lily In Space. Lily decided to self-publish her first illustrated children’s story so that she could write whilst continuing the career she enjoys deeply.

Hector’s Perfect Cake is a 28-page picture book about accepting that sometimes things just don’t go to plan.

Lily says: “Children can become fixated on ensuring everything they do is ‘perfect’, believing themselves to have failed if they are unable to achieve this. Hector’s Perfect Cake is a story that teaches children that perfection is not always as important as it might feel.”

THE STORY

Hector is baking a cake for his Granny and he’s determined that it’s going to be perfect. It’s almost finished, there’s just one more ingredient to add – peanut butter! But when Hector discovers that the jar is empty, he decides that he must head out to find some more, or else his perfect cake will be ruined. It’s not long until the party though, so he’ll have to be quick! As time begins to run out, Hector’s luck begins to run out too. He may have to accept that sometimes perfection just isn’t possible.

The campaign is live on Kickstarter until the end of July and you can pledge your support here. Choose to donate any amount or select from one of the project rewards which include signed paperback editions of the book itself and full-colour illustrated bookmarks based on the characters from the story. There are also activity packs and teacher resources available too!

A fixed-format eBook edition of the book will be created if the project hits £3,500 and it will also become available as an additional reward. Pledge for any of the rewards and you will have your name listed on a dedicated supporters page at the back of the book. Find out more at: hectors-perfect-cake.com

Keep up-to-date with what is happening across Cambridgeshire’s creative scene by subscribing to receive our latest news posts via email – and follow our #CambsCreativeScene tag on Instagram.

If you enjoy content from The Trove Cambridge then please consider supporting what we do by buying us a “coffee” at: ko-fi.com/thetrovecambridge