Cake and Bake Show – Get Ready Manchester Because London ROCKED

It seems difficult to believe but the Cake & Bake Show is only in its second year and it keeps surpassing expectations. I’ve never run an expo but I’ve run medium sized conventions so I know that a lot of the serenity of the swan that is the show itself belies the fervent paddling that is happening underneath the surface. I cannot help but be awed by the amazing show this year in London and look with envy at Manchester.

The Cake and Bake Show happens in two locations every year – London and Manchester. I think folk in Manchester are damn lucky because they get the benefit of all the creases being ironed out by the London show before it heads up north. That’s why I’m excited for Manchester’s second edition of the Cake and Bake Show. I so wish I could head up there myself because despite the cost of the train from London to Manchester, it just looks so amazing and worth visiting (and it’ll help those withdrawal symptoms!)

What’s that – you can’t wait either? When can you get tickets? RIGHT NOW! Just pop over to http://thecakeandbakeshow.co.uk/manchester/ for information on when, there, how, etc of getting your hands on some of the hottest tickets around. I am seriously considering it because I know I can find crash space and then I just need to get a train ticket and I can get my butt up there and have an amazing time seeing bakers and bakeries I’d never get to encounter otherwise,

In London, the show was crowded – heaving even. There were baking fans looking to stock up on baking equipment, people looking to stock up on cupcakes (I kid you not. I saw one person buying dozens – or she was trying to corner the world market on cupcakes… it was an either/or situation), people looking to learn new baking techniques, people looking to learn sugarcraft and people just wanting to learn from their Great British Bake Off favourites Paul and Mary.

The show has got the most brilliant vibe to it and I had an absolute blast. I really cannot recommend it highly enough because I really had a fun time with lots of buzz and free stuff. Everyone who goes gets a goodie bag so to start with you feel like a special VIP with your official Cake & Bake Goodie bag (Manchester – they were awesome – you’re in for a treat!). Once you’ve got it, you get going to one of the shows you’ve booked or maybe just shop around the stands.  You learn something new or catch up with friends. If Google is there maybe you review a few of your favourite places and then enjoy a cupcake or get a mug.

Perhaps you want to discover someone new as I did with Crumbs and Doilies or maybe you want to pick up one of those cool contraptions to carry a bunch of cupcakes around in. There was also the coolest thing yet – a way to post a single cupcake. It all centres around a rigid plastic cover (for the icing side) and you place the bottom in the form-fitting card base and fold it up and voila! Your cupcake is safe for transport through Royal Mail. I KNOW! I couldn’t believe it either but it works!

The London show was also huge with separate sections specialising in different things. Billingtons whose real sugar I love (they have real brown sugar, not sugar with the molasses sprayed back on) have a big stand there with a limited collector tin offer so their booth was fill. Sainsbury’s were also there with a massive theatre. There was so much going on I don’t think you could do it in a day – I certainly couldn’t and I really regretted having to go to Wales as it was so much fun I wanted to stay forever.

Book the Friday off work and get down to the Cake and Bake Show early, start forming an orderly queue at the door around 8:30am and be one of the first to get your goodie bag and enjoy the show. The wait will absolutely be worth it!