Tudor Bakery, a traditional English bakery in Old Coulsdon

Traditional independent bakeries are getting scarce now and even more scarce in London especially central London where rents are high.

On my quest to visit as many bakeries in the past year, I have only managed to visit around 4-5 which is alarmingly low.

Finding a bakery which has cream slices is even more difficult and so far I have only found one in London.

After posting about the cream slice, I was really lucky that Mark Daws commented to say that there is one in Old Coulsdon.

The frustrating thing is that there is no social media or even Facebook to get in touch with this bakery.

The reason I would want to check out their Facebook/instagram is to see what types of bakery they do and no one has even posted anything about this place.

I have been meaning to visit this bakery but it is just off the radar meaning I would have to endure a 45 minute bus journey when there are temptations in London which is only a 10 minute journey a way.

Finally I dedicated a Saturday to visit this bakery and the reason I say dedicate is because I simply can't resist these delicious treats meaning I will be buying some.

You can't exactly be going shopping elsewhere swinging delicate cakes in your hands.

To avoid any imperfections, I took some photos before getting the bus which was fortunate because one of the pieces did get deformed but luckily the star of the show didn't.

Anyway, getting back to this amazing bakery called Tudor Bakery, I was greeted with all the familiar treats like iced buns, cream doughnuts, custard doughnuts, cookies, bakewell tarts, savoury slices, London cheesecakes and rolls etc and most importantly the Cream Slice which I have been on a quest for.

Seeing a CREAM SLICE is a rarity! When was the last time you saw a cream slice at your local bakery because you can only buy commercially made ones these days.

The cream slice is my absolute favourite because my grandma always used to get me them.

I was elated when they said it was fresh cream because it just doesn't taste the same with synthetic cream.

I ended up getting a cream slice and strawberry Danish.

The cream slice at Tudor Bakery was slightly different as it was basically the top layer with icing filled with cream and the bottom layer which had a thin layer of strawberry jam on it.

To summarize, this was the best non commercial cream slice filled with fresh cream.

I appreciate traditional bakery attire that the staff were wearing because most uniforms are quite modern these days.

This is the second bakery to wear traditional bakery uniform.

In a way, I am fortunate that I am far away other wise I could easily be back getting the cream slice and other treats too often.

The information on google maps is wrong because it says it closes at 17:30 but they close earlier.

Tudor Bakery:

248 Coulsdon Road

Ashoka palak paneer (Tofu) and Punjabi Choley

I love pureed palak which is pureed spinach.

Usually you will find palak paneer which is spinach and cheese but I managed to find palak paneer tofu which is less guilty and fat free.
The colour of the real thing is a bit off putting but it was delicious with instant noodles mixed into it.

At the shops, they also have other items in the range like Baigan barta etc.

Also tried the Punjabi Choley which is a Punjabi delicacy of curried chickpeas with aromatic spices.

It was nice but the chickpeas were a bit hard.

Morrisons Cheese & Onion Rolls (6 pack)

Someone got the Cheese & Onion rolls from Morrisions so I got to try them.
The cheese was definitely strong but the rolls were not moreish.

M&S collection Hot & peppery microgreens

Microgreens are everywhere especially in salads to take them to the next level at the restaurants.

Marks and Spencers have done it again so you can buy these and eat them at home.

I liked the hot & peppery selection because you get Radish, sunflower shoots and broccoli shoots.

The sunflower shoots were the only ones I have not tried before which are the large green ones.

Overall, great for adding a touch of peppery kick to the salad or sandwich.

Sainsburys Snowmen and snowflake marshmallows

I don't know why I got the Sainsburys Snowmen and snowflake marshmallows but probably because it was novelty and I like star shapes.

Other than that, they are just regular marshmallows which taste sweet!

Everleaf Non-Alcoholic Aperitif Masterclass at London Essence House

I don't really drink alcohol so when I found out about the Everleaf Non-Alcoholic Aperitif Masterclass at London Essence House I decided to attend.

At the class, we got to sample all three flavours of the Everleaf drinks and create delicious non-alcoholic spritzes.

It was 6 people per class which was nice and relaxed.

I liked the way, each aperitif was introduced which took us on a journey of smell and senses when the descriptions were read out while we smelled and tasted it.

There were ingredients on the table which were used in the aperatifs.

The three Aperitifs were: Marine, Mountain and Forest.

Marine:

A crisp blend of 16 sustainably sourced botanicals carefully chosen to capture MARINE flavours including Juniper, Bergamot and Dulse. Crafted for gin drinkers.

Mountain: 

A vibrant blend of 12 sustainably sourced botanicals carefully chosen to capture MOUNTAIN flavours including Cherry Blossom, Rosehip and Strawberry. Crafted for pink gin drinkers.

Forest:

A complex blend of 14 sustainably sourced botanicals carefully chosen to capture FOREST flavours including Saffron, Madagascan Vanilla and Orange Blossom. Crafted for spritz drinkers.

My favourite turned out to be the Forest which was sweet and aromatic while the Mountain was my next favourite.

Marine was probably my least favourite because of the Juniper and personally I am not a fan of gin.

With the Mountain aperitif, we made a spritze with tonic water, 50ml of Mountain aperitif garnished with orange.

The drink was to my liking as it was sweet and refreshing.

I am so glad I attended this course because it I learned more about the ingredients use which you don't often get to see or smell like the curry flowers and this root thing that smell like ginseng.

Photos of London Essence House:

Ashoka palak paneer (Tofu)

There are so many Indian Ready meals out there and Ashoka was one of them.

I got the Palak Paneer because it was different from the rest in the sense that tofu was used instead of cheese.
The colour of the real thing is a bit off putting but it was delicious and the tofu pieces were tasty and not as fattening or as rubbery as paneer.

As for the palak, it was slightly spicy but all good.

I tossed some noodles in it and it was delicious.