Bread, Baking and Cake Decorating

Baker Victoria Richardson will show you the delights of working with different techniques to achieve the best results. Making bread is both a treat and a satisfying experience, the aromas amazing and with plenty of transferable skills you will be enjoying adapting your techniques to different breads.

Examples of what you will learn:

• Plaited Loaf – A regular dough shaped into a six plait loaf (often know as Challah)
• Knotted Loaves – A regular dough shaped into small knots and shapes.
• Flavoured Loaf – Learn to add flavour to a regular dough – Choose your own form Olives, Onions, Caraway seeds
• Soda Bread – Yeast free and low fat, all of its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk.
• Foccaccia – Classic Italian bread topped with rosemary, olive oil and sea salt.

Bring large containers/bag to take your bread home.

What’s Included:

• Tea & Coffee on arrival and refreshments throughout the day.
• Light lunch – Served with bread.
• You will take home your creations, please bring suitable containers and means to take them home!
• Copies of the workshop notes will be emailed to you after the class.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Skill Level: All Abilities

Sourdough bread has been around for hundreds of years. Widely favoured amongst many due to its ability to digest easier within the body and for its tangy flavour and wholesome appearance.

Whilst the supermarkets have brought sourdough to our shelves, the amount of care and attention needed is sometimes lost in the mass production of sourdough which takes great care and most of all time.

Matt has been baking and teaching for many years and runs a Most bakery in Altrincham, he is full of technical know how about how to achieve great sourdough results.

In this easy class for sourdough beginners, we teach you:

• How to make a starter from the beginning, how to take care of it and feed and nurture it using a variety of readily available ingredients.
• You will also be shown how to shape the dough to achieve the best looking loaves and simple cutting effects to make those enviable patterns so that your bread has that professional appearance.
• We will also be discussing and using many different types of grain and show you how easy it is to make a super fast version of sourdough for an every day supply of better bread.
• You’ll take home a starter, a sourdough loaf part made by you as well as your own dough to cook at home.

What’s included:

• Tea and coffee will be available through the class and Matt will bring a sourdough for you to taste.
• You’ll take home a starter, a sourdough loaf part made by you as well as your own dough to cook at home.
• We have all the equipment you need but please bring or buy a banneton
• Additional drinks can be purchased from the bar payable via card.
• Copies of the recipes will be emailed to you after the class.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Either bring a banneton or purchase one of ours. If you don’t want to purchase a banneton you can bring a colander with a damp towel to take your dough home.

Skill Level: All Abilities

If you have ever oohed and aahed over professionally baked cakes and wondered just how and why they tick all the right boxes of appearance and taste, then this is the class for you.

Former tutor of Slattery School of Excellence, Victoria has joined the team at Food Sorcery to deliver a range of baking classes. The perfect pastry for pies, patisserie passion, tempering chocolate or cake decorating, let Victoria inspire you.

Please note: this class cannot be adapted to gluten free or vegan.

You will learn

• The details that matter when making cakes professionally
• How to bake three different kinds of cake
• The secret art of cake flavouring
• Slicing and layering large cakes
• Piping cream as a filling to give structure to a layered cake.

You Will make and Take Home

• Lemon Drizzle – Moist & tangy cake dotted with lemon zest and drizzled with a tart-and-sweet lemony glaze
• Black Forex Gateaux – Moist chocolate sponge layers, soaked with kirsch, whipped cream and finished with dark chocolate curls
• Genoise Sponge – Light airy cake – leavened with egg /sugar and filled with fresh Chantilly cream and rich fruit jam.

Save the planet! – bring three large re-useable cake boxes or containers and a bag to transport your bakes home. We have disposable ones if you forget.

What’s Included:

• Tea/Coffee or soft drinks on arrival, all ingredients you need. You will sit down to a light lunch during the class and will take away your creations.
• Bring your own containers to transport your creations home, we have simple ones if you forget.
• Copies of the recipes will also be emailed to you after the class.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Skill Level – All Abilities

Sourdough bread has been around for hundreds of years. Widely favoured amongst many due to its ability to digest easier within the body and for its tangy flavour and wholesome appearance.

Whilst the supermarkets have brought sourdough to our shelves, the amount of care and attention needed is sometimes lost in the mass production of sourdough which takes great care and most of all time.

Matt has been baking and teaching for many years and runs a Most bakery in Altrincham, he is full of technical know how about how to achieve great sourdough results.

In this easy class for sourdough beginners, we teach you:

• How to make a starter from the beginning, how to take care of it and feed and nurture it using a variety of readily available ingredients.
• You will also be shown how to shape the dough to achieve the best looking loaves and simple cutting effects to make those enviable patterns so that your bread has that professional appearance.
• We will also be discussing and using many different types of grain and show you how easy it is to make a super fast version of sourdough for an every day supply of better bread.
• You’ll take home a starter, a sourdough loaf part made by you as well as your own dough to cook at home.

What’s included:

• Tea and coffee will be available through the class and Matt will bring a sourdough for you to taste.
• You’ll take home a starter, a sourdough loaf part made by you as well as your own dough to cook at home.
• We have all the equipment you need but please bring or buy a banneton
• Additional drinks can be purchased from the bar payable via card.
• Copies of the recipes will be emailed to you after the class.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Either bring a banneton or purchase one of ours. If you don’t want to purchase a banneton you can bring a colander with a damp towel to take your dough home.

Skill Level: All Abilities

Discover the art of buttercream piping in this hands-on workshop, designed for enthusiastic home bakers looking to level up their skills and professionals wanting to refine their technique.

Victoria will explain how to make the perfect cupcakes complete with recipes for your convenience. You’ll then be guided through a range of piping techniques – versatile skills you can use time and again – before putting them into practice with plenty of decorating time.

Across the session you’ll decorate 14 cupcakes that will be arranged into two stunning cupcake bouquets. You’ll also learn how to construct and gift-wrap your bouquet, ready to present as a stylish edible gift.

Flowers you’ll create include:

• Rose
• Hydrangea
• Sunflower
• Chrysanthemum
• Daisy

You’ll leave with two beautifully finished large cupcake bouquets – please bring a sturdy bag or box for transport.

What’s included:

• Tea, coffee and refreshments throughout the day
• All ingredients, equipment and gift-wrap
• Your decorated cupcakes to take home (please bring suitable containers)
• Full workshop notes emailed after the class
• Best of all, we take care of the washing up!

Skill Level: Suitable for all abilities.

Create one of the most sought-after cake designs of recent years in this hands-on decorating workshop with Victoria. Inspired by the elegant vintage heart cakes seen across social media and celebrations everywhere, you’ll learn the art of transforming a simple cake into a beautifully piped showpiece.

Working with a pre-baked layered cake, Victoria will guide you through shaping, filling and finishing your cake before introducing you to the decorative over-piping techniques that define the classic Lambeth style. From delicate shells and swags to intricate borders and flourishes, you’ll discover how layers of piping can create a stunning vintage effect.

With expert guidance throughout, you’ll have the opportunity to personalise your design with your choice of colours and decorative details, creating a cake that’s completely unique to you.

Skills you will learn:

• How to shape and prepare a layered cake into the classic vintage heart design.
• Filling, crumb-coating and covering a cake with buttercream.
• Achieving a smooth, professional finish ready for decorating.
• Traditional Lambeth-style piping techniques, including shells, borders, swags and over-piping.
• How to build depth and texture using multiple piping styles.
• Colouring buttercream and creating a design that reflects your own style.
• Tips and techniques for achieving neat, consistent piping at home.

You’ll leave with a beautifully decorated vintage heart cake to take home, so please bring a sturdy cake box or carrier.

What’s included:

• Tea, coffee and refreshments throughout the workshop.
• All ingredients, equipment and decorating materials provided.
• Your finished vintage heart cake to take home.
• Best of all, we take care of the washing up!

Whether you’re new to cake decorating or looking to develop your piping skills, this workshop is the perfect way to learn the techniques behind this timeless and elegant cake trend.

Sourdough bread has been around for hundreds of years. Widely favoured amongst many due to its ability to digest easier within the body and for its tangy flavour and wholesome appearance.

Whilst the supermarkets have brought sourdough to our shelves, the amount of care and attention needed is sometimes lost in the mass production of sourdough which takes great care and most of all time.

Matt has been baking and teaching for many years and runs a Most bakery in Altrincham, he is full of technical know how about how to achieve great sourdough results.

In this easy class for sourdough beginners, we teach you:

• How to make a starter from the beginning, how to take care of it and feed and nurture it using a variety of readily available ingredients.
• You will also be shown how to shape the dough to achieve the best looking loaves and simple cutting effects to make those enviable patterns so that your bread has that professional appearance.
• We will also be discussing and using many different types of grain and show you how easy it is to make a super fast version of sourdough for an every day supply of better bread.
• You’ll take home a starter, a sourdough loaf part made by you as well as your own dough to cook at home.

What’s included:

• Tea and coffee will be available through the class and Matt will bring a sourdough for you to taste.
• You’ll take home a starter, a sourdough loaf part made by you as well as your own dough to cook at home.
• We have all the equipment you need but please bring or buy a banneton
• Additional drinks can be purchased from the bar payable via card.
• Copies of the recipes will be emailed to you after the class.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Either bring a banneton or purchase one of ours. If you don’t want to purchase a banneton you can bring a colander with a damp towel to take your dough home.

Skill Level: All Abilities

The festive season is all about indulgence, and nothing says comfort quite like freshly baked treats straight from the oven. In this class Victoria will show you how to bake some seasonal favourite bakes, come along with a friend, a gang or on your own and bake double.

One ticket is for two people, feel free to come alone and bake double the amount. Suitable to attend with children age 10+

Examples of what you will bake:

• German Stollen – studded with fruit and marzipan, finished with melted butter, icing sugar and wrapped
• Festive Gingerbread Shapes
• Demo of Mince Pies to Taste and Take Home

What’s included:

• Tea/Coffee or soft drinks on arrival, all ingredients you need. You will sit down to a light lunch during the class and will take away your creations.
• Bring your own containers to transport your creations home, we have simple ones if you forget.
• Copies of the recipes will also be emailed to you after the class.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Skill Level: All Abilities

Designed for enthusiastic home bakers looking to level up their skills, as well as professionals wanting to refine their technique, this hands-on workshop will teach you how to create beautifully decorated cupcakes and transform them into stunning edible bouquets.

Victoria will guide you through everything you need to know to make the perfect cupcakes, with recipes provided for you to take home and enjoy again and again. You’ll then learn a range of versatile piping techniques, from creating delicate petals to beautifully defined flowers, before putting your new skills into practice during plenty of decorating time.

Across the session, you’ll decorate 14 cupcakes and arrange them into two spectacular cupcake bouquets. You’ll also learn how to construct and gift-wrap your bouquets, making them the perfect stylish and thoughtful edible gift.

Flowers you’ll create

• Rose
• Hydrangea
• Sunflower
• Chrysanthemum
• Daisy

At the end of the workshop, you’ll take home two beautifully finished large cupcake bouquets – Please bring a sturdy bag or box to safely transport your creations home.

What’s included:

• Tea, coffee and refreshments throughout the day
• All ingredients, equipment and gift-wrap
• Your decorated cupcakes to take home (please bring suitable containers)
• Full workshop notes emailed after the class
• Best of all, we take care of the washing up!

If you’ve ever oohed and aahed over beautifully crafted cakes and wondered how professional bakers achieve that perfect balance of appearance, texture and flavour, this is the class for you.

Former tutor at Slattery School of Excellence, Victoria has joined the Food Sorcery team to share her expertise through a range of inspiring baking classes. From perfect pastry and patisserie to chocolate tempering and cake decorating, Victoria will help you develop the skills and confidence to create truly professional results at home.

You Will Learn

• The professional techniques and small details that make all the difference when baking cakes
• How to bake three classic cake styles
• The art of creating and balancing cake flavours
• How to slice and layer large cakes with precision
• How to pipe cream as a filling to give structure and stability to layered cakes

You Will Make and Take Home

• Lemon Drizzle – Moist & tangy cake dotted with lemon zest and drizzled with a tart-and-sweet lemony glaze
• Black Forex Gateaux – Moist chocolate sponge layers, soaked with kirsch, whipped cream and finished with dark chocolate curls
• Genoise Sponge – Light airy cake – leavened with egg /sugar and filled with fresh Chantilly cream and rich fruit jam.

Save the planet! – bring three large re-useable cake boxes or containers and a bag to transport your bakes home. We have disposable ones if you forget.

What’s Included:

• Tea/Coffee or soft drinks on arrival, all ingredients you need. You will sit down to a light lunch during the class and will take away your creations.
• Bring your own containers to transport your creations home, we have simple ones if you forget.
• Copies of the recipes will also be emailed to you after the class.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Sourdough bread has been enjoyed for hundreds of years, loved for its distinctive tangy flavour, wholesome appearance and traditional method of fermentation.

While supermarkets have made sourdough readily available, great sourdough still relies on something that mass production often can’t provide: time, patience and care.

Matt has been baking and teaching for many years and runs Most Bakery in Altrincham. With a wealth of practical and technical knowledge, he’ll show you how to create delicious sourdough at home without making the process feel complicated.

This relaxed, hands-on class is designed for complete beginners. You’ll learn:

• How to make your own sourdough starter from scratch.
• How to feed, maintain and nurture your starter using a variety of readily available ingredients.
• How to work with different types of grain and understand how they affect your bread.
• How to shape your dough to create beautifully formed loaves.
• Simple scoring and cutting techniques to create those impressive patterns and a professional finish.
• How to make a quicker, more practical version of sourdough that’s perfect for baking better bread every day.

Most importantly, you’ll gain the confidence and knowledge to keep baking long after the class has finished. You’ll take home your own sourdough starter, a loaf that you’ve helped make, and a prepared dough ready to bake at home.

Come along, get your hands in the dough and discover just how rewarding homemade sourdough can be.

What’s Included

• Tea and coffee throughout the class.
• A tasting of Matt’s sourdough, so you can experience the results for yourself.
• Your own sourdough starter to take home.
• A sourdough loaf that you’ll have helped make.
• Your own prepared dough, ready to bake at home.
• All the equipment you’ll need during the class.
• A copy of all the recipes emailed to you after the class.
• And, best of all, you don’t have to do the washing up!

Please bring or purchase a banneton for the class, as you’ll need one to take your dough home.

Additional drinks are available to purchase from the bar and can be paid for by card.

Learn the essential skills of professional cake decorating in this hands-on workshop with Victoria. From preparing your cake to adding the finishing touches, you’ll be guided through each stage to create a beautifully decorated cake that’s uniquely yours.

You’ll learn how to stack, dowel, level, fill and crumb-coat a pre-made cake, before creating a smooth, professional buttercream finish. Victoria will also demonstrate techniques for achieving clean, sharp edges and the perfect drip. With expert guidance throughout, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to experiment and add your own creative flair to your design.

Skills you will learn:

• Stack, dowel and prepare a pre-made cake for decorating.
• Apply buttercream for a smooth, professional finish.
• Create clean, sharp edges and a polished finish.
• Create the perfect drip.
• Master buttercream piping techniques, including swirls and decorative shapes.
• Choose your favourite techniques and bring them together to create your own unique cake design.

You’ll leave the workshop with a beautifully finished cake to take home. Please bring a sturdy bag or cake box for safe transport.

What’s included:

• Tea, coffee and refreshments throughout the day
• All ingredients, equipment and gift-wrap
• Your decorated cake to take home (please bring suitable containers)
• Full workshop notes emailed after the class
• Best of all, we take care of the washing up!

Learn the art of sourdough pizza, crackers and breadsticks, then discover how to make traditional bread rolls, pretzels and bagels using a classic dough.

Baker Victoria Richardson will provide an established sourdough starter and guide you through making a quick-prove sourdough pizza, including how to gently stretch and shape the dough. You’ll also turn your starter discard into delicious sourdough crackers and breadsticks—and enjoy your freshly baked pizza during the class.

You’ll then learn how to make a traditional, non-sourdough dough for a loaf, bread rolls, pretzels and bagels. While the dough proves over lunch, you’ll have time to shape and prepare your bakes.

You’ll also receive your own sourdough starter to take home, feed and nurture, so you can continue baking after the class.

Sourdough Pizza, Crackers & Breadsticks

• Learn how to create and feed a sourdough starter.
• Make a quick-prove sourdough pizza and learn to gently stretch the dough.
• Turn starter discard into crisp sourdough crackers and breadsticks.
• Enjoy your freshly made pizza during the class.
• Take home your own sourdough starter.

Traditional Bread, Pretzels & Bagels — Not Sourdough

• Learn to make a classic bread dough.
• Shape and bake a traditional loaf and bread rolls.
• Learn how to shape and prepare pretzels and bagels.
• Understand how proving and shaping affect your finished bake.

If you are looking for a Sourdough only class please take a look at our Sourdough masterclass.

• Tea, coffee & refreshments on arrival and throughout the day.
• A light lunch — enjoy the sourdough pizza you make during the class.
• Take-home bakes — bring suitable containers and a way to safely transport your creations home.
• Recipes & class notes — emailed to you after the class so you can recreate everything at home.
• Your own sourdough starter to take home and nurture.
• No washing up! We’ll take care of the cleaning, so you can relax and enjoy the experience.

Discover the art of chocolate making in this fun and hands-on Easter workshop!

You’ll begin with a detailed demonstration of how to temper chocolate, giving you the skills and confidence to practise at home. You’ll then put your knowledge into action using pre-tempered Belgian chocolate to create your very own Free-Standing Belgian Chocolate Inclusion Egg.

Your beautiful chocolate egg will be filled with delicious treats that you’ll make yourself, including hand-rolled Belgian chocolate truffles and hand-piped chocolates. To finish, your creation will be beautifully presented in cellophane wrap, ribbon and a gift tag—ready to give as a special Easter gift (or enjoy yourself!).

What You’ll Learn & Create

• Free-Standing Belgian Chocolate Inclusion Egg
• Hand-rolled Belgian chocolate truffles, finished with spun white chocolate
• Hand-piped chocolate creations
• The essential techniques for tempering chocolate, which you can recreate at home

Come along, get creative and celebrate Easter with plenty of chocolate!

What’s Included:

• Tea/Coffee or soft drinks on arrival, all ingredients you need including cellophane to present your egg.
• We have basic containers; however, we recommend you bring your own study ones.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Join baker Victoria Richardson for a hands-on introduction to the joys of bread making. You’ll explore a variety of traditional and creative techniques, learning how to work with dough to achieve delicious results every time.

Making bread is both a treat and a wonderfully satisfying experience. From the feel of the dough in your hands to the irresistible aroma of freshly baked bread, you’ll discover the pleasure of creating bread from scratch — while developing skills you can easily transfer to a wide range of recipes.

• Plaited Loaf – Learn how to shape an enriched bread dough into an impressive six-strand plaited loaf, often known as Challah.
• Knotted Loaves – Discover how to shape a regular dough into individual knots and decorative forms, perfect for sharing or serving alongside a meal.
• Flavoured Loaf – Learn how to transform a basic bread dough by adding your choice of delicious flavours, such as olives, onions or caraway seeds, and experiment with different shapes and finishes.
• Soda Bread – Make this simple, yeast-free bread using baking soda and buttermilk as the raising agents. Quick to prepare and wonderfully rustic, it’s a great addition to your bread-making repertoire.
• Focaccia – Create a classic Italian-style focaccia, generously topped with fragrant rosemary, olive oil and sea salt. Learn the techniques that give focaccia its characteristic texture and flavour.

By the end of the session, you’ll have a collection of delicious breads to enjoy, along with the confidence and skills to continue experimenting with different doughs, flavours and techniques at home.

Bring large containers/bag to take your bread home.

What’s Included:

• Tea/Coffee or soft drinks on arrival, all ingredients you need. You will sit down to a light lunch during the class and will take away your creations.
• Bring your own containers to transport your creations home, we have simple ones if you forget.
• Copies of the recipes will also be emailed to you after the class.
• The added bonus is the washing up is all done for you!

Skill Level: All Abilities

Create one of the most sought-after cake designs of recent years in this hands-on decorating workshop with Victoria. Inspired by the elegant vintage heart cakes seen across social media and celebrations everywhere, you’ll learn the art of transforming a simple cake into a beautifully piped showpiece.

Working with a pre-baked layered cake, Victoria will guide you through shaping, filling and finishing your cake before introducing you to the decorative over-piping techniques that define the classic Lambeth style. From delicate shells and swags to intricate borders and flourishes, you’ll discover how layers of piping can create a stunning vintage effect.

With expert guidance throughout, you’ll have the opportunity to personalise your design with your choice of colours and decorative details, creating a cake that’s completely unique to you.

Skills you will learn:

• How to shape and prepare a layered cake into the classic vintage heart design.
• Filling, crumb-coating and covering a cake with buttercream.
• Achieving a smooth, professional finish ready for decorating.
• Traditional Lambeth-style piping techniques, including shells, borders, swags and over-piping.
• How to build depth and texture using multiple piping styles.
• Colouring buttercream and creating a design that reflects your own style.
• Tips and techniques for achieving neat, consistent piping at home.

You’ll leave with a beautifully decorated vintage heart cake to take home, so please bring a sturdy cake box or carrier.

What’s included:

• Tea, coffee and refreshments throughout the workshop.
• All ingredients, equipment and decorating materials provided.
• Your finished vintage heart cake to take home.
• Best of all, we take care of the washing up!

Whether you’re new to cake decorating or looking to develop your piping skills, this workshop is the perfect way to learn the techniques behind this timeless and elegant cake trend.