Her super-slim figure is the envy of many, but Natalie Imbruglia has more than hinted at one of her favourite foods, and it’s not low calorie.
In fact, she has a penchant for cupcakes – if the image she has designed for a new £4 cotton eco-shopping bag is anything to go by.
The X Factor judge has designed a limited edition ‘cupcake’ themed cotton bag for the Notting Hill Shopping Bag Company. Her bag is inspired by her love of Portobello Road’s famous Hummingbird Bakery, and will be on sale for the next month in shops and stalls around Notting Hill.
The bag is one of a series of bags produced by The Notting Hill Shopping Bag project, a new community project, which aims to reduce plastic bag use, and donates 10% of profits to good causes. The first bag in the series featured an image designed by an 11-year-old pupil at Colville Primary School, and future bags are already in the pipeline from pupils of other schools and other celebrities who live in Notting Hill.
Natalie Imbruglia’s spokesman said: “Natalie loves all the unique bars and cafes along Portobello Road and often stops at the Hummingbird for a cupcake.”
Her limited edition bag is priced at £4, and will be available from stalls on Portobello Road Market and shops across Notting Hill. Stockists include Yates Buchanan and The Travel Bookshop.
For more information, visit http://www.nottinghillshoppingbag.wordpress.com
Cairnsmhor Crushed Black Pepper Crackers
Cairnsmhor products, a range of hand baked biscuits, oatcakes and crackers, has won seven gold awards at the prestigious Great Taste Awards. These included four 2-star gold awards and three 1-star gold awards for products including their Haggis Flavour Oatcakes, Lemon Shorties and Wholegrain Mustard Crackers.
The Great Taste Awards are considered the most important food award scheme in the UK. Rigorous and completely independent, Great Taste is to speciality food and drink what Michelin is to fine dining. In total more than six thousand food and drink products were blind-tasted, tested and discussed during two months of intense judging by 350 judges, comprising food writers, chefs, deli and farm shop owners, food producers and buyers. To achieve a two star gold award up to 20 judges must agree that a product is ‘faultless’.
Cairnsmhor is a luxury food range that takes classic products and gives them an indulgent injection of flavour. With a Scottish feel but broad appeal, all Cairnsmhor products are hand baked in Scotland, using Scotland’s finest ingredients.
The gold award winning products received the following comments by the judges:
Crushed Black Pepper Crackers
Add some good brie on a hot summers’ day – yum! The pepper is inviting rather than overpowering. Good texture. Good fresh pepper aroma and flavour. Characterful.
Parmesan & Pepper Oatcakes
The size and texture and thickness is great. The pepper does come through well and is pleasant. With a little more tweaking of flavours this could warrant 3 stars.
Wholegrain Mustard Crackers (New)
This is a lovely product. The flavour of mustard is good and subtle, but you can definitely taste it. The flavour wouldn’t interrupt the (added) cheese though. It has a great texture as well – baked very well and a good crunch. This is an excellent product. Good crisp texture. Mild mustard flavour.
Haggis Flavour Oatcakes
Lovely flavour, which does capture the savoury flavour of haggis. Good texture with the oatmeal as well. An excellent product in the way that it captures the flavour of haggis.
Traditional Scottish Oatcakes
Good oaty texture strong flavour. Good balance sweet/savoury. You can taste full flavour of oats rather than sugar or salt as is often the case with oatcakes. Good flavour including salt; worthy of a gold.
Lemon Shorties
Lovely product. A great texture, not too short but just the right level of crunch. The lemon flavour is great, not overpowering but definitely evident.
Raspberry Shortcake
The product looks great and is innovative. The raspberry flavour is good.
Cairnsmhor is available in delis and independent retailers across the UK or direct from www.thistleproducts.co.uk .
There is still tiem to enter the Home Baker of the Year compeition. The first 100 recipes will receive a pair of tickets to the Ideal Home Show and the chance to attend a champagne reception on March 25th at the Ideal Home Show.
Furthermore, the best 5 recipes will be decided by our panel of expert judges, and go into a LIVE BAKE OFF FINAL, at the Ideal Home Show, on 30th March.
The winner of the bake-off challenge will also receive a chance to be published in the Ideal Home Show’s official recipe book to be launched at the show in 2011, as well as a cake decorating course with Baketique chef Mychelle in her London based kitchen, a VIP nights stay for two at Hotel Rafayel, London, including dinner for two and a spa treatment in the hotels beauty spa.
Deadline for entry is 10th March 2010.
For further information visit http://www.idealhomeshow.co.uk/home_baker/
Or email your entries to: homebakeroftheyear@stuart-higgins.com
