Cheesecake, donuts and Sunderland’s iconic pink slice are just some of the sweet treats in store for foodies in the next ‘course’ of the region’s leading food festival.
Throughout the month, Sunderland Food and Drink Fest, organised by Sunderland BID and Sunderland City Council, is laying on a variety of virtual events for amateur cooks and those who want to turn their hand to something new.
The festival has already covered starters and mains and from 14 – 20 June, desserts are on the menu, with a daily programme of demonstrations from famous TV faces and local confectioners.
The week’s events begin with a Salt Dough Donut demonstration at 4pm on Monday 14 June courtesy of Sunderland craft business, Katie’s Garden.
And the twist is that these donuts, all made using store cupboard ingredients, are not for eating – instead, they are decorations, which can be used as paperweights, ornaments and more.
Following that, at 6pm, the Change 4 Life Sunderland team will be holding a Healthy Pancakes Demo showing how the simple crêpe can be turned into a versatile breakfast or dessert.
At 5pm on Tuesday, Big Science UK will be taking a fun look at the science behind cookery with an Edible Slime Demo, while, at 5pm on Wednesday, Sunderland’s favourite cake takes centre stage, with a step-by-step guide to making a Pink Slice.
On Thursday 17 June at 6pm, inspiration comes from across the Channel, with a Macarons Masterclass from Sunderland bakery, The Sweet Petite.
On Friday, at 7pm, Houghton-le-Spring’s Blackberries Patisserie will be showing how to create a baked, vegan, biscoff cheesecake, while viewers on Saturday, at 11am, will be treated to a live cookery demonstration by The Great British Bake Off 2019 finalist, Alice Fevronia.
The week’s events will then draw to a spectacular close on Sunday 20 June, at 11am, when TV ‘Gastronaut’ Stefan Gates illustrates the Science of Sweets.
In a show packed with sugar explosions, chocolate engineering and the quantum mechanics of glowing drinks, he will tear apart chocolate to show how it’s made, make honeycomb and chewing gum, spin sugar and make fireworks from sugary cereals.
Following the show, he will also take part in a live Q&A session for those keen to find out more.
“There really is something to suit all tastes and ages in this, the third week of our festival,” said Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive at Sunderland BID.
“From food science to food fun and from crafts to cakes, it’s a joyful celebration of desserts from a fantastic line-up of national and home-grown talent.”
Councillor Linda Williams, Cabinet Member for Vibrant City, at Sunderland City Council, said: “It is brilliant to see another week of the Sunderland Food and Drink Festival filled with amazing activities.
“I think it is especially important for the Change 4 Life Sunderland team to be showing our residents that desserts can also be healthy. I can’t wait to have a go at cooking these sweet treats in my own kitchen.”
All virtual events will be streamed at https://www.facebook.com/sundfooddrinkfest/
For further information on the festival, visit https://sunderlandfooddrinkfest.co.uk/
