Market Sat 22nd & Dramas

Hi All,

Market is on this Saturday but at the moment it is tentative.  I will do my best to be there but it will definitely be with very limited stock.

Well what a day!?!?
I came up to Melbourne today to do a little shopping, have dinner with a girlfriend and get ready for my Macaron class tomorrow.  I left a little late - nothing new I'm always late, got diverted by the floods - fair enough, had to have a power nap - too many late nights, then the clutch started playing up....

Was able to do a little shopping, headed out to Ikea and the car got worse.  Navigated the minefield that is Ikea, loaded up my trolley and can you believe it - somebody stole my trolley - what is that??  I had to start all over again!  Running really late for dinner, finally getting through the registers, loaded up my goodies, got the car and in the middle of the Ikea loading bay the clutch goes and the car won't move!!

What a disaster for any of you have been to Ikea you understand how busy that place is with a lot of cranky people tooting horns and yelling, luckily a kind man helped push the car over to the side, called the RACV and an hour later the car was being towed to my girlfriend's house and by then we really needed a glass of wine.

So the long and short of it is that I'm not sure when I will get home so that's why the market is tentative if the car isn't fixed.

I look forward to writing about my class tomorrow and hope to post some pictures.

I hope your day has been better than mine and fingers crossed we're there on Saturday.

Enjoy!
Bridie
p.s I'm drinking that wine as I type.

Treats by Bridie Market Sat 15th Jan

Hi All,

After having last week off I'm back to market this week.  The market will be on Saturday 15th Jan 8am - 1pm (don't come at 8am, I'm never that organised!) down at King George Square, the wharf in Port Fairy.

It's quite a big market, lots of stalls and some beautiful things for sale.  Come down for a browse, grab some treats, a coffee from the Piccolo (W'bool) Coffee Van, sit down along the wharf and enjoy.  The market there on New Years Day was great, we were flat out and things sold very quickly, once the word was out that there was Macarons things got a bit crazy. It was great to see people enjoying the food and coming back for more!  My tip for this weekend is to get in early if you want Macarons or email me by Thursday morn with an order to pick up at the market.

Whats on sale at Market....

Macarons* $2 each
(get in quick at this price because of the work involved the price will rise a little soon)
Raspberry & Pomegranate
Coconut, Honey & Fig - this is my new favourite!!
Lemon Curd & White Choc
Pistachio & Orange Blossom
Salted Caramel

Petite Dessert Cakes $4 each
Hummingbird Cakes
White Chocolate Mud Cakes
Lemon & Lime Tarts*

Treat Boxes $10 each
Mixed Lemon & Passionfruit Moments
Mixed Choc Raspberry & Choc Hazelnut Moments
Dark Choc Brownie with Raspberries & White Choc
Mixed Mini Macarons*
White & Dark Chocolate Florentines
Pistachio, Cranberry & White Choc Rocky Road*

*Gluten Free options (I will only do a couple of the tarts unless ordered prior)

I hope to see you there!

Enjoy!
Bridie

Hi & Welcome!

Hi all,

Welcome to my blog!

I'm Bridie West and Treats by Bridie is my new business.  The concept of 'boutique baking' is using the highest quality of ingredients and combining stunning flavours to make exquisite treats that are all handmade and beautifully presented.  My philosophy is that the food should taste even better than it looks and that word of mouth is the best advertisement.  My treats can be purchased to take home to share and are also beautifully gift wrapped.  They make a lovely gift and many lucky people received them over christmas time. 

I currently sell my treats at the Port Fairy markets and by personal order.  The Community Market is on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at the Village Green 8am - 1pm.  I'll be using this blog to tell you all what I am up to and what treats to expect at the upcoming market.  I hope to share pictures with you and recipes that have taken my eye.  I'll also post product lists for you all to have a look at.  Please feel free to post comments, ask questions or seek help with your own creations (I'll try to help).

A little about me:
I'm 32 years old and live in Port Fairy, Australia with my husband Michael, 4yo son Jonty and 2yo twins Greta and Eamon.  We are lucky to be surrounded by close family and friends and live in a beautiful town.  We are near the end of the renovation of my mum's home, an old weatherboard commission.  Never again!  At least not while you're living in it.  But we do now have a beautiful house, a kitchen that I have always wanted to cook in and some great stories to tell.

I have always loved to cook, particularly sweet things, cakes, desserts, biscuits, pastries, nibbles anything yummy to satisfy a sweet tooth.  I have fond childhood memories of helping my mum in the kitchen making one of her famous sponges or pavlovas and staying up to 3 in the morning with her waiting for the xmas pudding to be boiled.  Most of the recipes were her mums which have since been passed down to my sister and I.

All my life I have been torn between study and cooking.  My afterschool job whilst growing up was at Portofino Restaurant in Port Fairy in its early days, starting with dishes and working my way up to food prep, sides, salads and desserts. People still ask me to make the bread and butter pudding from Portofino 16 years on.  I loved weekends, the restaurant was always full, people enjoying themselves, John, the chef and owner, sweating over the stoves, barking orders at me, Amanda, his wife trying to keep things under control.  We worked really hard but still had time for a laugh.  Amanda and John were a big influence, mentors really, they opened up my eyes to the world of food, the way food can bring people together and the enjoyment you get from making other people happy with your creations.

When I finished year 12 the big decision came - university or cooking?  I chose university - a bachelor of arts (criminal justice).

This could go on forever so each blog I'll add more to the story of how I came to start Treats by Bridie.

Enjoy!
Bridie