EDDIE SPENCE mbe DEMO CLASS Thursday, 30/09/2010

Salam Once Again, Dear Friends!

I'm sure you've heard of the old saying 'What comes around, goes around'. Well, Chef Baini is no different from anyone of her students; she sees herself as a student also, a student in need of tutelage and guidance. So today, Chef Baini and her BBB (Best Baking Buddy) Chef Rohaya, made time to attend a demo session with a cake artist of international renown, Mr. Eddie Spence mbe (that stands for Member of the British Empire). So today's blog is a feature on Chef Baini as a student attending a demonstration class....

So just who is Mr. Eddie Spence, you ask. He is the gentleman in between the two lovely ladies in the picture above. Now, for those of you who has met Chef Baini in the flesh, you'll know that Chef Baini comes in a petite package. So from this picture, you can see that  Mr. Spence is this tiny man who is littler than Chef Baini! But make no mistake, folks: In the circles of cake decoration, this man is a giant! Think of him as a Yoda of cake decoration; not 800 years old, just 78 years young!

Mr. Spence has been decorating cakes for over 50 years, so you can imagine the wealth of experience that he has accumulated and all the skills that he has honed over a lifetime. No wonder he is a top draw wherever he goes!

Mr. Spence has been inducted into the Order of the British Empire by order of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. You see, in his homeland, Mr. Spence is so famous that he is the cake decorator for Her Majesty's celebration cake on the occasion of the Her Majesty's golden wedding anniversary. 

Needless to say, he makes cakes for the British royal family. With such sterling credentials, how can we not feature this man in Chef Baini's blog!

Just take a good, good look at the intricate handiwork this master confectioner is capable of!

What amazes Chef Baini and Chef Rohaya is the speed that Mr. Spence quilts his work!

The intricate embroidery spins off his hands faster than the Babams can spew words on paper! High praise indeed!

Not much needs to been written... you've heard of another old saying: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words! That's just the case right here!

Mr. Spence is quite an engaging speaker as well. Little surprise as he's been at it for longer than the Babams has been alive! The picture below shows Mr. Spence fielding questions from the floor....

A few close-ups for Mr. Spence's work might properly illustrate the gravity of his skills....

BUT WAIT! SURPRISE!

Today's demo session included another superstar in the cake decoration world....

Its none other than Ms. Debbie Brown, also from England. As most everyone knows, she has authored many, many books on fondant decoration.....Here is Chef Baini with her idol Ms. Brown....

Now Ms. Brown's forte is figurines...she is an exponent in the sculpting of figurines in fondant icing.... please have a good look at some of Ms. Brown's handiwork below.....

Pingu the Penguin...

Bob the Builder and Friends

Both speakers had to address a full house of cake enthusiasts...those who attended today including our two chefs number a hundred....

Notwithstanding the crowd, there were many opportunities to discuss personally with the two speakers of the day. It was a very exciting day for Chef Baini and Chef Rohaya. They both look forward to meet Mr. Spence again someday should he comes to visit Malaysia once more....

That's all for today, dear friends!

Remember, Chef Baini begins her classes again on October 9, 2010.

That's just a week away from today! See you soon!

Love, Chef Baini