IronCupcake Leeds – Halloween meets chocolate

Cupcakes seemed to have appeared out of nowhere a few years ago, and since then they have taken over the world. Who doesn’t like a cupcake? They are just the right size for a treat, delicious and beautifully decorated! So the idea to bring talented bakers and people with hunger for those sweet delights together makes perfect sense.

Charlotte Walker is running a cupcake competition that is not only one of its kind in Leeds, but unique to the UK and I joined this month’s event to find out what IronCupcakes:Leeds is all about.

 

The competition this month took place on Sunday 13^th October at the Adelphi pub in Leeds.  The scenery in the upstairs area of the pub was set for a wonderfully spooky, Halloween-themed  “Death by Chocolate” cupcake competition.  Every month people with a passion for baking can register as baker for the event. The room is laid out to host up to 20 bakers who get to display their delicious creations to be judged by everyone who is attending as an “eater”. 

Eaters judge the cakes on their appearance, taste and the interpretation of the theme. This might sound like an easy ride, but when you have got so many tasty treats to choose from, scoring the baker is more difficult than you might think.

Upon arrival I was provided with all the necessary weapons needed to tackle this challenge as an eater: a plate, a napkin and a scoring card. Every eater has a different judging technique. Some people were newbies like me, impressed by the amazing talent and the effort people had put into making the cakes. Others are experienced and focused, dividing their plate into corners that are clearly marked so they don’t get mixed up judging the cupcakes.

The bakers get to relax until Charlotte announces the winners. Every month she crowns a winner in four different categories and besides the title, they get to take home a prize.

Charlotte Walker, the organizer of IronCupcake said:” Thank you to everyone who came to our October competition – it was our busiest yet with 15 bakers and over 60 eaters!  Our bakers pulled out all the stops to create some amazing cupcakes on the theme ‘Death by Chocolate’.”

The next IronCupcake cupcake competition will be held on Sunday 10^th November. Expect flags, marshmallows, root beer flavor and apple pie, as the next challenge is all about “Baked in the USA”. 

Tickets to participate as a baker will cost you £5 (subject to a limitation of 20 bakers per event). If you would like to take part in next month’s event as an eater, you can buy a ticket for £5 or enter the following competition to win yourself two free tickets for the next IronCupcake challenge!

All you have to do is follow @LeedsCityBlog on Twitter and re-tweet the competition tweet!

A winner will be chosen at random and notified via direct message on twitter!

Good luck!

All the little details about Orla

Orla Gartland, the quirky artist from Dublin played live at the Wardrobe last night as part of the Oxjam Takeover in Leeds.

“Oxjam is Oxfam’s music festival with events being held across the UK in hundreds of towns and cities all run by volunteers who know and love their local music scene with a passion for fighting poverty and social inequality.” (Quoted from the Oxjam Leeds website)

Orla Gartland has had an incredible YouTube presence for years and people from all over the globe are following the originals and covers that she uploads to YouTube. To this date her channel has received more than 9.5 million views. The 18 year-old is now taking a gap year and has gone on her very first tour this summer “easing into it” as she says herself. Her YouTube fans are unbelievably proud of her success as an artist.

The live performance Orla gave at the Wardrobe last night just showed how talented and likeable she is. She performed four originals, including her brand new song “Roots” which will be available on 11^th November on iTunes. Everyone that can’t wait that long can have a sneak peak of the song on YouTube. Orla’s second song was an amazing cover of “Another brick in the wall” by Pink Floyd, which of course can also be found in her YouTube library.

Orla had agreed to meet me for a quick interview at the venue before the gig. I was so excited about having a chance to meet her. I have been following the self-proclaimed "ginger nutcase" on YouTube for years and decided to ask her some questions based on one of her earlier songs called “All the little details”, in which she asks 23 questions in order to find out all those little details.

Orla, where do you live?

Orla: “Dublin, but I have spent a lot of time in London this summer.”

Do you get scared of big dogs, heights or bears?

Orla: “No!”

No? You’re not afraid of bears?

Orla: “Well, if it was right next to me. But I don’t lay awake at night thinking about bears.”

What is your favourite food?

Orla: “Pancakes! I can make them really thin, like Crepes. I don’t like the American ones. You feel too stuffed after.”

Do you wear slippers or socks at home?

Orla: “Slippers. I don’t remember a lot of the questions from the song. It seems like so long ago.”

How do you actually like your steak?

Orla: “Well done.”

What’s your favourite colour?

Orla: “Blue.”

Favourite season?

“Autumn. I like the temperature. It’s never too warm or too cold!”

And finally, what’s your favourite number?

Orla: “Lucky number seven.”

This wasn’t Orla’s first time in Leeds. On 10^th September she was supporting Lauren Aquilina at the Cockpit and said: “I had a really good time in Leeds.”

The gig also featured a number of other talented singer-songwriters like Billy Lockett, who will be going on tour with KT Tunstill this year.

Last nights gig was part of the main festival, which will take place on 26^th October in some of the best music venues in Leeds.

Hand-made in Leeds

 

 
One of the reasons why I love living in Leeds is that it bursts with creativity and talent. Even better is that you never know where you might find it. I found myself in the art & secret garden cafe in Headingley to look for frames a few weeks ago, when I came across the most charming, hand-made bags. A variety of different colours, textures and patterns had caught my attention straight away. I found a name and a telephone number, hand-written on all of the tags. Even before I contacted Joanna, I knew she was talented, creative and would have enormous attention to detail.

Meeting Joanna, the inspiring artist behind the bags I had spotted in Headingley was a little bit like entering “Charly’s Chocolate Factory” of fabric and colours instead of sweets.  I had no idea that she not only makes bags, but pretty much anything that involves fabric in some way or another: vintage-style aprons, colourful buntings, bespoke cushions and even furniture.

Just like any creative mind, the work of Joanna knows no limits. Having a background in landscape architecture and fashion design she also paints landscape scenes like the beautiful coast at Robin Hood Bay and creates canvases that unite her talents by mixing paint with fabric.

            

Her paintings were exhibited at The National Trust, Old Coastguard's Station in Robin Hood's Bay this summer. Joanna told me: “I received very good feedback from the visitors of the exhibition, including a local artist that bought one of my paintings!” 

 

My favourite part of Joanna’s work is her furniture. She brings old and run-down pieces back to live by covering the wooden surface with a fascinating blanket of fabric. It was obvious that she is passionate about her work, especially the furniture. All of her work is available custom-made and I have to say, having one of those little side-tables that just doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of my furniture; I would love to see how an artist like Joanna would transform it! 

You can find some of Joanna's work here:

Chirpy - Chapel Allerton, Leeds

Mama Doreen's Emporium, Leeds

The Pottery Barn, Ribchester