Creating the Modern British Bakery w/ Anna Higham

Today’s episode of the Vittles podcast is an interview with baker and pastry chef Anna Higham, the owner of the lauded Quince Bakery and Clementine, a café opening soon in Islington.

Higham’s story is as rich and varied as her bakes. Her career spans some of the world’s most famous kitchens, beginning with the Gordon Ramsay Group in London. After moving to New York, she spent time at the legendary Gramercy Tavern. While in the city, the mentorship of Claudia Fleming would prove formative for Higham, and when she returned to London in the late 2010s she brought with her a focus on provenance and seasonality.

Higham’s name quickly became known to pastry aficionados in the capital via her work at the landmark new-wave Modern British restaurant Lyle’s. While the pastry section broadly subscribed to the sometimes sparse aesthetic and precision preferred by Lyle’s head chef James Lowe – she shared his obsession with hyper-seasonality, British fruit and heritage grains – her desserts were subtly different. Higham would ensure her creations were generous and delicious, with less voguish fixation on oats, fruit and yoghurt than her colleagues had, whose desserts could sometimes pass for breakfast bowls. Instead, there were cakes, cream, meringues, caramels – as well as an abundance of berries.

During our conversation, Higham discusses what drove that approach, who shaped it, and how she gained the confidence to finally go it alone. Following the immense success of Quince and ahead of the opening of Clementine next month, she also shares her view on the ‘hype’ bakery scene in London – and her venue’s own place within it.

We hope you enjoy the episode. Let us know what you think in the comments!

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