Needing some inspiration in the kitchen? Take a look at some ideas from MN2S cooking talent, Tom and Henry Herbert.
Brothers Tom and Henry Herbert have been baking and cooking together for years, and since 2012 have starred in their own cooking shows all about bread and meat; Tom is a master baker, while Henry has carved out a career as a butcher.
Legend has it that Henry had given up on going into baking after the success of his older brother, going into butchery instead. When the two started working on the same street in London they decided to team up and make the most of their talents, writing a successful cookbook together and opening the Hobbs House Bakery.
They now regularly appear as guests on other cooking shows as well as on their self-titled show, and continue to work at the Hobbs House Bakery, which they set up together.
We’ve collated some of their best recipes below for you to try at home:
Beetroot and chocolate cake
It might seem like an odd combination, but beetroot and chocolate combine to create a sweet and earthy flavour in this cake that’s to die for.
It’s also got an incredible deep purpley colour that’s beautiful as a centrepiece on any table – there’s no need to cover this in icing.
Beetroot is the perfect vegetable to cook with during the autumn and winter months when it’s in season – and if you put it in a cake, you might even get away with calling it one of your five a day…
It’s tough to go far wrong with a great scotch egg, and that’s just what this recipe produces. It’s one of the first recipes that brother Henry made when he moved to London to start work as a chef – hence, it’s still a firm favourite at the bakery today.
Made well, you should end up with a perfectly runny centre and a flavoursome sausagemeat centre with a crisp and delicious outer shell. Making your own scotch eggs might seem like a faff, but once you’ve tried homemade you won’t go back – it’s a whole different ball-park.
Beer pizza
Using a beer in the recipe for this pizza crust helps to make it delightfully light and crispy – the sort of pizza you probably thought it was impossible to bake at home. Well, think again. With a good oven and a pizza stone, you could make sure you never order a takeaway again with this recipe.
Top it with anything you like – but the suggestion in the recipe of blue cheese, figs and onion sounds pretty great to us.
Indian barbecue chicken flatbreads
Barbecue season may have passed, but you can get away with making this delicious recipe in the oven, and we recommend that you not wait until next summer to try it out.
The chicken is cooked whole in a marinade to retain all of the lovely juices and flavour of the bird, then stuffed into a homemade flatbread with cucumber yoghurt and homemade red slaw – it’s bursting with flavours, totally delicious and even fairly healthy. Could you ask for much more?
Cornbread burger
Cornbread is one of the best creations that our cousins across the pond have ever come up with, but we don’t make the most of it nearly as much as we should do. It’s the perfect way to change up a classic burger and this recipe which uses a cornbread bun is as easy and quick to make as it is tasty and innovative.
We particularly love the tangy salsa that the boys have created to go alongside the burger and add a burst of freshness to the flavours. Knock up this recipe next time you have friends coming round for a dinner that’s sure to impress without too much effort.
If you’re inspired by the baker brothers’ talents, they could be the perfect booking for the next event you’re throwing. Whether it’s a cooking demonstration at a fayre or a talk about their success at a business seminar, they’re an interesting pair with a lot of charisma who are sure to be a hit. Contact celebrity talent agency to find out more about booking them or any of the other culinary maestros on the books.