Where to Eat in London: Fabrique Swedish Bakery

Fabrique | Swedish Bakery Cafe | Hoxton | Website
– reservations not available –

Who would have thought that one of the best Swedish bakeries in London would be located in the railway arches underneath of Hoxton station? The setting is contemporary, and might seem a little odd, but ultimately adds character to the store. It’s also pretty easy to find – just exit Hoxton station and turn right, within less than a minute you will be gazing at Fabrique’s big red doors, ready for some Fika.

The artisanal bakery is the first outside of Stockholm, making Londoners very lucky indeed. Offering Swedish coffee by Johan & Nyström, and a large selection of buns, flapjacks, brownies, rolls and more you won’t be left lonely for choice. There are only a few tables to sit at, but most customers are on the go, so there’s usually the odd table to hijack with a friend or two. My friend and I visited on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm and whereas there were a few people sat at tables, we found a seat out front and enjoyed a Cardamon Bun and an Earl Grey tea with ease. It might seem odd that I choose a Cardamon Bun rather than Fabrique’s famous Cinnamon Bun, but actually I’d tried the latter before and wanted to try something new instead. Whereas their Cinnamon Buns have earned rave reviews, and I did enjoy mine, I loved the Cardamon Bun even more. I also now go back weekly for their sourdough rye rolls – honestly the best sourdough I’ve ever had. The staff are lovely, very helpful and always up for a chat.

Fika is open Tuesday-Sunday until 6pm.
You can find out more on their website, here.

 

Giveaway: Rekorderlig Midsummer House Tickets

The lovely people over at Rekorderlig are hosting another amazing event this Summer.
They will be bringing a little bit of the Swedish Midsummer spirit to London’s Victoria Park.
You may remember I attended their last event where they transformed the Truman Brewery into a Swedish Forest.
Well if that was anything to go by you won’t want to miss out on this one!
Luckily I have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader.
What can you win?
A pair of tickets (one for you, one for a friend) to the Rekorderlig Midsummer House!
Tickets are valid for entry for one day from 21st June – 5th July.

How to enter:
+ Be a follower of ‘Bloomzy‘ via GFC/Bloglovin
+ Earn extra entries via Twitter/Facebook etc.
– Entrants must be over 18!! –
– The giveaway will run until Saturday 15th June.
– The giveaway is open to UK residents, and you will need to find your own transport to the event.

Photo Diary: A Week in My Shoes

In the past week I’ve been working but making time for fun also.
It started with me going for dinner with Nhuc & Sophie, for a catch-up.
The amazingly gorgeous cake was mine & Nhuc’s dessert…no not the whole thing.
The next day I attended the Spirit of Summer Fair with Anna – watch my vlog here.
I did some chocolate tasting at the event (with Paul A Young) as well as some shopping.
I should have bought a new perfume as my favourite Jo Malone fragrance ran out, luckily I have another.
During the week my dad came to visit (whilst my mum stayed at home to take care of the dog).
We attended the Netsuke Exhibition at the Japanese Embassy – the main reason for his visit.
We went for lunch at The Breakfast Club, as it’s one of his favourite places.
Then we popped next door to one of Paul A Young’s chocolate shops.
I was treated to a box of amazingly delicious chocolates.
So that’s pretty much my week, it wasn’t anything too crazy exciting but it was fun.
I also took a few outfit shots (see ootd post here), to keep things flowing.
You can follow me on Instagram: @bloomzy

Video: Spirit of Summer Fair 2013


On Saturday I visited the Spirit of Summer Fair 2013 at the Olympia.
Stalls at the trade show featured fashion, food, jewellery and more.
It was my first time at the venue and I loved it.

I also wanted to present it to you in different way.
Many friends and bloggers have lead to me finally trying out video on the blog.
It doesn’t feature me personally right now, but I plan to get round to that eventually.
As for now, let me know what you think of me presenting events etc in this way.

You can follow me on YouTube here.
Make sure you watch in 720HD for the best version of the video.
Tickets were provided for me on behalf of Figleaves.

Style Inspiration: Kiko Mizuhara

American-Korean Model Kiko Mizuhara

My current style inspiration comes from the gorgeous Kiko Mizuhara.
I adore her playful, fun take on fashion and how she works that into her own personal style.
Her mix of edgy, masculine and feminine into her looks really calls out to me and my own style.
She works primarily in Japan, therefore her style is influenced by the culture.
However she also wears and works with European brands.
It’s this mixture that I can relate to.
Not only is my style influenced by Kiko though – I also love the simplicity of her day-to-day make-up looks.
She’s a beautiful woman and doesn’t need make-up but when she does wear it, it’s complimentary to her style.
I should also add that my recent change in hairstyle may have ever so slightly been influenced by Kiko.
These photos were taken from Kiko’s Instagram.

Where to Eat in London: Dishoom

Dishoom | Bombay Cuisine | All-day Menu | Shoreditch | Website
– reservations available –
 
If I told you there was a Bombay Cafe in East London, you’d probably think I was crazy.
Well I may be a little weird, but I’m definitely not crazy, because right in the heart of Shoreditch is Dishoom.
Drawing inspiration from the elegance of the old cafes in Bombay, Dishoom is as beautiful inside as the food is delicious.
We stopped for brunch on a Saturday morning, around 10:30am.
It wasn’t busy but there were a few couples and groups dotted about.
Breakfast is served until 11:30am on weekdays, and 1pm on weekends (possible hangover cure?).
The inside of the restaurant is spacious and gorgeously decorated in a rustic Bombay-inspired manner.
We were sat by a very chilled matradee and served by a friendly waitress, both whom matched the atmosphere.
I was enticed by the variety of food on the breakfast menu, especially when I saw the Indian inspiration.
I’d heard that the ‘Spicy Chai’ was amazing, so I ordered one for myself, whilst the fiance had the ‘Breakfast Lassi’.
He went for the ‘Full Bombay’ and I filled up on the ‘House Porridge’ & ‘Fire Toast – we were both impressed.
Whereas I was intimidated by the spicy scrambled egg, the fiancé said it was “the best [he’d] ever had.”
We both enjoy our food (probably more than the next person), so after we both said we’d be back I knew it was a hit! Next time I definitely plan to have the ‘Chocolate Spicy Chai’ and the ‘Sausage Naan Roll’ (an interesting sounding take on an English staple), or the ‘Bombay Omelette’ – if I’m feeling brave (I can’t handle spice). The prices were reasonable and the food amazing. I’ll be trying out the lunch (I may have already arranged a date with a friend) and the dinner menu soon.
Check out Dishoom’s website here.

Event: Make Your Own Pizza @ Pizza Express

Make Your Own Pizza Blogger Event, at Pizza Express

Last week Pizza Express were very brave and allowed 20-odd bloggers to make their own pizza.
I don’t think any of us had any clue where to begin, even so what we lacked in knowledge we made up for in enthusiasm. 
The special event was to mark the arrival of their new Summer menu, which is released today!
The Summer menu features some amazingly light and healthy options, as well as their classics.
This includes a Leggera pizza for less than 500 calories, and a salad for less than 300 calories!
Whether you’re watching what you eat or not, you have to admit that’s impressive.
We arrived and were seated with a drink from the bar and a menu to peruse.
I chatted with some of the other bloggers and nibbled on some sea salt almonds.
Everyone was very friendly and pretty eager to get down to the pizza making.
So we donned our hats & aprons and were shown step-by-step how to make our own Leggera pizza.
After shaping the dough and adding sauce, we were let lose to choose our toppings.
I choose a veggie friendly cheese, tomato and pesto selection.
About 20mins after being sent to the ovens, it was the moment of truth!
My pizza was delicious, if I do say so myself, and it also managed to fill me up.
Now as for the salad, I’m not a big salad fan, so when the new Leggera salad was put in front of me I was shockingly surprised. As well as lettuce it includes mozzarella, beetroot, butternut squash, cucumber and avocado. This salad isn’t just a few lettuce leaves and some dressing, it’s a masterpiece! Ok ok, so I didn’t eat the leaves but I demolished half a plate of the other stuff. I think Pizza Express has done really well in choosing these for their Summer menu – they’re light, healthy and won’t make you feel guilty. I also loved the addition of gluten-free bases/items to the menu, as it’s something I personally look for.
Will I be visiting Pizza Express this Summer? You bet! 
I’m trying to eat healthier lately so this will be a treat that I won’t feel bad about.