Levens Bakery is ready for business, serving a mouth-watering range of takeaway cakes, pastries and bread to locals and visitors.
Now that the doors are open, the dynamic baking duo behind the bread have a new challenge to tackle.
Robert Stacey and Mireia Ferreres Luna were competitors on Series 5 of Bake Off: The Professionals in 2022 before joining the team at Levens.
For inspiration to plan the sweet and savoury delights that will grace their counter in the months ahead, Robert and Mireia are delving into the history books.
Their next culinary creation will be named after a horse called Copenhagen, who was the trusted mount of the Duke of Wellington.
Wellington has a strong connection to Levens Hall and Gardens as various items belonging to him can be found at Levens Hall.
The property of both Wellington and his adversary Napoleon, inherited by Wellington’s niece Mary Wellesley, can be viewed on a tour of the exquisite Elizabethan home.
While a little research was being conducted into Wellington, and the love he had for his horse, the team at Levens discovered that Copenhagen had a “very sweet tooth”.
Copenhagen was of mixed thoroughbred and Arabian parentage, descended from a Derby winner and born in 1808. Standing 15-hands-high, this great chestnut-coloured horse stayed beside Wellington through 17 tortuous hours of battle at Waterloo.
When he retired from service after Waterloo in 1815, Copenhagen was put out to grass at the Duke’s Stratfield Saye estate. Here, the horse began to indulge in “far too many sugary dainties.”
Copenhagen had always had a curious habit of eating only whilst lying down but he suddenly started to consume “sponge cakes, bath buns and chocolate creams.” His burial was overseen by the Duke himself when he died in 1836 at the age of 28.
This historic link to baked goods has Levens Bakery team thinking hard about something that could be named in Copenhagen’s honour and put on sale to delight others with a similar love of sweet bakes.
Given the skills of Robert and Mireia this 'should be a piece of cake' so keep an eye out for a tribute to Copenhagen and to check out the delights in person.
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