Mill Valley, California
What are we baking up this week?
Read on for details about new products, holiday specials, and fun facts. Check the Goods page to see what else we are offering this week.
One of my most favorite smells in the kitchen is the smell of Hot Cross Buns baking. Added to the delicious smell of freshly baked bread is the muggy warmth of the spices and the sweetness of the raisins.
Hot Cross Bun season is here again and there will be freshly baked Hot Cross Buns available at the Farmers Market on Thursday March 31st & April 7th. We will NOT be at the market the week of Easter.
Hot Cross Buns are sold on a first come, first served basis. If you would like to reserve some buns please email Sophia at GreatBritishBakes@gmail.com
Great British Bakes will be away from the market until Thursday January 13th, 2022. We will be back with more mince pies!
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Wishing everyone a Happy & Healthy New Year.
December
2021
The mince pies are coming, the mince pies are coming...
Tis the season!
Mince pie orders are now closed! Thank you all for your incredible support this holiday season.
We will have a limited number of pies available for purchase at the market Thursday, Dec 23rd.
Halloween
2021
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I love Halloween! Growing up in England in the seventies there was no such thing as Halloween. So when we arrived in California with two small children we had no idea what we were in for. We quickly knew something was up when everyone started asking what costumes the kids would be wearing ( a very oversized Dipsy Tellytubby, that would last for three year's worth of Halloweens as it turned out, and Little Red Riding Hood.) The big night arrived and we made our way out into the streets and were gob smacked that perfect strangers were opening their doors to us and giving away sweets galore. The warmth and joy of the neighborhood was infectious and we treasure the memory of our first Halloween.
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These meringue ghosts are a mashup of the very British meringue with the Halloween spirit. The challenge is that they are almost too cute to eat.
March
30th
2021
Traditionally eaten on the morning of Good Friday, hot cross buns are one of the first celebrations of spring and the run up to Easter Sunday. Believed to be rooted in Pagan and Christian customs as far back as the 12th century, they are now enjoyed worldwide. Like any old tradition, these buns come with their own host of superstitions! Some say that hot cross buns taken on a ship will help to prevent a shipwreck, and others hang them in the kitchen to protect against fires and ensure good bread for the year. Splitting a bun with a friend is said to guarantee a good friendship. Whatever your plans for the next year, we recommend a hot cross bun for good luck!
These delights are typically made with spiced enriched dough and raisins, with a flour cross piped on top. We like to eat them hot from the oven with butter, and they are excellent later on toasted for tea. We will be offering fresh buns this Thursday, April 1st, to ring in spring! Come pick some up for a good breakfast and a year of luck.
February
7th
2021
Starting February 11th, 2021, the Thursday Market will move to the location of the Sunday Market on Peter Behr Drive until further notice. For those of you unfamiliar with the Sunday Market location, it is about a quarter of a mile toward the main building of the Civic Center from our current Thursday Market location on Peter Behr Road.
December
10th
2020
Holiday Specials (now closed-Happy New Year)! Visit the Goods page for details and ordering
Please place your orders by email (greatbritishbakes@gmail.com). Final orders are taken on December 14th. Stop by Thursday Marin Civic Center farmers market to pick up or we deliver in Mill Valley!
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Orders will be available for pick up on December 17th, 2020 from 8am to 1pm at the Marin Civic Center Farmers Market. Deliveries in Mill Valley will be made up until December 22nd. Please don't hesitate to email us with any questions!
November
5th
2020
“Remember, remember, the fifth of November…”
This rhyme is found on every school child’s lips as they get ready to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night (also known as Bonfire Night). This celebration on the fifth of November each year commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. The conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the state opening, with the goal of eliminating the King and all the Members of Parliament. They got as far as installing multiple barrels of gunpowder in the cellar beneath the chamber where the opening was to take place but the plot failed when the conspirators were betrayed. One of them, Guy Fawkes, was captured the night before the explosion was due to take place and was later burned at the stake for treason.
Since 1606 Britain has observed the 5th of November a national holiday and it is traditional to have a huge bonfire to burn a “Guy” who is brought to the bonfire with great procession before being placed on top. Fireworks are let off to imitate the gunpowder that was never used and of course there is lots of traditional food. There are Toffee Apples, Parkin, hot cups of Oxtail Soup and lots of sausages burnt on the BBQ by inexperienced British barbecuers!
Great British Bakes is celebrating Guy Fawkes in the US with our delicious Toffee Apple Cake made with dates, apples and a toffee drizzle.
August
12th
2020
Happy National Afternoon Tea Week! (At least it is in the UK). Afternoon tea has been a British tradition since the early 1800s. It is thought to have been created by the Duchess of Bedford, and it quickly became a national custom. Afternoon tea typically includes a fresh pot of black tea, finger sandwiches, and something freshly baked, such as a small cake.
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The Brits drink more than 60 billion cups of tea a year (we're not joking-the BBC published an article about it!). And lemon drizzle cake has repeatedly been voted Britain's favourite cake for tea time. Cucumber sandwiches, scones, and any sort of biscuit are also often found at a tea-time spread. Feel free to re-create your own English afternoon tea to celebrate this national tea week.
July
20th
2020
“Flapjack - you mean like a pancake?” A British flapjack is nothing like an American flapjack so we decided to do some digging into their respective histories and this is what we came up with…
The word “pancake” has been widely used since the 19th century. But before that pancakes had been known as hoe-cakes, griddle cakes, johnnycakes, and (you guessed it!) flapjacks. Flapjack was the name most commonly used in the colonial era, and described a griddle-cooked product made with buckwheat or cornmeal. Nowadays you’ll typically hear “pancakes” used to describe the warm and tender wheat based cakes eaten for breakfast in the US.
In the UK the word flapjack was originally used to describe a baked good similar to an apple flan. This flapjack even got a mention from Shakespeare in one of his plays! Since the1930s the name flapjack has been used to refer to our beloved oat bars made with oats, butter, and golden syrup (though we do like to add to this classic recipe). They can be eaten for a mid-morning snack or tea-time and are perfect for hiking, camping, & lunch boxes.
Come by the Marin Farmers Market on Thursdays to get your very own British flapjacks.
