I’ve been meaning to share some of my favourite September moments but with Yomtovim flying left right and centre, there was never any time to write them all up.

Several days in September made me extremely happy to be doing what I do. They are — in no particular order:

• GBBO
  A half a day each week spent watching the GBBO ahead of broadcast. (How many people — other than TV critics —get to watch programmes in advance?!)  Admittedly I had to write copious notes and then interesting copy, but I GET TO CALL WATCHING THE BAKE OFF WORK!!!
  
  I'm hoping Stacey Hart's run in the competition takes her to the final. 

  

• I spent an entire day in London being fed and meeting the most interesting foodie people:
   
  • First stop, Jacob the Angel: at the start of the month I visited the new offering from Layo and Zoe Paskin (the siblings behind The Palomar and The Barbary). This small, but perfectly formed café has only ten seats but on fine days you can sit outside in Neal’s Yard too. Or take your food away.
    
    On the menu is a mixture of healthy and indulgent fare from created by former Barbary sous chef, Daniella Gattegno. Gattegno is half Greek, half Chinese (her Chinese mother converted to marry her Greek Jewish father) and has trained to be a chef in Scotland. She worked at Ottolenghi, Moro and Morito before arriving at The Barbary. Her food is bright colourful and packed with flavour
    
    The breakfast menu includes Burcher Muesli, sheep’s milk yoghurt with various toppings; sour cherry compote; turmeric chia puddings; granola and pastries. Bread is from fledgling East London artisan bakery, The Dusty Knuckle, which has a (shades of Jamie) policy of employing youths who might otherwise have gone off the rails.
    
    
    
    
    I chose from a range of gorgeous-looking salads for lunch. Roasted cauliflower, green goddess dressing, radish and pumpkin seeds; kale, green beans, pistachios and freekeh; classic Caesar and my favourite — roasted carrot with harissa, almonds, chilli and feta were all colourful and flavour-filled. There were also sandwiches with a range of gourmet fillings including smoked trout (smoked locally) and Berkswell cheese.
    
    
    
    
    There is a delicious display of cakes and pastries. All made in house. Too full from my salads to eat any more, I took a box home and indulged privately. Each cake was utterly delicious — coffee and walnut mini cake topped with mascarpone coffee cream was memorable; coconut meringue pie was a fab twist on its lemon cousin; brownies were perfection.  
    
    
    
    
    Gattegno explained that they are still testing the water and playing with their menu, but the queues that formed are an indication they are getting it right. I loved it.
     
  • Next stop was a very different but equally mouth-watering venue. Turkish Deyvi Sidi-Sarfati and business partner, Georg Keller have opened Mandira, a yoghurt bar at the Holborn end of Longacre.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Sidi-Sarfati, whose mother Jinet Sidi-Sarfati is a Jewish food writer in their native Turkey, has wanted to do something food related for years. It’s not fro-yo but instead, proper (healthy) Turkish yoghurt, modelled on successful US yoghurts bars in NY and California.
    
    "In Turkey, everyone uses yoghurt all the time. It’s a main dish or we use it in mezze. We always have savoury toppings” said Sidi-Safarti. We’re more used to eating it with fruits here but it’s definitely worth using as a savoury base.
    
    The creamy strained yoghurt is made in Buckinghamshire to their specification, and customers can pick from 5% low fat or the more indulgent, 10% version. You choose your toppings — either savoury or sweet. There are also Turkish bagels — pictured — which are less doughy than their Ashkenazi cousins and crisp on the outside which is covered with sesame seeds.
    
    My hummus, chickpea and za’atar pot was delicious — with a side of toasted bagel chips to dip and a sprinkling of chopped coriander. It was extremely photogenic, as was my sweet pot — topped with berries, cinnamon and walnuts.
    
    
    

Mandira is Turkish for a family dairy farm or small holding found in little Turkish villages where locals would make a variety of dairy produce.

It’s a fabulously healthy place to refuel or pick up a snack. If I lived closer, I’d be popping in daily.
 

• Last stop that day was to interview the wonderful Patricia Michaelson, founder of La Fromagerie — the best cheesemonger in town. A new branch is to open on Lambs Conduit Street in Bloomsbury. She and co-director, Sarah Bilney are the most delightful foodies and we spent a wonderful hour or so talking nosh. More to follow in the JC and on our website.  
   

To avoid boringly long post overload, the second part of September's adventures will appear in part 2. Find out about my trip to visit kosher caterer Celia Clyne — the nicest lady and my very French lunch at the Galvin brothers' Windows on the World in a subsquent post.