Hi All,

Looks like I'll be visiting England (Kent/Surrey) in Nov ... I'll be there a little less than a week, mostly in business meetings, but thought I'd ask what cake decorating related sights I might want to take in while I'm over there. I'll have a local to taxi me around sunday and may have an evening as well.

Any suggestions?

Wow, sounds like a great trip - I can't offer suggestions but I know that the gumpaste supplies there are fantastic - soooo much available. If you check ebay most of the gumpaste tools and books are stuff are from overseas.

I am not sure where one is - perhaps our neighbors across the pond can recommend something - I would certainly try to visit a shop.

Hope you have a safe trip and happy caking!!

Can't you hop over to Scotland & visit Lorraine (Aine2), that would be a wonderful thing.

I have ordered from this company before.
It looks like they have classes even. I am not sure if this is what you are looking for, but thought I would post it for you to investigate.
Very nice people and LOTS to look at!!!!

http://www.squires-group.co.uk/home/

Have FUN!!!!!!!!
Miss Mersh

Squires Kitchen (as per MissMersh's post above) has a shop in Farnham, Surrey. Check their website for the address.

HTH

Kelly

Oh cool! that's about 20 min from where I'll be staying for the most part... I can't wait! Think I'll jet over there one evening if they're still open (Oh I hope so!!!!) wonder how much a cab would run me.

oh - I just noticed on the site:

"Farnham Station is less than a minute walk away, and runs services to Guildford, Woking and London Waterloo."

this is PERFECT! no taxi ride needed sounds like (except maybe to the train station where I'm staying). Oh my, wonder if I should pack an extra suitcase!? HAHAHA... just gotta remind myself of the exchange rate - not in my favor unfortunately. but, if I save the taxi fare (some or all) that gives me a bit more to spend, eh?

I'm super excited!!!!

If you are a Beatles fan (moptop) Jane Asher has a cake shop in London and sells some sugarcraft items.

http://www.jane-asher.co.uk/index.php

I am jealous. I wish I could go there!!! I guess I will just have to explore their website some more!

Yes, I would take another suitcase! When I went to Atlanta to take Nicholas Lodge's class, I bought so much stuff and didn't have ANYWHERE to pack it all. I had to mail it to my house. I don't know how much it would cost if you had to do that. I do know that the shipping rate when I ordered my stuff from Squires, was alot less than any US online shipping charges.

I wonder if you will have to pay the VAT tax if you buy items in person? I don't know how that works. I know that some items are exempt from the VAT if you are ordering from outside the UK. You may want to add that in to your budget. If I read it correctly, I think the prices already include this tax. It is quite high too, 17.5%.

I hope you have a ball!!! Don't spend too much $$$!!!

Miss Mersh

This is a nice cake shop in Kent.

http://www.cakecraftshop.co.uk/

Oh goodness, I'm going to be in Birmingham, England in November. I think that's still quite a distance from where you are going to be though.

I use this company all the time www.sugarshack.co.uk They deliver really quickly and if you let them know how much time you have where you are, they would make sure you had your goods in time. I get next day delivery most of the time from them and they are much further away from me than they will be from you. Their prices are hard to beat. They are based in Middlesex and London. Tell them Lorraine sent you!

All the prices in UK shops do include the VAT. As you say if you buy from outside the UK you don't pay VAT but the bad news is if you're in the UK buying in person you still pay VAT regardless of wheather you live in the UK or not.

head to a grocery store
they sell premade fondant in blocks or already rolled out into rounds
and its super yummy