A pastry chef from a little bakery in Trafford is set to compete on a spin-off of TV baking behemoth the Great British Bake Off this summer.
Jeffery Koo, the award-winning pastry chef behind A Little Sweet in Sale, will be rolling up his sleeves and donning his apron as he competes alongside other professionals in the 2022 edition of Bake Off: The Professionals.
A celebrity in Hong Kong, Jefferey has over 20 years of experience working as a pastry chef and chocolatier, and has established his own pastry brand in China as well as opening his first patisseries in Sale, Greater Manchester.
His enthusiasm for desserts is clear, and we expect that will shine through when he appears on the popular TV show later this year.
Image: A Little Sweet
The new series, starting on 24 May, will also feature pastry chefs Rob and Mirea of the historic Levens Hall in the Lake District and Boglarka and Krisztian of the Gloucestershire pastry kichen Jó Szerencsét, with Stacey Solomon joining former Bake Off contestant Liam Charles as the host for the 2022 season.
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As in previous years, chef pâtissier Benoit Blin and Executive Pastry Chef Cherish Finden will be judging this series of Bake Off: The Professionals.
Sharing the news on Instagram, Jeffrey Koo said that he was ‘honoured’ to take part in the show alongside his talented sister-in-law, Venus.
Having begun his career at just eighteen years old in a 5-star hotel kitchen, Jeffery is no stranger to the high-paced pressure a busy kitchen can bring.
With a string of awards already under his belt for his skills as a chocolatier, Jeffery boasts the titles of World Chocolate Master (Best Taste Award), as well as two silver awards in China’s fiercely competitive International Chocolate Master Competition and the Swiss Creation Chocolate Competition.
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The new season of Bake Off: The Professionals is set to air this week on Tuesday 24 May at 8pm on Channel 4.
To follow A Little Sweet on Instagram, click here.
Feature image – A Little Sweet
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Travel warning issued as 18 million road journeys are expected this bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
Travel warnings have been issued as millions of people prepare to journey across the UK this bank holiday weekend.
With the three-day weekend upon us, and people nationwide preparing to make the journey to visit family or friends on their extra day off work or school, the RAC has now issued one of its annual travel warnings – anticipating that 18 million people could be hitting the roads from this Friday evening onwards.
It’s all according to a new study of drivers’ late May bank holiday getaway plans carried out by the RAC and traffic analytics specialists INRIX.
There’s warnings of a potential ‘double dose of delays’ on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 May when the highest number of leisure trips are projected to be made by car – a total of 3.4 million on both days, respectively.
That figure drops slightly to 2.7 million on Sunday 25, before 3 million hit the roads on bank holiday Monday (26 May) for the start of half term.
18 million people are expected to hit the roads over the bank holiday weekend / Credit: Geograph | Pxfuel
To make matters even worse, an additional 5.4 million getaway journeys may take place at some point throughout the bank holiday weekend too, but at this point, drivers planning these trips are still unsure exactly when they’ll travel.
With most getaway trips due to begin before lunchtime, the research suggests the best times to hit the road will either be very early in the morning or later into the evening – with the majority (68%) of drivers saying they’ll be heading off at some point between 5am and 12pm, 14% planning to leave between 5am and 8am, nearly a third (30%) intending to travel mid-morning between 8am and 10am, and a further quarter (24%) setting off later between 10am and 12pm.
Traffic is expected to ease off rather significantly later in the day though, so if you are in a position to leave your journeys until the evening, then the RAC is advising that you take that option, as apparently on 3% of motorists say they are planning to do that so far.
“Our research shows it really is best to leave as early or late as possible this bank holiday weekend, as the majority of motorists are planning to set off in the morning,” commented RAC Mobile Mechanic, Aaron Bryan, ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
Shaun Jones, AA Patrol of the Year, also added on a similar note: “With the upcoming bank holiday, we anticipate a significant increase in traffic.
“We advise all drivers to plan their journeys in advance and stay updated with congestion and roadworks.”
Featured Image – Geograph
News
Tyler, The Creator at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for CHROMAKOPIA tour
Thomas Melia
Tyler, The Creator is returning to Manchester and playing in the city’s newest live entertainment venue, Co-op Live.
The last time Tyler – or Mr Creator, if you will – found himself in our gorgeous city was just over two years ago when he headlined Parklife, sharing the bill with 50 Cent and Megan Thee Stallion as well as many more.
Now, he is playing his magnificent ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ album live as part of his world tour of the same name at none other than Co-op Live.
Tyler, The Creator gig guide
Tyler, The Creator is playing Co-op Live, Manchester, on 27 and 28 May.Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Tyler, The Creator UK tour dates
Sat 17 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 19 May – London, UK – The O2
Wed 21 May – London, UK – The O2
Thu 22 May – London, UK – The O2
Tue 27 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Wed 28 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Fri 30 May – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Sat 31 May – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Tyler, The Creator tickets for Co-op Live gig
If you’re after catching Mr Creator live in the flesh, this one might be tricky as there’s a hefty amount of people wanting to do the same thing, tickets for his 27 May show can be found HERE.
It’s a good thing he’s playing two dates otherwise getting your hands on tickets might’ve been sticky, you can browse all the options for 28 May date HERE.
Tyler, The Creator set list
St. Chroma
Rah Tah Tah
Noid
Darling, I
I Killed You
Judge Judy
Sticky
Take Your Mask Off
Tomorrow
EARFQUAKE
I THINK
Yonkers
Tron Cat
She
Tamale
Rusty
IFHY
LUMBERJACK
I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE
DOGTOOTH
SORRY NOT SORRY
Who Dat Boy
WUSYANAME
Thought I Was Dead
Like Him
See You Again
NEW MAGIC WAND
I Hope You Find Your Way Home
There are three tracks that act as interludes throughout the show too: ‘IGOR’S THEME’, ‘A BOY IS A GUN’ and ‘THANK YOU’.
What are the stage times for Tyler, The Creator in Manchester?
Tyler, The Creator is coming to Manchester and we’re sure he’ll be wearing something equally snazzy.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm meaning the ‘Flower Boy’ has enough time to sing ‘I Hope You Find Your Way Home’ while you get under the covers before midnight.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6pm with a kick-off time of 8pm and support from local Manchester talent Just Yaz hyping the crowd up beforehand.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Georgina Pellant -
23rd May 2022 
