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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Pat Regan at the Fairfield Social Club – a brilliantly unhinged evening of standup comedy
Clementine Hall
There’s a particular kind of chaos that only Pat Regan can deliver, and the recently re-recognised Fairfield Social Club got the full force of it last night.
Making his Manchester debut as part of the ‘A Lovely Time’ series at the equally as lovely Fairfield Social Club, the New York comic, writer, and podcast host arrived with the energy of someone who had already lived through three emotional breakdowns before breakfast and somehow still had the worst to come.
Known for his work on HBO’s Hacks and the cult-favourite podcast Seek Treatment with fellow comic Catherine Cohen, Regan’s stand-up feels less like your traditional comedy set and more like being trapped in the world’s funniest group chat.
The perfectly intimate room beneath Fairfield’s railway arches was packed with adoring fans who were immediately on side as Regan launched into stories about traumatic trips to Paris, Grindr dates, massage tables and having crushes at the gym.
The audience was in the palm of his slightly sweaty hands (don’t worry, he’ll be fine with me saying so), laughing at every awkward punchline and self-deprecating anecdote.
The material is nothing groundbreaking, but this is what makes it so deeply hilarious; never before has shopping for the perfect pair of jeans been so serious and unserious at the same time.
There was laughter rolling through the venue for virtually the entire set, and after an hour of never-ending quips and jokes, we were left wanting more.
And the best part is, it won’t be long until we get more from this place, and it’s no wonder they’re starting to get the hosting plaudits they deserve.
It’s safe to say Fairfield Social Club has become one of Manchester’s most exciting homes for alternative comedy, and this felt like exactly the sort of booking that justifies its growing reputation.
By the time Regan left the stage, the audience looked equal parts exhausted and delighted. An absolutely classy evening indeed.
Find out about what else is on at the Fairfield Social Club HERE.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Georgina Pellant -
23rd May 2022 
