October 2026
Hello lovely people!
Can’t quite believe we are already halfway through October!! As much as I love summer, I always feel ready for Autumn. Cooler days, cosy cooking, and leafy dog walks are my favourite!
What’s been going on this month?
Events wise this month has been quiet- a welcomed break from a pretty hectic summer. Having weekends off to cook for my family and friends has been such a treat, I actually get to sit at the table and eat what I’ve cooked!! I’ve been using the time I would usually spend prepping for events to get ahead with other bits of the business I’ve been putting off- website updates, 2026 menus and more! I often feel as a one man band trying to figure this whole business thing out that I can end up feeling a bit stressed when I don’t have a constant flow of events. This month i’ve realised how valuable having this spare time is and I’m already feeling set up and ready for next year which is great.
This month has also given me more time to be creative in the kitchen, trying new dishes, jotting them down in my notebook and making notes. I love the creative process of recipe development but can feel a bit fried and creatively stumped when the event side of the business is busy!
What I’ve been cooking
I will always try to cook with the seasons, they are my main inspiration when it comes to recipe creation. This month I have been cooking with a lot of squash, beans, cavolo Nero and figs! Think hearty beany sausage and cavolo Nero stews, roasted squash, burrata and pumpkin seed pesto and my newest love, my Fig, yoghurt and almond cake!
Figs are one of my absolute favourites! The season is finishing up but now is a great time to get them on deal in the supermarkets and green grocers. My fig cake recipe below is so SO delicious. Think squidgy, almondy, sweet but not too sweet and packed full of figs. It is perfect with a cup of tea or as a pudding warmed through with a big dollop of yoghurt and some honey.
Fig, yoghurt and almond cake
Ingredient, serves 6
150g butter
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
90g ground almonds
90g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
100g greek yoghurt
8 figs, quartered
Big handful flaked almonds
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180oc fan. Line a 7 inch cake tin with parchment paper.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy then add the eggs and beat well.
Stir through the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and ginger and mix until you have a lovely batter.
Add the vanilla and greek yoghurt and mix then stir through half the quartered figs. Add to the prepared tin and arrange the rest of the figs on top.
Sprinkle over the almonds and cook for 40-45 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.
Serve up as it is or with some yoghurt and a drizzle of honey!
What i’ve been loving
Books: I have read just about all of Kritisn Hannahs books this year, I first read ‘The Woman’ and was absolutely hooked so ploughed my way through the rest of her books. The Great Alone and Four Winds were my other favourites!
I have also just finished Educated by Tara Westover, it was such an amazing memoir and I would highly recommend!
Eating out: This month we went for a weekend to Elie in Fife and we had a meal at the Kinnuerchin Inn, a really lovely pub/restaurant serving some of the best food I’ve had in a a while.
The Palmerston- over the weekend we had a beautiful lunch in Edinburgh at our old local, the Palmerston. A very similar season feel to the Kinnerchin Inn and such a a lovely space.
Podcasts: I listened to Nobel this month (if you are into true crime podcasts you will love this) I listened to the whole podcast during one lengthy prep day and I have been recommending it since!
That’s all for this months ramble, I hope October is treating you well and you are eating good food and staying cosy.
Nic xx