1. fresh regulars
food for thought
Let Them
Eat Cake!
She’s an icon of London’s swinging sixties, was once
engaged to a Beatle, is a successful actress and a cake-
baking maestro. Nikki Haynes chats to Jane Asher . . .
The Jane Asher name in food is very well What makes your products different – clenching and flexing tiny little muscles or
respected. How did you get into it? compared to other products on the market; something, which sounds possible to me. I
I’ve always enjoyed cooking (and eating) why should people buy them? certainly don’t think I’m an obviously restless
and was lucky enough to learn the basics I believe the cakes from my shop are the person – I find it only too easy to slob around
from watching my Mum make the family best you can find anywhere. We use entirely doing nothing – but I do tend to rush around
meals every day – something that, sadly, fresh eggs and butter, for example, and high a lot, only because I’m usually behind with
doesn’t happen so much nowadays. At the quality chocolate, when many other shops some deadline or other, or late for work. It’s
age of about 14 I decided I wanted to know a don’t, and we’re one of the few that will still easy to rush and do lots of things if you enjoy
bit more and enrolled in night classes to learn make hand-crafted sugar flowers and models. them – that’s where I’m really lucky. As far
about everything from béchamel to pastry, The team produce work of an exceptionally as exercise goes, it’s very sporadic, but I feel
and from spices to puddings. high standard in every way – and everything better when I do something regularly. After
is baked and decorated on the premises in almost a year of being hopelessly lazy, I did
At what point did it turn from hobby to Chelsea, unlike many cake decorators who start swimming two or three times a week last
profession? buy in ready-made cake. I’m just as proud November, and – so far – I’m keeping it up.
I began to make the celebratory cakes for my of my mixes – they are the best possible
family when I was in my teens. As I’d acted quality, contain no artificial colours, flavours You’ve been in the public eye for many
from the age of five, I suspect my show-biz and so on (including none of the dreaded years now. What’s the most shocking
instincts influenced the designs, and my hydrogenated fats) and produce cakes that rumour you’ve heard about yourself?
cakes became more unusual, irreverent and are absolutely as good as ones made from Having read what I’ve said about food,
– hopefully – witty. I taught myself how to scratch. They’ve given many, many people I’m sure you’ll understand that it was a bit
make sugar models and so on, which in those the confidence to bake for the first time, and shocking (in an amusing sort of way) to read
days involved getting liquid glucose from introduce them to the great pleasure of being that I was a well-known anorexic . . . chalk
my local chemist and mixing roll-out icing. able to put a home-made cake on the table: a and cheese comes to mind!
By the time I had my own children, I was very satisfying and primitive urge!
making really quite ornate and “different” You make bespoke cakes – what’s the
cakes, and a friend suggested I collected What are your food guilty pleasures? strangest request you’ve ever had?
some of my designs into a book. I didn’t Not sure if liquid counts, but wine is So many weird ones over the years, from
take it very seriously, but, as I was pregnant certainly my biggest vice, and the pathetically strange, oozing pustules, for doctors, to an
with my second child, thought it might be depressing rules about what women almost life-size nude ‘marble’ statue for a
fun to do while I was unable to work. It took “should” limit themselves to are, I’m afraid, woman’s 40th birthday . . .
seven approaches before a publisher would consistently broken by me . . . Food-wise,
consider it – in those days actresses weren’t I find it hard to see much as a “vice” but What’s next for Jane Asher – have you got
supposed to write books. spooning condensed milk in large quantities any exciting plans you can share with us for
straight out of the tin on occasion probably the future?
What are you – a savoury or sweet comes nearest, or clotted cream with brown I’m just finishing off a longish stint (10
tooth? sugar all on its own . . . episodes) as Lady Byrne, my semi-regular
If I had to choose, it’s definitely savoury, character in Holby City, which I always enjoy
but I’d be sad to abandon the occasional You must have to test a lot of products – how very much. Then I have a very interesting
piece of cake or sticky toffee pudding. I’m a do you stay in such good shape? project for BBC Music and Arts, which I
great believer in eating well, rather than the I do love eating – and testing – but I’ve daren’t tell you about just yet . . . And then
obsession with “healthy” eating – life’s too always been skinny. I guess I eat pretty a new sitcom for the BBC later this year. My
short to abandon treats, and, as long as that’s much what I want, but probably not in huge latest book Beautiful Baking is coming out in
what they are, rather than every day meals, amounts, although I genuinely don’t think paperback this spring, and I’m very pleased
then one can enjoy a happily varied and about it. There’s a theory now that thin with the way that’s turned out. So life is busy
indulgent diet. people are always fractionally moving inside and good . . .
146 fresh www.fresh-magazine.co.uk