A new charity bake sale this weekend is set to sweeten London’s most depressing month. On Sunday January 18, the inaugural Toothsome Bake Sale will take over Godet in Islington, bringing together chefs, creatives and coffee lovers to raise funds for multiple good causes.
The event was conceived by the founders of cult food magazine Toothsome, Ashley Yun and DK Woon, as an antidote to the emotional and financial drag of midwinter. “The beginning of January can be kind of bleak for a lot of people,” Yun tells Broadsheet. “You’re coming off the holiday glow, and as you get deeper into January, winter just gets hard. For us, it felt like an opportunity to get people together and raise money for charities that are really special to us.”
Alongside established names like Diarmuid Goodwin (ex-Sager & Wilde, Trullo), musician and chef Denai Moore and Ed Tejada (Rambutan), the roster includes writers, editors and supper-club cooks such as Jago Rackham of Ecstasy Cookbook, Fatboy Zine’s Chris O’Leary, Maison Kim, Marta Sandini, and the duo behind Nepali supper club Tapari. “We wanted people who aren’t necessarily pastry chefs,” Yun explains. “Everyone brings something different. Some are full-time chefs, some hobbyists, some storytellers – and that range was really important to us.”
Expect meadowsweet karpatka (Polish cream cake) with a sweet sloe preserve from Tejada, leche flan cake from O’Leary, a chana puff from Tapari, and more.
Proceeds will be split between three charities: The Felix Project, which redistributes surplus food to people facing hunger across London; Hospitality Action, which supports hospitality workers through illness, financial hardship and mental health challenges; and Young Minds, the UK’s leading charity for young people’s mental health.
Entry is free, with baked goods available via £5 vouchers, redeemable for one bake each. There’ll be coffee by Assembly, plus a charity raffle featuring prizes from independent food and lifestyle brands – including Trulli olive oil, Sea Sisters tinned fish, Sandridge Barton wine and more.
“It was about doing our part for the community while also creating a really nice event – something that might break people out of the winter blues.”
The Toothsome Bake Sale is at Godet from 10am–2pm on Sunday January 18.
