Hi – I am Dr Sue Bailey
I am a food expert with an aim to educate, inspire, enthuse and support foodies in the Cambridge area and beyond. Food has been my lifelong passion both professionally and creatively so Cambridgefoodies was born.
I also have a guilty food secret – I like to perform as the first TV celebrity chef Fanny Cradock. A mini video of this is seen here and the story of my recreation of her is in Waitrose Weekend July 2018.
My goal is to make use of my skills as a food communicator and consultant.
Why am I a foodie?
As an experienced food science lecturer working for over 20 years in research and education, I was until recently course director for a very successful MSc in Food Science at London Metropolitan University. I am currently associate senior lecturer teaching food product development at Masters level with student prize-winning eco-food designs.
Communicating about food in all its aspects is my passion and I was delighted to appear as a culinary history consultant on television for Great British Bake Off.
As a food science expert, I appear on Food Unwrapped for Channel 4 and am skilled at simplifying complex scientific concepts. I recently appeared Channel 5 –The Shocking Truth About Food -a consumer show uncovering shadier aspects of the food processing industry. Last year I appeared on BBC1 Rip Off Britain: Food looking at sugar-free fizzy drinks and on ITV Save Money – Good Health evaluating herbal teas. Please see my media page for further details.
As a food commentator and presenter, I contribute regularly on the radio. Nationally on BBC Radio 4 on World tonight about Brexit and World War Two
food culture and BBC Radio 4 Broadcasting House on food science. I am a local presenter and expert on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and Cambridge 105 Radio Flavour programmes. I have appeared and demonstrated as the first female celebrity cook, Fanny Cradock at Food Festivals such as Ely Food and Drink Festival and Eat Cambridge
Dr Sue performing as the Fabulous Fanny Cradock
I am a local food judge, an after-dinner speaker for international meetings and expert industry panel member for exhibitions and conferences.
Food, Fanny and feminism
I research and speak about the history of food science, food technology and feminism. As a supporter of Women of Food, I appeared at the Taste of London salon. My passion is to collect food history books and domestic economy manuals.
For fabulous fun, I perform as one of my heroines – Fanny Cradock – the first female television celebrity cook. Fanny enlivened the drab post-war food of the 1950s and 1960’s with her colourful creations. Above all, she was a great supporter of making cooking fun for children.
Fanny’s summer party event sold out in May 2018 for Eat Cambridge and a short snippet appears on the media page.
Fanny appeared at the Castle Hill Open Day event. This was at the Museum of Cambridge where children and adults explored the history of jelly. They found out how combining food and science led to loads of wobbly, fruit-flavoured fun. Fanny was a “highlight of the event”. Over 100 adults and children were introduced to the Museum of Cambridge’s domestic kitchenware collection. Fanny has been invited to perform at the award-winning Ginger and Spice festival in North Shropshire in September 2019.
Fanny has also just graced this May Bank Holiday 2019 by being on the stage of the Ely Eel Festival Weekend
as the Flamboyantly Fabulous Fanny Cradock (AKA Dr Sue ) demonstrating how to make an eel-shaped sponge cake, darlings, with an adoring audience.
A bit about me as a food expert
My Bristol degree specialised in nutrition and food science. Then I taught in Saffron Walden in Essex. Subsequently, London then lured me to teach food science and technology in sixth form colleges. I also started food writing and studied part-time for an MSc in Public Health Education at Kings College, London. In the vacation, I worked as a troubleshooting cook and caterer. I researched and wrote articles on health and food. Developing these skills led me to work as a food and communications lecturer. My specialism was food science and food product development and I taught food styling, consumer and broadcast food journalism. Finally, academic course development in food and consumer sciences, health promotion and food science, plus European work followed.
Why Cambridgefoodies?
Cambridge has always been my home as I went to school here.
University lecturing in London, working full time plus a part-time PhD kept me busy. However, many weekends with our two delightful daughters were spent back in Cambridge.
Cooking squirrels
Fen skies, family, sheep and friends ensured that one day I would permanently return. Now we have moved back to Cambridge sans children and as replacement entertainment, we have kept pigs, cooked squirrels, grow grapes, share an allotment and have just embarked upon the challenges of owning two beehives.
My foodie passions are indulged by researching local food culture and aiming to cook, eat out and drink as frequently as my wallet allows and I am having so much fun!
