09 Jun 2023
Stacey Turner, founder of mental health care and wellbeing charity It’s OK To Say, talks to the award-winning thoughtful baker and mental health advocate Liz Burnett of Bu Bakes, who says she has the secret to happiness! And then meets up with Theo Michaels and Tom Rhodes, two of the many chefs appearing at this year’s St Albans Foodies Festival.
While at St Albans Foodies Festival throughout the three days, I met Liz Burnett, a cake maker dedicated to changing the face of mental health with every bake.
Not only is Liz bold about her own mental health story, she is dedicated to easing the journey for others. Liz has a blog, which Stephen Fry described as “a fine articulation of what it’s like to live with anxiety, written for sufferers and non sufferers”
As I sat in the audience of the cookery theatre listening to Liz while she baked brownies, I found myself nodding away as she shared her secret to happiness.
“While studying for my psychology degree, I learnt the model PERMA. The ‘E’ in PERMA stands for engagement which means to spend time doing something that puts you in a flow state.
A creative activity you lose yourself in. Time can while away and at the end, your reward is that you’ve created something and it’s been satisfying. This is where baking becomes therapy and creates happiness.”
Liz and I sat down for a chat following her last segment on Sunday. She is very down to earth, a self confessed babbler and rather obviously, shares the same passion for mental health and wellbeing. We talked about how stigma still hovers over mental health and Liz shared her story which led her to baking, to include darkness, her doctor, medication, her anxiety and her own therapy. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so I have included a link to Bu Bakes where you can navigate your way to her famous blog. You can click your way through and read Liz’s words with her most recent, Am I “too much’? Oh, and while you are there, check out her awesome cakes!
This lady loves travelling and baking nationwide with the Foodies Festival and I believe, has a very exciting future ahead with hopes of a book and more. I know I am going to see Liz on our screens, I’ll be sitting there one evening and there she’ll be, most likely on the British Bake Off as she uses her anxiety as her superpower and I can’t wait!
And just so you know…
Developed by respected positive psychologist, Martin Seligman, the model PERMA is a scientific theory of happiness and wellbeing. It is made up of five essential elements that should be in place and considered crucial for long lasting wellbeing. The model helps us think about what we need to do to flourish and be happy as a result.
“Positive psychology takes you through the countryside of pleasure and gratification, up into the high country of strength and virtue, and finally to the peaks of lasting fulfillment, meaning and purpose.” Seligman, 2002
“He’s just so handsome in person, no wonder he ended up on the telly!”
Little did the lady near me know that I overheard the words as she spoke to her friend as celebrity chef, Theo Michaels took to the stage in the chefs theatre to cook seabass, hosted by Tom Rhodes, Masterchef Champion 2021. I can’t be 100% sure who she was talking about, but I mean, who can blame her, both have donned the famous Masterchef apron and wowed audiences with their cooking skills and charm!
Based in Harpenden and often seen in St Albans, Theo is resident chef on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch, a Kenwood Ambassador and frequently in the press and media and at food festivals. Our paths crossed years ago at an event in London, we are both authors, although Theo has way more books, you must see his website!
Theo is as lovely in person as he is on stage. His creative passion for food is every bit there with a zest for life. I really like how Theo engages the audience when things don’t go to plan when live.
He captivates the audience with ease and brings joy, emphasising blips happen and you can only share it and work around it with gusto.
Theo said: “What a great event! This years Foodies Festival in St Albans totally nailed it! Incredible music, delicious artisan food trucks, lots to see and do for the whole family and especially those that enjoy food as much as me! Had a fab time cooking seabass wrapped in vine leaves on stage to a wonderful audience, joined by Tom Rhodes who kept the lyrical wheels spinning while I kept
the food coming!” Head to @theocooks on Instagram for the recipe.
As we chatted just outside the chefs theatre, it is easy to see why audiences adore Tom Rhodes.
He is down to earth, friendly, smart, kind and bubbly. He dazzles and that reflects through his own cooking segment in the live theatre before becoming host!
He said: “Being part of the Foodies Festival is wonderful. I get to meet people from all over and do my two favourite things, cook and babble. I love a good babble! I wish the festival would come to Newcastle.”
It is easy to understand why people were so captivated with Theo and Tom! Perhaps, there’s a special Masterchef magic!
What a very special three days! I was able to give away four tickets to a local family, promote community inclusiveness, talk about mental health and simply relish in seeing everyone so happy. I think we can all agree that the Foodies Festival has been a huge success with Oaklands College offering the perfect location.
