The River Cafe’s Anna Higham Is Having A Nutmeg Moment
My Nickname
One of my big sisters always calls me Spammy much as I try to discourage her... Nothing to do with the tinned meat, it just evolved over the years—Spanna to Spam to Spammy
My Home Base
I live and work in London but I'm a proud west coast Scot!
My Biz
I'm the Executive Pastry Chef at The River Cafe
Cafe classic cookbook
what I’m known for
Ingredient led, highly seasonal desserts, bread, and pastries. I spend A LOT of my time picking fruit and going to farms.
Anna’s Baked Cream with Mulberry Granita and Lemon Thyme
How I’m Doing
I'm just okay at the moment. The U.K. just went into another lockdown, which is anxiety-inducing. I'm very fortunate to be working for such a supportive company and to know we can keep our online shop going even if the restaurant has to shut.
Tricolored tote from The River Cafe shop
How the Bombesquad can help
I have just started writing a book on how to cook seasonal desserts. Any advice on how to manage book writing and full-time kitchen work would be great!
Yeast Ice Cream with Cedro Lemon and Puff Pastry. Photo by Anton Rodriguez
My Motto
More butter, more fruit
Secret Skill
Spotting fig trees everywhere I go
Most loved cookbook
The Last Course by Claudia Fleming and La Grotta by Kitty Tavers
Favorite thing in my pantry
Some nutmeg from Grenada that I got via a chocolate supplier. It smells absolutely phenomenal and is going into all my baking at the moment.
Not from Grenada, but from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu!
essential kitchen tool
I have a copper-handled balloon whisk that I absolutely love. It's a really beautiful object as well as the perfect whisk—I just wish I remembered where it came from!
What a whisk!
Squad Shoutout
Terri Mercieca at Happy Endings ice cream. She gave me a job over the summer before I started at The River Cafe and it was a total dream. She’s the most encouraging, knowledgable, and technically brilliant pastry friend!