Restaurant owner and dessert aficionado Stephanie Garbutt shares her Super Seven picks from podcasts and fashion to food and must-see binge-watch TV
With Pancake Day around the corner, who better to ask for their cultural picks of the moment than Figbar owner Stephanie Garbutt.
The Norwich restaurant, which won the best newcomer award in last year’s Norfolk Food and Drink Awards, specialises in all things sweet. Its menu blends sensational tastes with a hint of food science, creating innovative desserts.
Stephanie, who grew up in America and runs Figbar with her English husband Jaime, says: “American and English pancakes are so wildly different. When I first moved to the UK I was so confused about what Pancake Day actually was! In our house, we celebrate Pancake Day with a King Cake as well; a sweet cakey bread dough twisted into a ring – we also fill ours with a cream cheese icing. Keep an eye out, we may have one at Figbar. It’s a New Orleans tradition that my family in the southern USA adopted and I haven’t given up!
“Jaime and our girls actually make pancakes every Sunday and he alternates between teaching them how to do the American fluffy-style and the English crepe-style. Either way, our daughters’ both have my love of maple syrup, and generally end up eating more of that!”
7 things
Where do I love to visit?
I love going on countryside and seaside walks with Jaime and our two daughters Ella and Ariele and our dog Figgy Pudding.
What am I watching?
Jaime and I are currently watching both Master of None and Stranger Things on Netflix. I also love Jane the Virgin – it is my guilty pleasure when Jaime works late at Figbar. It’s wonderfully entertaining and fast-paced so I can relax, but not fall asleep, which is the danger after finally getting my two toddlers to bed!
What I am wearing?
Turbans and knotted headbands. I just love them. My favourite one is a vintage find from West Palm Beach, Florida when I was visiting my uncle. I quite like Etsy for inexpensive vintage accessories and find a good selection there.
What am I listening to?
I love listening to podcasts while I walk into Figbar in the morning and at the moment I really love Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam. Other current favourites: Radio Lab, Stuff You Should Know, and The Sporkful.
What am I eating?
I love crispy kale; we always have kale in the house and grow it in our garden. When we do eat out, our go-to place is Jive Bar & Kitchen on Exchange Street. Jaime and I also love having lunch on Norwich Market. Since opening our market stall Cake by Figbar in June, we have eaten really well just by visiting all the food stalls. There is so much choice, and it’s all so delicious.
What am I reading?
I’ve just started Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I love reading, but find it hard to keep up with the growing collection of books on my bedside table.
What am I singing along to?
It’s a lot of Disney currently. I don’t understand how they do it, Disney just gets children, but I push songs from The Jungle Book to try to instil my love of jazz to my daughters. We also sing a lot of Motown, 1960s classics, and country (I am originally from Tennessee in the USA).
