Level Best in Lockdown: July Round Up I
1st to 8th July 2020
Welcome to our blog for July, with a roundup of some of the moments captured during online and external sessions we provide for our trainees.
It's fair to say that with not much change on the horizon at the beginning of this month, lock-down conditions were beginning to take their toll in some quarters, but we can now happily report that we have already trialed some sessions back at Level Best Art Cafe with limited numbers (lookout for a video in post number IV for a glimpse of what awaits trainees returning to the kitchen) and we will be officially returning to sessions there from the 10th of August!
Sam, Dean & William at the Level Best Art Cafe's Christmas meal
For the time being, we will not be serving our beloved customers.
Although trainees and staff will be visiting Level Best soon, we would appreciate the public helping us to maintain social distancing by staying away.
We are trialing how comfortable we all feel getting back to it and will do our utmost to keep everyone who comes feeling safe and secure.
A notable highlight this month has been the Week of Weddings project where Daconbake & Artco joined forces to create a virtual wedding experience.
Trainees made food, chose music for the DJ, shared family photos of weddings they have attended and wore their finest in the kitchen.
To see previous posts from Level Best in lock-down visit
Level Best in lock-down: April round up
Level Best in lock-down: May Round Up
Level Best in lock-down: June Round Up
Now without further ado, please enjoy looking through our photos and videos from July and remember, each post focusses on a different week of the month and you can get to the next post at the bottom of this one, if you like.
Robert Green: Tom the powered wheelchair Walton on The Naze
Tom & his boss venture to Walton on the Naze by the coast. A nature reserve atop crumbling cliffs
back in early June. In the video Robert refers to the crumbling cliffs of Devon's Jurassic coast.
The animation at the beginning and end of this video was completed by Robert
with help from Level Best staff.
Castle Park to Level Best allotment with Robert Green
butternut squash and chickpea curry by Dean Smith
donated bags of bread flour
from Colchester Food Bank & Julie Clinch
lattes by Tony Hale
Stew by Tony Hale & shepherds pie by Jamie Croft
quorn chicken fajita by Saffron Harper
Quiche by Angus Wilkinson
digital drawings: apple tree & bird feeder Jamie Croft
blue yellow & pink flowers Jamie Croft
man in a green T shirt Jamie Croft
nintendo & piggy bank Jamie Croft
snowman & Sunny day at the beach Jamie Croft
swimming with dolphins Jamie Croft
drawing turtles with Felix Rogers
fish and chips and peas Daniel Lewis
keralan pork & Coconut curry cauliflower pakora sag aloo carrot and coriander salad & a lemon meringue pie
Rebecca Clinch
"A busy time with Rebecca Clinch today. I thought some of you may want to know how we do this session.
- I Skype Rebecca at 10 am and she gives me a list of 6 ingredients.
Today it was pork loin, cauliflower, gram flour, baby spinach, lemons and carrots and potatoes.
- I then ring her at 10.30 and we discuss ideas on what she can make and what mum has in the cupboard.
- At 1.30 our cooking session starts and we cook what is discussed.
- Today we finished just before 5pm". - Sarah Herbert Daconbakers facebook page 02/07/20
sausage plait by Daniel Lewis
drawing of the Level Best Art cafe's allotment by Dean Smith
gothic fairy by Sam Carter & last nights meal Rebecca Clinch
basil parsley & dill from seed Daniel Lewis
lovely colourful garden Subanki Sivarajah
Tomato plants Simon Waller
RDB reviews: South Park S19 & 20 Ryan Balkwill
Ryan continues his discussion of South Park Season 19 from the beginning of this video and how the (surprise) election of Donald Trump caused the makers to drop several planned story lines from
South Park Season 20.
To read Ryan's reviews on his wordpress blog, click the different titles above.
doilley stencil decorated victoria sponge by Tony Hale
& interesting looking cake by Kyriaki Skambalis
pasta bake by Daniel Lewis
& gluten free cheese scones by Tony Hale
digital colouring characters Jessica Allum-Brown
Strawberry Tart recipe Sarah Herbert
Week of weddings project: something old something new something borrowed something blue by Sam Carter
& wedding cake
cheese and ham omelette & salad Jamie Croft
bread and butter pudding Simon Waller & homemade pizza Stephen Davoine
lasagne Angus Wilkinson
marmalade bread and butter pudding Simon Waller
& tagine by Dean Smith
RDB Reviews: Artemis Fowl, Da 5 Bloods,
Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion & South Park S20
Ryan discusses Artemis Fowl, Da 5 Bloods, Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion, South Park S20
To read Ryan's reviews on his wordpress blog, click the different titles above.
Check out what we did in week 2 here
Check us out on Facebook & instagram at
Check us out on YouTube at