My culinary journey through London: From lab experiments to the best cookies in town

Hello everyone,

My culinary journey has now reached a whole new level! But before I tell you about all the delicious delights, let me start from the beginning.

This week started very relaxed, as I finally got to know my team in the lab completely. It was really exciting! A few team members are from China, others from Egypt – and yes, there’s even a German among us. More people will join us in the summer, but for now, we already have a lovely, international team. Everyone works on their own project, but we share the lab and support each other, which runs super harmoniously.

At first, I just watched my lab partner to get familiar with the materials and the whole technique. It wasn’t until Wednesday that I got to try my hand at it! We are currently cultivating cells that we will later use for various experiments. We have already done the first experiments with cells that were already cultivated, and it was truly impressive. We looked at the cells under the light microscope – absolutely fascinating! Next week, I will cultivate my own cells, and at the end of the week, there will even be a bacterial test to check if I did everything under sterile conditions. I’m looking forward to it!

After the lab, I explored the city – and yes, London has truly captivated me. Especially shopping is incredibly fun! I love riding the bus through the city and experiencing London from the window. There’s just something special about the energy of this city.

But now to my true passion: culinary delights. The baked goods here are simply incredible! Even in the lab, we now have a small ranking of the best cookies in London and – until yesterday, I thought that Ben's Cookies were the best – but then came Créme. These cookies are simply unbeatable. Exceptionally delicious! I will try a few more and complete my ranking by the end of my stay. Stay tuned to see how the positions develop.

On the weekend, I took a trip to the famous Portobello Road Market – what an experience! Not only were the pretty houses in Notting Hill impressive, but the market was also a highlight. I strolled through the stalls and picked up a few small gifts for my loved ones back in Germany. A lovely walk that just calms the soul.

Today, I continued to Chinatown, and my culinary discovery tour went on. I tried a Korean corn dog – it was super delicious! But the real highlight was the Chinese bun. Guys, this bun was amazing! So fluffy and really juicy inside – I almost regretted not having a second one right away. And of course, I couldn't resist the baked goods. The strawberry cream croissant completely blew me away. So tasty!

In two weeks, I will finally have my first visitor from Germany, and we have already planned a little England tour. I am so excited and can’t wait to discover more of this wonderful country!

I hope you stay tuned and join me on my culinary journey! There’s still so much to discover – and I look forward to sharing it all with you. See you very soon,

Your Steffi!