Q&A with Adele

Since we opened in 2020, every brownie made and enjoyed by our customers has been handmade by Adele.

She’s the calm in our chaos, the steady hand behind every swirl of meringue, and the reason our Signature Brownie is now officially award-winning.

We sat down with her to talk about inspiration, the art of perfecting a brownie wobble… and what it felt like to bring home a Great British Food Award.

Part 1: The Beginning

Q: How did your love of baking start?

Adele: I’ve spent most of my professional life in kitchens, and I fell for the dessert section straight away. I ran my own cake and dessert business for a couple of years before joining Browns, which finally let me focus entirely on pastry and I’ve never looked back.

I love doing something I’m truly good at. There’s nothing like zoning into a process, seeing a result you’re proud of, and constantly pushing yourself to do it even better.

My inspiration comes from other chefs, social media, and, most of all, our customers. When someone tells me about a food memory and I can recreate it for them. That nostalgia - that’s magic.

Q: What are your favourite things to make?

Adele: I love the challenge of classic French pastry, when you’re making things like choux pastry and macarons there is just nowhere to hide. My favourite dessert flavours are vanilla (the good stuff), chocolate, and hazelnut. If I had to choose a “dessert island” dish, it’d be banoffee pie or a gooey-centred chocolate fondant.

Q: What’s special about this brownie recipe?

Adele: It’s completely my own recipe, one that’s been refined over about eight years. There were plenty of trial runs early on, but it’s stayed consistent for a long time now. It’s also naturally gluten-free, which makes it accessible to more people without compromising flavour or texture.

Part 2: The Craft

Q: What makes your brownie different?

Adele: The ingredients; always top quality, especially the Belgian chocolate. We make in small batches with a lot of care. The secret is balance: bake time, cooling time, and knowing exactly when to cut it for that perfect slice.

Q: How do you know when a batch is perfect?

Adele: When it has that shiny, paper-thin crust, a slight wobble in the middle, and those first little cracks on top. Patience is key though, you have to let it cool properly before slicing.

Q: What’s the hardest part?

Adele: Controlling the bake. Respecting the process. It’s about understanding your ingredients and never rushing them.

Part 3: The Award

Q: How did it feel to win a Great British Food Award?

Adele: It was such a nice moment, a bit of validation after years of work. Relief, pride, and a huge sense of gratitude.

Q: What does the recognition mean to you and the team?

Adele: It’s personal pride for me, but really it’s a win for the whole team. Everyone at Browns plays a part in creating something worth being proud of. It’s also motivation to keep raising the bar.

Q: The judges called it “so deliciously satisfying and clearly made with love.” How does that feel?

Adele: That means everything. To know that people can actually taste the love and effort, that’s what it’s all about. It’s handmade, not mass-produced, just good ingredients and time. Recognition from such respected judges makes it even sweeter.

Q: What’s next for The Signature Brownie?

Adele: Let’s just say people outside of Tickhill might soon get to taste it too. We are just finalising the details, but the postman might be our new best friend.