Tomorrow marks the beginning of December and thus Christmas. And so in the lead-up to this most festive of events, we are celebrating our very own Twelve Days of Christmas Fare, taking the very best of London's larder as our inspiration.  So return daily to see what each day brings and tell us how you will be eating and drinking this silly season. 

Fiendish & Goode is the purveyor of British delectable dainties. Co-founder and baker Frankie talks about the art of the miniature, great British bakes, and where to find the best croissant in London.

“A little naughty, a little quirky but at the same time, simple and classic” is how Frankie of duo Fiendish & Goode describes delectable dainties. The award-winning label she and her partner Chux started three years ago. (Frankie is the baker and Chux is the "chief taster" and responsible for sales and administration.)

Each dainty is eaten as a petit four, with each one offering the perfect indulgence closer to the world of tasting menus and high class chocolatiers than voluminous cupcakes. The experience as the name Fiendish and Goode suggests is deliciously good.

Frankie confesses that she has always been obsessed by the miniature. As she explains, “we created the ‘dainty’ because we wanted to tailor our cakes to the individual, highlighting a uniquely English experience and rendering it more personalised and luxurious - a modern English petit four”.

On the appeal of British Baking, Frankie shares, “classic Victoria sponges, scones, proper bread - it’s simple but that’s what makes it so great. It’s not fussy nor intricate.” In the same way that coffee and chocolate have been revolutionised by London roasters and chocolatiers, Fiendish & Goode saw a similar opportunity to overhaul the traditional British cake and offer an alternative to its American cousin, the cupcake.

It's not often that I get to take a walk on the wild side but last week I did when I interviewed Philip Wilton of Wildes Cheese. Charming, irreverent and just plain funny, Philip is London's self-styled urban cheese maker. Watch this space for our My London interview with this Tottenham food producer. 

One of the life’s necessities is finding a good local butcher: a true traditionalist, a neighbour, offering quality meats, personalised service with minimum fuss. Highgate Butchers is one such butcher. In this small store on the high street, you will find one of Britain’s finest. Run by mother and son team, Phyllis and Lee Harper (pictured), this small butcher offers excellent produce, including aged beef, Welsh lamb, free-range chickens, home-cooked ham and homemade sausages. Meats can be ordered and sourced, perfect for Christmas. Cooking tips are a plenty and Lee will even remember your last order and inquire how it went.  On a weekend, come early as it gets busy. You would expect nothing more from a butcher that has more than earnt such a strong local reputation.

Address: 76 Highgate High Street, N6 5HX Tel. 020 8340 9817
Opening hours: Tues - Frid 07.30 - 17.30; Sat. 07.30 - 15.00
Home delivery: Yes but only local (ring for details)

We are very excited about this next installment of the London Larder. In the lead up to Christmas, we will be profiling London's butchers. Join as we explore the nose to tail of The Butchery at Spa Terminus to our favourite local butcher, Highgate Butchers. 

The Butchery, Arch 13, Spa Terminus, Dockley Rd, SE16 3SF
William Rose Butchers, 126 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HD
Picco Salumi, 25a Cobble Lane, N1 1SF
Parson's Nose, 753 Fulham Road, SW6 5UU
Ginger Pig, 8-10 Moxon Street, London W1U 4EW
Cannon & Cannon, 18 Market Row, SW9 8LD
Highgate Butcher, 76 Highgate High Street, N6 5HX
Lidgate's Butcher, 110 Holland Park Avenue London W11 4UA
Hampstead Butchers, 78 Hampstead High Street, NW3 1RE
The Hampstead Butcher & Providore, 56 Rosslyn Hill, NW3 1ND
Jacob's Ladder, 104 Druid Street, SE1 2HQ
Barbecoa, 20 New Change Passage, London, EC4M 9AG