sevens. It is the London season and the Braybrooke's and every family like theirs are making

their way from the country to London. The Braybrooke's London townhouse is in

Upper Brook Street, Mayfair and we are packing up the

kitchen. Oh it has its own kitchen of course but

I like to take some things with me and make sure the rest is secure. It's a

good opportunity to check everything and make sure it's

clean for our return.

I always keep a note of recipes in my own notebook.

Lord Braybrooke is partial to a good English pudding

and the likes of Francetelli or Soyer or Gouffe

are very good for French dishes but I often find myself

turning to Eliza Acton for Lord Braybrooke's favourites.

A good cook should always keep a notebook.

I started this when i was in Langley Hall

in Norfolk.

I'm always telling the maids that to work well in a kitchen you need to have

good instincts, good ingredients, good recipes and the

right equipment. Here in the kitchens at Audley End House

we have a lot of copper and it all has different uses. Take these

moulds for example. Here we have a mold that's ideal for

steaming puddings - both sweet and savoury. This one here is

for this one here is a savoy cake it has a distinct pattern and a flat top.

This one here is an ice bomb for making ice cream. The copper

should be bright and shiny. Pride in one's appearance

is vital both personally and professionally.

And I like to encourage the girls to make sure the copper is clean

and to take pride in it. An important part of the girls cleaning the copper

is to make sure that the inside is still tinned.

Copper can be dangerous and acidic foods cooked in it can turn green and

make you ill or even die. But not all of the copper

is tinned, this one here is untinned because it's a sugar pan.

You need to get the sugar really really hot and that would melt

the lining I've always used for cleaning copper

soft soap and salt rubbed on with a lemon

I make the girls clean in the same way even though

today you can buy copper cleaning product.

I'm not so sure it's as good

It's very important to wash off all the grease from the mould

and then dry it then cover it with the cleaner making sure you get into all the

nooks and crannies. And wipe it and then polish it with a

soft cloth.

Pudding cloths must be soaked rinsed and scolded and then dried completely.

No soap or soda should be used otherwise that will taint them.

Pans with residue may be soaked several times if needed

and a little soda added as necessary.

Frying pans can be scrubbed with stale bread

to remove any dirt but all must be washed with very hot water

and dried immediately.

For ceramics hot water is needed to remove fat

along with some soft soap.

We're not responsible for looking after the china or the glassware,

that's the stillroom maid under the supervision of Mrs

Warwick the housekeeper. Nor the silverware

that's Mr Lincoln the Butler. But I do insist that everything in the kitchen

is cleaned well immediately and then dried by the fire

and put away neatly.

I hope you've learned a little of something today.

But I really must get on. I've got packing to do

and a train to catch.