Buying for Baking: The Quest for Perfect Piping

I finally decided that if I'm going to do this thing properly, then I'll need to have some sort of equipment, so at the weekend, I went to buy supplies and pretty things to decorate my cakes with.
I arrived at the shop and looked around, and was instantly amazed by the wealth of equipment which is available to bakers - I never realised that there was such a large industry surrounding baking! (Which looking back, I suppose was pretty naieve of me, but it took my breath away!)
As I stood looking at all of the glitter and cake stands, coloured icing and cake toppers, it took every ounce of will power that I had not to buy the entire store. I was in absolute heaven, and ended up having to limit myself to piping bags, cake toppers and glitter, but I promise that I'll be back for more!



So I checked it all out and went merrily back home, happy with my purchases only to discover when I get there, that piping bags need Nozzles - who knew?!!
I've committed my first baking faux pas. In an attempt to correct this I went down to the supermarket in the hope of finding the all important nozzles. No luck. I began to despair.
A few days later I called by another supermarket and found what I thought I'd been looking for - A piping bag set, with actual nozzles!!!!! I snapped it up straight away and went on my way back home with the intention of making cupcakes later in the week...
I'd made a second mistake - These nozzles wern't for icing cupcakes, they were too small and were only for thin decorative icing...
Feeling absolutely crushed I made one final attempt to address my nozzle situation and went off to a department store in Clitheroe! It was in this department store that I found what will from henceforth be known as my primary nozzle... A snip at just over £2, it is everything that I'd dreamt it would be, perfect for icing even the daintiest of cupcakes!
So yay - My first baking crisis was narrowly avoided, and I now feel ready to take on the world with my nozzled piping bag in one hand and my spatula in the other!
Happy Baking!

x

If anyone knows of any good baking supply websites that may be of use to me then please feel free to comment me! :)