Calling all amateur bakers! Look out your rolling pins and aprons as Taste of Grampian is on a mission to find the best baking talent in the north and north-east.
Launching the inaugural Showstopper Bake Off competition at this year’s festival on Saturday June 4 at P&J Live in Aberdeen, amateur bakers are being invited to enter their cakes to be crowned the Taste of Grampian Bake Off champion.
To nod to the royal celebrations over the festival weekend, the theme of the competition will be the Queen’s Jubilee.
The judges
Taste of Grampian has teamed up with local group, Aberdeen Bake Club, which celebrates its 10th birthday this year, to launch and judge the competition.
Katy Klinck, one of the head chef’s of the group and local cake business owner, Oyin Adekola of O’Caykx in Aberdeen will judge the variety of cakes entered. Julia Bryce, head of food and drink at DC Thomson will also join them.
Who can enter Taste of Grampian’s Showstopper Bake Off?
There are two categories, both with 15 spaces, for amateur bakers to enter. The first is aimed at those aged 16 and under, while the second is for adults and those who are 17 and older.
All cakes are to be made at home in advance of the festival and will need to be dropped off at the very latest on the morning of Taste of Grampian so they are on display in time for the event kicking off at 9am.
The 15 celebration showstopper cakes will be put on display for festivalgoers to view.
They will then be assessed by the panel of judges who will mark the bakes on taste, presentation and flavour. Soggy bottoms are not advised.
Click here to enter
Katy, who hails from the Isle of Lewis, has lived in Aberdeen for 16 years now.
The 33-year-old has been a member of Aberdeen Bake Club since it first started in 2012 and works in mental health services. She is also a lino cut artist and spends a lot of her time baking and making celebration cakes for friends and family.
For the past three years she has been one of the club’s ‘head chef’s’ alongside Corinna Adamson and founding member Colene Woolcott.
She said: “Aberdeen Bake Club are so delighted to be partnering with the Taste of Grampian to bring this Showstopper Bake Off.
“It’s the perfect start to our tenth year celebrations.
“From a judging point of view, I am looking for a beautiful cake but more importantly, for something delicious and something a little bit different!
“The Queen’s Jubilee is the theme and I can’t wait to see how that’s incorporated into a showstopper.”
The TOG Bake-Off is open to amateur bakers only and DC Thomson’s Julia Bryce is urging those who love to bake to enter themselves into the competition.
With just 15 spaces in each category, it is anticipated they will be snapped up quickly.
She said: “Baking is something a lot of people absolutely love to do in their spare time and TV shows like The Great British Bake Off and Is It Cake? have shot home baking into the spotlight.
“The pandemic also motivated lots of us to bake more, too, with cinnamon buns, banana bread and bread itself all proving really popular throughout.
“I can’t wait to see the showstoppers some of the amateur bakers in the area will produce and I’m looking forward to trying them while judging them. All ages are welcome and don’t forget to encourage your baking-loving friends and family to enter.”
The winner of the each category will receive a trophy and a prize.
To enter, all you need to do is complete the form online to register.
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