Millions of fans will tune in to see the crowning of the UK’s best amateur baker in the hotly anticipate finale of the Great British Bake Off next week.
And the excitement of the famous Bake Off tent was replicated in Moray yesterday, as a group of youngsters competed in a junior version of the contest which produced some stunning cakes that would not look out of place on the show.
Rothes Primary School pupil, Bria Kelly, triumphed over 12 others during a tense “showstopper” final at Elgin’s Oakwood Cookery School.
The 10-year-old baked a spooky Halloween-themed cake with orange sponge and green icing to secure the trophy.
Bria’s proud dad, Cameron Kelly, explained that she had only recently developed a passion for cooking after becoming a fan of the Channel 4 TV show.
He said: “The combination of the TV programme and her mum being a keen baker is what really sparked Bria’s interest.
“The monster cake she made was really colourful, but the judges were more interested in the quality of the bake and that is what won her it.
“A fair bit of it was consumed, but we did manage to get a wee bit of it home to have to ourselves.
“It was an unbelievably proud moment when she was announced as the winner.”
Mr Kelly joked that he was eager to encourage his daughter’s hobby as he enjoyed tasting the end product.
Bria – who came up with the idea for the event – is also a keen fiddler, and her cooking success has given her a morale boost ahead of an upcoming exam testing her skill on the instrument.
The competition was organised by the Moray School Bank charity as a way to raise funds towards providing needy youngsters with school uniforms and warm winter attire.
The Junior Bake Off began with its initial heats last week.
During the opening rounds, children were tasked with baking cookies and cakes.
Moray’s Developing the Young Workforce group backed the contest and helped provide prizes.
