Woking Food and Drink Festival has teamed up with one of the festival’s partners, Woking Shopping, to find Woking’s best baker. And, this year there is an added ingredient – we’ll also be searching for Woking’s Best Junior Baker too!
The free-to-enter Bake Off competition, which will take place on Sunday 6 September at the festival, will feature two categories - Woking’s Best Adult Baker and Woking’s Best Junior Baker.
Hosted at ChristChurch in Jubilee Square, this year’s entries will be judged by none other than John Whaite, the Great British Bake Off winner 2012, food writer and guest chef on ITV’s Lorraine show.
John will be picking two winners who have created the best sponge cake based on appearance, consistency and originality.
John who made his name on BBC's Great British Bake Off series 3, judged by Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, outlined his best recipe for Woking's Bake Off, John said: "I'm going to be looking for nice, attractive stuff, but ultimately it will come down to how it tastes, as well as the texture.
"Being quite a greedy lad, it's all about the flavour and texture for me, although ideally entrants will have a bit of both."
The names of the two winners will be announced by John on Sunday 6 September at 4.45pm in the Tante Marie Culinary Academy Theatre. So, if you enter, make sure you grab a seat in the theatre to find out if you have won!
Winners' prizes
There are fantastic prizes up for grabs too, the winner of the Junior Bake Off will win a voucher to attend a Kids' Cookery Course at Tante Marie Culinary Academy and a signed copy of 'John Whaite Bakes at Home'.
The winner of the Senior Bake Off will receive a voucher for a one-day Lifestyle Course of their choice, at Tante Marie Culinary Academy and a signed copy of 'John Whaite Bakes at Home'.
With a wide range of inspirational courses covering topics such as 'Continental Yeast', 'Indian Cookery', 'Mastering Macarons' and even ‘Men Only!’ for the gent who needs a little helping hand, there is something to satisfy every taste!
See the Lifestyle Courses on offer to find out what courses you could choose from, get inspired and get baking for your chance to win!
Competition entry requirements
Before you register to enter, please take the time to read the competition entry requirements below.
- To enter the free competition, entrants must bake and decorate a round sponge cake no smaller than eight inches and no greater than 14 inches in diameter. Cakes can be multi-tiered with a maximum of three sponge tiers.
- All cake entries must be accompanied by a list of ingredients and baking recipe.
- The cake will be judged on its overall appearance and most suitable texture for the recipe presented.
- One entry per person. Multiple entries per person will result in disqualification.
- All entries must be left between 12.45pm and 2pm on Sunday 6 September 2015 at ChristChurch in Jubilee Square, Woking Town Centre. No entries will be accepted after this time.
- Entrants must be UK residents.
- Parents or guardians of entrants for the Junior Bake Off competition category (aged between 8 and 15 years old - born after 06/09/1999) must register on behalf of the entrant online or in person on Sunday 6 September at ChristChurch. At the time of registration, the parent or guardian must confirm their relationship to the junior entrant and their permission for the junior entrant to take part in the competition.
- Entrants aged 16 or over will be registered and entered into the Adult Bake Off competition category on Sunday 6 September 2015.
- The winner of the Junior Bake Off will win a voucher to attend a Kids' Cookery Course at Tante Marie Culinary Academy.
- The winner of the Adult Bake Off will receive a voucher for a one-day Lifestyle Course of their choice at Tante Marie Culinary Academy.
- The winners' names will be announced and prizes presented by John Whaite on Sunday 6 September at 4.45pm in the Tante Marie Culinary Academy Theatre.
- Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of the full terms and conditions. Please read the competition’s full terms and conditions. Junior Bake Off terms and conditions here. Adult Bake Off terms and conditions here.
Good luck!
How to enter on the day
To enter, bakers are required to drop off their cakes at ChristChurch, in Jubilee Square, between 12.45pm and 2pm ready to be judged on Sunday 6 September.
The two categories include a junior bake off competition for those who’re under 16 years old and the adult bake off for those 16 and over.
Last year's winner
Rachel Wynn was crowned Woking's Best Baker at the 2014 festival, judged by Francis Quinn, the Great British Bake Off Winner 2013.
Rachel's lemon and marzipan sponge hit the right spot with Francis who stated that the cake was 'nice and light in texture'.