Winning Britain’s Best Cake could be the icing on your cake this year as this brand-new competition from British Baker aims to find the best sweet treats bakers have to offer.
The brand-new event – sponsored by Dawn Foods, Kluman & Balter, and Sonneveld – is set to take place on Monday 29 April at the UK Food & Drink Shows held in the NEC Birmingham.
Here, industry experts including an Asda buyer, product developer for Booths, and head of bakery for Cardiff Metropolitan University will examine and taste cakes entered in six categories to find the winning ones in each class: Classic Cake, Free-from Cake, Fruit Cake, Individual Cake, Occasion Cake, and Traybake. The category champions will then battle it out to be crowned Britain’s Best Cake.
Entries are currently open up until the deadline of Monday 18 March – enter your sweet treats and find out more about the categories via our dedicated website BritainsBestCake.co.uk.
Here are the cake connoisseurs ready to have their cake and eat it for the 2024 competition:
Amy North, editor, British Baker
With more than a decade of experience as a journalist, including seven years at British Baker, Amy is responsible for leading and developing all aspects of its editorial coverage, from breaking news and in-depth features covering businesses of all sizes across the industry.
Chris Atkinson, buying manager ISB, Asda
Chris is in his 18th year with Asda having started his career at the supermarket in store managerial roles before progressing to head office as an operation manager. He moved into buying six years ago, and has been an integral part of Asda’s recent in-store bakery refresh and quality investment.
Chris Parrington, NPD & technical manager, Kluman & Balter
Chris’ 40-year career in bakery has been varied. He started with Hughes Family Bakers and went on to spend time in a technical role at Rank Hovis, as a pastry chef for P&O Cruises, and as a bakery manager for Exquisite Handmade Cakes in Leeds before joining the A1 Cake Mixes team for Kluman & Balter in 2012.
Elaine Hamey, owner, Elaine’s Creative Cakes
A former Tameside College confectionery lecturer, Elaine now puts her skills to use at her shop Elaine’s Creative Cakes in Urmston, Manchester. From here, she creates everything from multi-tiered bespoke wedding cakes to children’s birthday cakes, as well as cupcakes and scones for local coffee shops.
Garry Russell, sales director UK & Ireland, Dawn Foods
Garry began his bakery career as an apprentice more than 30 years ago from where he progressed into bakery production and NPD. He joined Dawn Foods in 2000 and is now responsible for the distribution-served commercial team in the UK and Ireland.
Johanna Moloney, owner, Caketastic Creations
Johanna founded celebration cake firm Caketastic Creations in 2010 after being made redundant from a long career as a manufacturing chemist. She progressed to offering cupcake classes for children, with a travelling pop-up tearoom added before taking on a commercial premises in 2019. In 2022, she won Celebration Cake Business of the Year at the Baking Industry Awards.
Lee Pugh, Head of Bakery at Zero2Five Food Industry Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University
During his 40-year career, Lee has held various roles in craft and industrial bakeries to international ingredient sales. He supports the industry in Wales with training programmes, product development, and sourcing ingredients and equipment. He also encourages student interest in careers through specialist projects and engagement with industrial partners.
Lee Smith, owner, Poppyseed Bakery
Lee is well known to British Baker having won Britain’s Best Loaf four times and Speciality Bread of the Year at the 2020 Baking Industry Awards. Former Dorchester Hotel head baker, he opened his own business in 2003 and has expanded it to operate five shops as well as a large wholesale round.
Martin Wolstenholme, product developer, Booths
Being a real foodie supports Martin in his role of developing delicious products across multiple categories, including bakery and food to go, for Booths. He is also heavily involved in the creation of cakes and bakes for the northern retailer’s cafes, which he says is one of the highlights of his job.
Michelle Phillips, founder, Mimi’s Bakehouse
Michelle (aka Mimi) started baking as a child in the 1970s, working in hospitality from the age of 16. Following time spent at small hotels and cafes in 2010, she sold her family home to open Mimi’s, which now has seven sites across Edinburgh. She is also vice president of trade body Scottish Bakers.
Patrick Wilkins, national president, Crafts Bakers Association
Patrick’s 32-year career in the Police was followed by senior positions in the charity sector, including trustee of the Bakers Benevolent Society. His involvement in the baking industry is extensive having been a member of the Worshipful Company of Bakers for 30 years, and now national president of the Craft Bakers Association.
Richard Herbert, cake technical manager, Sonneveld
Starting his career aged 14 in his uncle’s bakery in Barnsley, Richard then went on to study bakery & confectionery at Sheffield Castle College. His 35-year career includes time spent at an artisan bakery in Germany and the UK supermarket in-store bakery arena before joining Sonneveld.
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