Finalists have been announced by Premier Foods and Unilever Food Solutions for the McDougalls Young Baking Team of the Year and Big School Bake Off competitions, both of which will reach their climax at the Lead Association for Catering in Education (LACA) Main Event on 6 July.

Premier Foods shortlisted five schools for its McDougalls Young Baking Team contest, while Unilever’s Big School Bake Off competition announced nine finalists.

The Big School Bake Off finalists will have one and a half hours to transform their paper entry into a potential winner during the final at the LACA Main Event.

The Young Baking Team of the Year competition is designed to help school caterers encourage a team of up to three children between the ages of 7 and 11 to develop an interest in food preparation by baking one sweet and one savoury recipe.

The Young Baking Team of the Year winner will receive £1,000-worth of kitchen equipment for their school.

The Big School Bake Off champion will win a £500 Love2Shop voucher, a trophy for them and their school, a Let’s Get Cooking extravaganza for their school and a further £100 Love2Shop voucher, courtesy of competition supporter Hobart UK.

The McDougalls Young Baking Team of the Year shortlist is as follows:

•             Chapter House Preparatory School (York)

•             Cranbrook CEP School (Kent)

•             Mendip Green Primary (North Somerset)

•             Coed Eva Primary (Cwmbran)

•             Perran-Ar-Worthal (Cornwall)

Meanwhile, the 2017 Big School Bake Off finalists are:

•             Tara Reeves, Capel St Mary C of E Primary School (East of England)

•             Kamila Kosla, Stradbroke High School (East of England)

•             Daren Offer, The John Roan School (London and South East)

•             Karen Talbot, Hartburn Primary School (North East)

•             Allyson Norris, King George V College (North West)

•             Clare Harris, St Leonard’s C of E Primary School (Scotland)

•             Karen Cuthbertson, The Mary Erskine School (Scotland)

•             Christine Parr, Warmsworth Primary School (Yorkshire & Humberside)

•             Dawn Twemlow, Intake Primary School (Yorkshire & Humberside)