CocktailCouture Events: Oxford Bake-Off

26 March 2012

Oxford Bake-Off

Unfortunately I was unable to blog about this fun event before attending as it has been so hectic, but this past Saturday saw us head up the M25, to Oxford for a day filled with an abundance of sweet treats at the Oxford Bake Off!! This was a fun event centred around the Great British Bake Off concept, for budding amateur bakers in Oxfordshire. The event was put together by Kate Kellaway-Moore, a passionate baker herself, to raise funds for charities: Oxfam, Coppa Feel, Oxford Rape Crisis and Cecily’s fund. Alongside the Bake Off competition, the event also ran workshops, hosted a variety of stalls (where we displayed some of our treats), a silent auction, raffles with some FAB prizes and the Oxfordshire Bake Off Book, to which we contributed our Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake recipe. PLEASE buy one...the money is going to a good cause!!!

After it took an hour just to get out of London, some A40 traffic we finally made it to Oxford! Navigating the one-way systems in Oxford was "interesting", but thanks to a lovely passerby who swiped a bollard down for us we reached the town hall quicker than we would have with our Nav!! With some off loading, parking hunting, a short trek back to the town hall, we setup (slightly late...urrgh!!) but we got there in the end.

Even with the amazingly warm weather outside, the bake off had quite a good turnout with a buzz of cake talk. We were situated right in front of the Tea-shop, so we heard it all! The teas were served in some lovely vintage china, with tea provided by Jeeves and Jericho. I am not a tea drinker, but my sister is and she enjoyed her tea! There was a mix of stalls, ranging from baked goodies, beautifully handcrafted porcelain cakes stands, knitted cosies, greeting cards, gifts and accessories. We received positive feedback and thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall to chat or purchase treats! We really appreciated the warm welcome! After a long day it was time to pack up and head back to London via the Chocolate Festival, Oxford was abuzz with events on Saturday! With some cakes left over, we decided to sell them after church on Sunday and through generous donations, we raised £30, all going to the Bake Off Charities!! You can read more on the event here: Oxford Mail.

Well done to all those who entered the Bake Off competition and to those who won. It must have been really tough for the judges, as the standard was high! Keep checking the Oxford Bake Off site, as there will be another one next year!

The Venue...Oxford Town Hall