PRIZES
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HOME BAKER OF THE YEAR 2009
ANNOUNCED
1st Prize
Lancashire Belles, by Helen Roscoe
2nd Prize
Ultimate Carrot Cake with Mascarpone and Caramelised Carrots, by Jodie Arksey
Runners-Up
Strawberry Silke Cake, by Hester Duffy
Orange Sunburst Cake, by Magda Allani
Orange, Passionfruit and Raspberry Bakewell Tart, by Toni Perry-Thomas
(l-r)
Ultimate Carrot Cake, Lancashire Belles, Orange Sunburst Cake, Orange, Passionfruit and Raspberry Bakewell Tart, Strawberry Silke Cake
HELEN ROSCOE FROM BLACKBURN WINS FINALS OF PRESTIGIOUS JANE ASHER HOME BAKER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION 2009
9 October 2009. Keen home baker Helen Roscoe (49) from Blackburn, Lancashire beat off off competition from four other finalists to win the finals of the prestigious Jane Asher Home Baker of the Year Competition 2009, and take the title home to Blackburn.
Helen won a first prize worth £25,000 at the final bake-off of the competition which took place at the Poggenpohl Showrooms, Deansgate, Manchester on the 8th October 2009, as part of the Manchester Food & Drink Festival. There she battled it out with four other finalists, overseen by a panel of high profile judges, including Jane Asher herself, celebrity chef, Andrew Nutter, and TV personality Lucy Meacock, as she re-created her winning entry ‘Lancashire Belles’ in front of a live audience.
For good luck Helen sported her father's flat cap for the duration of the competition, and, while it obviously had the desired effect, she also felt that it definitely helped her "keep her head" under intense pressure as she prepared her dish!
Helen’s delicious recipe, based on Lancashire Parkin Cake, is a wickedly modern twist on a classic recipe. “I love baking choux pastry, traditional puddings and combining different elements to create an unusual dish” says Helen, and her winning recipe, which did all three, absolutely hit the spot with the judges.
Helen is no stranger to the art of baking, and started working in her early teens in a huge baking factory in Blackburn. Her first job was working on the ‘pie belt’ putting the lids on the pies. She then moved on to the chocolate éclair department, and later still moved to Marks & Spencer where she worked for many years on the food side of the business. Eight years ago Helen moved to Spain to run a 9 bedroom Hostel with her partner Paul, where she developed additional baking and cooking skills by cooking for the hostel clients and people in their own homes. In June 2009 they returned to Blackburn to set up this concept in the UK.
Helen was up against finalists including Toni Perry-Thomas from Walthamstow, London, Hester Duffy from Plymouth, Jodie Arksey from North Yorkshire and Magda Allan from Finsbury Park in London.
Organised by Leigh-based Victoria Foods, The Jane Asher Home Baker of the Year Competition is all about putting the fun back into home baking, and reaping the benefits of creating something delicious for family and friends. Open to anyone over the age of 16, the Competition focuses on finding the most interesting and creative recipes from entries submitted online via www.homebake.co.uk.
“The standard of the recipes entered for this year’s competition was higher than ever, and we picked five really interesting cakes for the bake-off in Manchester", says Jane. “What was also great is that we had entries from so many younger home bakers this year. Helen's winning Lancashire Belles was such a creative pudding that it was a clear winner for us. I wish her all the best in her future baking career!"
First prize is a stunning new kitchen from Poggen pohl worth €25,000. Runner-up prizes included a weekend cookery course for two at Lucy Cooks in the Lake District with an overnight stay at the 4* Lakeside Hotel in Windermere, and Chocolate Wedding and Celebration Cake courses at Manchester’s famed Slattery’s School of Excellence.
Join in the fun
Turn a social get together into something special and hold a Blooming Great Tea Party between June 12 and July 12, 2009.
Every tea party, however big or small, will help Marie Curie Cancer Care nurse someone with terminal cancer, giving them the choice to be cared for at home. Sign up now and receive a fundraising pack bursting with fabulous ideas to help you create your perfect party. Call 08700 340 040 or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/teaparty
“I’m delighted to be taking part in the Blooming Great Tea Party because it’s a great way of bringing people together and helping Marie Curie Nurses to provide more free care to people and families across the UK affected by a terminal illness. Everyone who gets involved in a tea party will make a difference, so I do hope you’ll join me and sign up today.”
Jane Asher
This year's Home Baker of the Year Competition is in proud association with Food Northwest"
Pat Foreman, Chief Executive of Food Northwest and Jane
Also in association with
JANE ASHER HOME BAKER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION