5 September 2013, Top food writers, one of Europe’s leading pastry chefs, cake designers, expert bakers, cookery school teachers and cake company owners from across the county have thrown their chefs’ hats into the ring to be judges for the forthcoming Oxfordshire Bake Off 2013, a fundraising baking competition to raise dough for Oxfam and Helen & Douglas House.

The judges include:
 
• Jane Hornby, cookery book writer and Good Food magazine columnist
• Lynn Hill, founder of Clandestine Cake Club
• Beverley Glock, food writer and broadcaster
• Rosalind Miller from award-winning Rosalind Miller Cakes
• William Black food writer and co-founder of The Natural Bread Company
• Kate Bitmead from Old Farmhouse Bakery
• Cathy and Stephen Gray, owners of leading cupcake company ‘The Cupcake Baker’
• Alexis Thompson, owner of Dancing Trousers Cookery School
• Samantha Tempest, wedding cake designer of Pretty Cake Company
• Candida Pierce, American baking expert from Oxford Cupcakes and Puffin Bakery
• Nikki Taylor from award-winning gourmet brownie bakery ‘Blue Basil’
• The ‘Gingham Girls’ Women’s’ Institute from Botley who will be judging the Victoria Sponge category

The event, which is in its second year, sees the return of its Patron, Benoit Blin, executive pastry chef at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saison who will be using his many years’ experience to decide which of the budding bakers competing will be crowned the overall winner and will win the £150 cash prize, as well as the coveted "Star Baker" apron.

Kate Kellaway-Moore, a charity worker for Oxfam GB, who is organising the event said:  "We are so lucky in our county to have all these baking experts judging the competition.  We have been amazed by the people who have agreed to be judges for our Bake Off and can’t thank them enough for giving up their precious time.  Their involvement really is the icing on the cake for our fundraising event. However, they certainly won’t be as tough on the contestants as Paul Hollywood is; we want everyone to feel they can enter. The Bake Off is all about raising money for our amazing charities – and of course creating an abundance of extremely delicious cakes, biscuits and bread to eat!"

This year, Carter Jonas, the Summertown based property consultancy, is proudly sponsoring The Oxfordshire Bake-Off.

Mark Charter, head of Carter Jonas’ Oxford office said:  "We are delighted to sponsor and help out at The Bake-Off and for such worthy causes.  We recently held our own mini-Bake-Off in our office to get warmed up for the main event and the bakers had so much fun so we thought it fitting to be involved in this great event.  My team and I are very excited about the collaboration."

Registration is open for the event which takes place on Saturday 5 October at Oxford High School in Summertown to raise funds for Oxfam and Helen & Douglas House.

Entry is £5 for one category or £10 for three categories.  Junior entry is £3. There are 10 categories to enter – ranging from Traybake to a movies-themed tiered cake!  Prizes include top baking equipment, a day of training with the chefs at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir, an afternoon tea party, signed cookery books from the likes of Raymond Blanc and Mich Turner and experience days.

Those entering will need to bring their cakes to Oxford High School on Saturday 5th October, dropping off by 11:30am. For bakers and eaters, there is all the right ingredients to keep the whole family entertained including food stalls, cake decorating workshops, a craft area, pop-up tea room with a swing band and tea dance, live storytelling and, of course, the great bake sale.

Bakers can enter online at www.oxfordbakeoff.wordpress.com