Bake off set to rise bigger and better (From The Oxford Times)

Bake off set to rise bigger and better

12:00pm Wednesday 13th February 2013 in News By Emma Harrison, Reporter covering Rose Hill, Littlemore and Iffley. Contact me on 01865 425430

BAKING tins and oven gloves at the ready.

The Oxfordshire Bake Off is set to return in October in an event organisers hope will be bigger and better than last year.

With the popularity of hit TV show the Great British Bake Off soaring, cooking fans are invited to bring their efforts to the city’s second event.

Grub from cupcakes to bread will go before judges, including junior categories for younger bakers. The proceeds will go to charity.

Organiser Kate Kellaway-Moore, 24, of Witney, said: “With baking fever kicking off again this year we thought it was a brilliant opportunity to do it bigger and better.

“I am personally a fan of the Great British Bake Off and it is great to see people getting involved in fundraising bake offs.

“There are definitely more people doing bake offs as fundraisers now which is lovely to see.”

More than 50 bakers took part the first event last March at Oxford Town Hall to raise more than £1,000 for Oxfam, breast cancer charity CoppaFeel and Oxford Rape Crisis Centre.

Miss Kellaway-Moore, who works for Oxfam, added: “It was such a brilliant event last year. It will be great to see that number double or triple.”

It will take place at a new venue as the Town Hall was not available this year.

Workshops and demonstrations are also planned, while the charities that will benefit have yet to be announced.

Venue suggestions are sought at oxfordbakeoff@gmail.com. The venue must have parking and take up to 500 people.

For information visit oxfordbakeoff.wordpress.com.

There have been three series of the BBC’s Great British Bake Off and in January a special Great Comic Relief Bake Off raised cash for charity.