A bake-off judged by a Hollyoaks actor has been deemed a “success”, despite a power cut that threatened to disrupt it.
Cakeybakeydoodaa, a Romford-based event company for adults with learning disabilities, hosted a bake-off from Friday August 18 to Sunday August 20 in Lambourne End, Hainault.
Organiser Natasha Hayworth of Collier Row said a power cut on Friday meant all appliances were out of action just a day before the competition was due to start at 10am.
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“We had no facilities to cook so we had to go to a local fish and chip shop for dinner,” she said.
But Natasha said the problem was fixed later that night and the following morning the bake-off began.
Twelve contestants were were tasked with creating six biscuits or cupcakes.
The event, judged by Hollyoaks’ Jessamy Stoddart, who plays Liberty Savage, was won by Laura Klein who was crowned Bake Off 2023 champion.
Terri Coulson and Sophie Dowler were the runners up.
Rebecca Smith of Kent University and a Lambourne End team member were the other judges.
“Jessamy was wonderful,” Natasha said. “She interacted with everyone and all the parents and carers came up afterwards to chat to her.”
Natasha said she was very fortunate to have Jessamy there.
The event organiser added that for many contestants, it was the first time away from their loved ones.
“A lot of them have never spent time away from families so it was a big ask for them,” she said. “They coped very well.”
Natasha, who started running events for her company in 2020, said she completed a degree in Autism Studies at Kent University to best support people with learning disabilities.
"There's nothing else like this in the borough," she said.
"The bake-off for me was the icing on the cake - It was everything that I worked for."
The Collier Row resident said Cakeybakeydoodaa started in a purpose-built summerhouse in 2020, before moving to Sapphire Jubilee Community Centre last year.
Natasha said another bake-off is planned for 2024 and was proud of this year's achievements.
“It was a lovely week,” she added.
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