A FINANCE officer with a penchant for baking walked away with first prize in the Borough Mayor’s Great Redditch Bake Off competition.
Neil Cooper scooped top prize with his Christmas cake, a confection of fruit and more smothered in icing sugar.
In the best Bake Off tradition it was given top marks by judges Ross Crawford, editor of the Redditch Standard, Councillor Joe Baker, and the Mayor herself, Coun Juliet Brunner.
Neil’s was one of 13 entries in the competition, which proved to be of such a high standard that the poor old judges had to go back for seconds.
Second prize went to Julie O’Rourke’s victoria sponge while the Mayor herself finished third with a chocolate orange madeira cake.
A special award went to Lakeside resident Julie Palmer for her ‘Christmas Does Not Discriminate’ cake which was put up for auction. After the judging slices of cakes were put on sale raising £150 for the Mayor’s charities.
“All the entries were of such high quality and I’m sure the people who bought slices thoroughly enjoyed them,” said the Mayor.
Coun Baker added: “I was delighted when I found out the Mayor was carrying on the tradition of the Great Redditch Bake Off as it gives residents a chance to support the Mayor and show their baking skills too.”
