Rise to the occasion

15th to 21st October marked National Baking Week. We have to agree with the timing on that, there’s something about October and November that makes you want to head to the kitchen and whip up some nice comforting cakes, pies and crumbles. Although we’re pretty happy to eat any of those at any time of the year, to be honest.

Perhaps that’s why the Great British Bake Off hits our screens this time of year too? Watching it certainly helps build up an appetite – although it might be just as likely to put us off baking for ourselves given the pressure of trying to create a showstopper we’ve never even heard of in a few short hours (korovai anyone?)

Last year, The Grocer reported that the number of households buying home baking products during Great British Bake Off season jumped by more than 1.1 million (almost 10%) - the sharpest spike of recent years. Its research also showed that the proportion of Brits baking on a weekly basis had risen (excuse the pun) to 34% who were donning their apron at least once a week. One in 10 women say the show inspires them to bake – especially those aged 25 to 34.

However, other research from Statista shows 48% of the population never ever bake at home from scratch – it’s not everyone’s cup of tea of course. Although enjoying a slice of something freshly baked with a cup of tea is, usually.

The research revealed our favourite bake to be – unsurprisingly – is cakes (75%), followed by cupcakes (39%), biscuits (37%), pies (33%) and then bread (29%). It seems those bread makers everyone had on their kitchen worktops a couple of decades ago may now mainly be gathering dust…

Baking as a family is something many of us will have warm memories of – whether it was our grandma teaching us how to make scones, or parents passing down a family recipe. Cooking is a great thing to do with kids – a bit of maths, a bit of science, a lot of fun – and potentially a good way to get them to try new things. But it’s not just for kids. How long is it since you’ve tried your hand at making a cake, or have you been tempted to use the delicious fruit falling from the trees at the moment to make a pie or tart? Why not call in and see us for all the ingredients you might need? And if you have any dietary requirements to work around (even Bake Off had a dairy-free vegan week this year), we can help with that too. We have the best quality ingredients we’ve tried and tested ourselves, so we know you’ll get the best results. From using Yorkshire Rapeseed oil instead of butter, to coconut flour instead of the run of the mill kind (geddit?) we can help recommend our favourite swaps.

Of course, we all have our strengths and weaknesses – and not everyone is a gifted baker. Have no fear, there’s no need for you to miss out on handmade goodies – we have plenty in store! We currently have the rather wonderful partnership with Bakehouse in the Barn, and there’s a new recipe about to hit the shop – watch this space…

So, whether you’re the baker, or the enjoyer of someone else’s baked goods, it all sounds pretty tasty to us!