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HELEN ROSCOE FROM BLACKBURN WINS FINALS OF PRESTIGIOUS JANE ASHER HOME BAKER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION 2009

9 October 2009. Keen home baker Helen Roscoe (49) from Blackburn, Lancashire beat off off competition from four other finalists to win the finals of the prestigious Jane Asher Home Baker of the Year Competition 2009, and take the title home to Blackburn.
Helen won a first prize worth £25,000 at the final bake-off of the competition which took place at the Poggenpohl Showrooms, Deansgate, Manchester on the 8th October 2009. There she battled it out with four other finalists, overseen by a panel of high profile judges, including Jane Asher herself, celebrity chef, Andrew Nutter, and TV personality Lucy Meacock, as she re-created her winning entry ‘Lancashire Belles’ in front of a live audience.

For good luck Helen sported her father's flat cap for the duration of the competition, and, while it obviously had the desired effect, she also felt that it definitely helped her "keep her head" under intense pressure as she prepared her dish!
Helen’s delicious recipe, based on Lancashire Parkin Cake, is a wickedly modern twist on a classic recipe. “I love baking choux pastry, traditional puddings and combining different elements to create an unusual dish” says Helen, and her winning recipe, which did all three, absolutely hit the spot with the judges.

Helen is no stranger to the art of baking, and started working in her early teens in a huge baking factory in Blackburn. Her first job was working on the ‘pie belt’ putting the lids on the pies. She then moved on to the chocolate éclair department, and later still moved to Marks & Spencer where she worked for many years on the food side of the business. Eight years ago Helen moved to Spain to run a 9 bedroom Hostel with her partner Paul, where she developed additional baking and cooking skills by cooking for the hostel clients and people in their own homes. In June 2009 they returned to Blackburn to set up this concept in the UK.

Helen was up against finalists including Toni Perry-Thomas from Walthamstow, London, Hester Duffy from Plymouth, Jodie Arksey from North Yorkshire and Magda Allan from Finsbury Park in London.

Organised by Leigh-based Victoria Foods, The Jane Asher Home Baker of the Year Competition is all about putting the fun back into home baking, and reaping the benefits of creating something delicious for family and friends. Open to anyone over the age of 16, the Competition focuses on finding the most interesting and creative recipes from entries submitted online via www.homebake.co.uk.

“The standard of the recipes entered for this year’s competition was higher than ever, and we picked five really interesting cakes for the bake-off in Manchester", says Jane. “What was also great is that we had entries from so many younger home bakers this year. Helen's winning Lancashire Belles was such a creative pudding that it was a clear winner for us. I wish her all the best in her future baking career!"

First prize is a stunning new kitchen from Poggen pohl worth €25,000. Runner-up prizes included a weekend cookery course for two at Lucy Cooks in the Lake District with an overnight stay at the 4* Lakeside Hotel in Windermere, and Chocolate Wedding and Celebration Cake courses at Manchester’s famed Slattery’s School of Excellence.

“A huge thank you to all of our judges on the day”

Pictured above (l-r) Lucy Nicholson (LucyCooks school of Cookery); Lucy Meacock (ITV Granada), Andrew Nutter (Celebrity Chef, Nutter’s Restaurant), Jo Finnerty (Co Operative Product Manager, Home Baking); Rebecca Stanton ( Co Operative Buyer, Home Baking); Jane Asher; Karen Barnes (Head of Good Housekeeping Institute) and Emma Sturgess (journalist)

Victoria Foods (l-r) Managing Director Dan Ross, Commercial Director John Blackledge, Chairman John Ross, Jane Asher, Senior Development Technologist Elaine Pickett, Marketing Manager Katie Coleman, National Account Managers, Tom Anderson, Lindsey Collier and Graham Spencer.

“Victoria Foods would like to say a huge thanks to our sponsors and partners for the event: Poggenpohl, LucyCooks, Lakeside Hotel, Slattery’s of Manchester, Alcan Packaging, JS Bowman & Sons Ltd and British Sugar ”

Jane Asher and Victoria Foods recently visited the Lakeside Hotel and LucyCooks school of Cookery on Friday 5th June, LucyCooks, both proud sponsors of the Jane Asher Home Baker of the Year Competition. Jane recently launched the 2009 HBOY event with a call for regional entries from across the country, and she was in Cumbria to have a look at some of the Home Baker of the Year Competition entries, and talking to local food producers about the produce the area has to offer.

Entries are flooding in for this year’s Home Baker competition, with some fantastic prizes on offer. The closing date is August 10th 2009 so be sure to get your recipes in! www.homebake.co.uk

Jane Asher:

"I developed the Creations range with Nestle because they wanted to find a way of combining home baking with their iconic brands, and together we brought you the Jane Asher Creations range of baking mixes. These are cake mixes that you can bake yourself to make treats that are fun, easy to bake, and brilliant for any occasion".

“The Smarties Party Cake and Funny Faces are perfect for parties and as an activity for you enjoy at home. Once you get started with the toppings and decorations, you won’t be able to stop! What could be more fun than making and decorating them with your friends?”

And that’s not all….you can always use the Smarties baking mixes as a starting point, just add other ingredients, bake them in different shapes, try your own toppings... Use your imagination and there is no limit!!

Each month she will be bringing you a recipe idea based around the Smarties cake mixes, and also some recipes with a twist using some of your other favourite Nestle brands!

Go to www.smarties.co.uk and try them out!

It’s that time of year again…..Victoria Foods is once again launching the Jane Asher Home Baker of the Year Competition. Now in our 6th year, the event charts the triumphant return to the kitchen of home baking. Not only does it make the family pounds stretch further but there is huge pleasure to be derived from baking with and for others in the home.

The last two years have also seen an incredible 10% rise in the value of the home baking market, anticipated to reach £491 million in 2008; one of the few market sectors to thrive in the current climate.

Launching the 2009 Competition, actress and queen of home baking Jane Asher says, “There are obviously important social and cultural benefits to be derived from cooking more at home. With the Home Baker of the Year Competition we really want to remind people how much fun baking can be and how quick and easy it is to turn out delicious results which your family and friends will love you for.”
Entry to the competition closes on the 10th August with a Grand Final bake off of the five best entries on Thursday 8th October 2009, shortlisted by Jane herself. The winners will be chosen by Jane and a panel of other high profile judges. First prize is a stunning Poggenpohl Kitchen worth £25,000. Runner-up prizes include a weekend cookery course for two at Lucy Cooks in the Lake District with an overnight stay at the 4* Lakeside Hotel, and Chocolate Wedding and Celebration Cake courses at Manchester’s famed Slattery’s School of Excellence.

Recipes can be brand-new ideas or variations of old classics, whatever you want to enter. “One of the trends we predict for this year’s competition is that there will be more traditional, regional recipes with a modern twist” says Jane “We are really looking forward to re-discovering old favourites such as Bakewell Tarts, Welsh Cakes and Cornish Splits!”
Last year’s Home Baker of the Year winner was Gary Belcher from Hertfordshire with his stunning Apple and Blueberry Crumble Cake (see Previous Years). Gary beat off tough competition from the ladies to become the second man to win the competition, which saw a huge increase in the number of male entries for 2008. His success came on the back of research which shows that two thirds of British men are now baking more often than their fathers!

The competition is open to everyone over the age of 16 who will need to submit their favourite/ most interesting recipes online via www.homebake.co.uk or via post to Victoria Foods Ltd, Bright Street, Leigh, Lancashire WN7 5QH. Entry forms are also included in all of the Jane Asher range of quality baking mixes produced by Victoria Foods. These are available in all major multiples nationwide.

Click on www.homebake.co.uk or www.victoriafoods.co.uk for further about the competition and the Victoria Foods product ranges respectively.

• This year’s Home Baker of the Year competition is in proud association with Food Northwest the strategic body representing the Northwest Food & Drink Industry www.foodnw.co.uk

• Our partners and sponsors for this year’s event also include Alcan Packaging www.alcanpackaging.com, and JS Bowman & Sons Ltd www.jasbowman.co.uk

Gary Belcher from Letchworth, Hertfordshire, beat off tough competition from four other Finalists to walk away with the Jane Asher Home Baker of the Year trophy and first prize of a £25,000 Poggenpohl Kitchen with Miele Appliances. The Final was held on October 9th at the stunning Poggenpohl Kitchen Showrooms in Manchester, where a panel of high profile judges including Andrew Nutter, Lucy Nicholson and Jane herself, tasted each of the delicious recipes. Gary’s success comes on the back of recent research which shows that two thirds (63%) of British men are baking more often than their fathers, contributing to the continuing growth of the home baking market.

A record number of entries were received this year for the annual competition – with an impressive rise in male Home Baker entries from just 5% to 11% since last year! The aim of which is to remind people that baking is fun for men and women of all ages and backgrounds. Open to anyone over 16, the Home Baker of the Year Competition focuses on finding the most interesting and the tastiest recipe from entries submitted online via the website www.homebake.co.uk.

Gary commented on the moment he was notified of being short listed, “I was so shocked when I received the news about my inclusion in the final of the Home Baker of the Year. I really enjoyed the day; we had a great time and to take the title is just astounding – I think Jane is a great patron for home baking.”

Gary’s signature dish of Apple and Blueberry Crumble Cake was tasted and scrutinised by a host of judges including:
• Jane Asher
• Local celebrity chef Andrew Nutter
• Lucy Nicholson – famed Lucys of Ambleside
• Karen Barnes, Deputy Editor, Good Housekeeping magazine
• Carmel Thomasson, Lifestyle feature writer ,MEN
• Martin Littler, Product Development Technologist

Actress and queen of home baking Jane Asher commented, 'Gary's cake was delicious, and he's a very worthy holder of the title of Home Baker of the Year. The standard of recipes we received this year was exceptional and the surge in entries confirms the statistics: that the number of households baking at home is increasing rapidly. Partly this is due to a growing interest in the quality of the food we give our families, but also there's no doubt that the current financial situation emphasises the economic sense of baking at home!”
The runner-up prize went to Wendy Mann with her superb Tropical Zingy Chelsea Buns – she won a fantastic weekend cookery course for two at Lucy Cooks in the Lake District plus an overnight stay at the 4* Lakeside Hotel. Three runners-up receive a luxury hamper of goodies from the Jane Asher Home Baking range and a Poggenpohl gift pack.

For further information on the competition visit www.homebake.co.uk