The Great Graduate School Bake Off

Would you like to be a baker in the first Great Graduate School Bake Off?

Join us on Thursday March 20th to participate in one of our Great British Bake Off inspired challenges: The signature bake, the technical challenge or the showstopper.

Each challenge will require the baker to make their cake or sweet treat ahead of time, and then bring it to the Graduate School at 2pm on the day. 

The bakes will be judged by 5 judges.

We have the Graduate School manager, Katy Madden, our resident baker, Rita Lee, and the Engagement Team member who just loves cake, Scott Annette, as well as two fantastic postdoc researchers. Desiree McIlwee is a postdoc within the Nutrition Group at the Centre for Public Health, and Meg Wallace who has just finished working as a Nutrition Research Scientist at ZOE Ltd. Although she currently works in the field of Public Health, she still have a love for all things food and nutrition and showcases this on her food blog Instagram!

After the judging is done, our audience, your fellow Postgraduates, will have the opportunity to taste and share your bakes.

There's also plenty of opportunity for prizes, from cookbooks to vouchers, and even an apron for our star baker!

The Signature Bake Challenge requires you to bring in your finest cake, bake or treat.

The thing you are best at baking, the treat that tells us everything we need to know about you, your classic recipe.

Challenge: Participants present their favourite tried-and-tested bake, which can range from cakes to biscuits or pies.

Judging Criteria: Taste, creativity, and consistency.

Judges will visit each participant’s table for tasting and feedback.

The Technical Challenge has been set by our resident Graduate School baker, Rita Lee.

By day, Rita works in the Postgraduate Awards team, ensuring everyone's funding is received without a hitch.

By night, Rita is a baker extraordinaire, making cakes for every occasion.

The technical challenge she has set is...12 identical lemon flavoured biscuits (approx 3 inches in size per biscuit) with a decorative coloured icing.

Challenge: The focus is on the visual appeal of the bake, so participants must bring a lemon biscuits that demonstrate their technical skill in presentation.

Judging Criteria: Presentation, precision, and craftsmanship.

Judges will assess the aesthetic quality of each bake.

The Showstopper Challenge is for our baking experts. Create a work of art that shows your skill, something that will blow the judges away!

Challenge: Participants bring a bake that represents their creativity and flair. This should be something visually striking, such as a themed cake, an impressive tart, or a multi-layered creation. We would love to see something that celebrates your research.

Judging Criteria: Wow-factor, complexity, and overall execution.

Participants explain the inspiration behind their Showstopper to the judges and audience.

If you would like to sign up to bake, please register through our Microsoft Form.

The deadline is February 24th.

If you'd like to be a member of the audience, keep an eye out for the event going live on MyFuture!