The Cake and Bake Show

The Cake and Bake Show is not really that good a match for my interests, as so many of the stalls are to do with sugarcraft and cupcakes — just looking at the amount of sugar and food colouring on display made me queasy!
However, although cake is forward in the mix, bake is in there also with a quarter of the show stalls being about bread, pies and other everyday baking plus equipment and ingredients relevant to those activities — I still found my visit worthwhile. So not only were artisan loaves on sale, but also flour and cane proving baskets. I ended up buying a few pieces of kit — an Italian-​made birch ply pizza paddle, a pastry wheel and a non-​electric ‘whizzer’. (Yes, there were several a larger-​than-​life salesmen enthralling the crowds with their performances!)
In terms of edibles, I ended up with three tray bake items from Ginger Bakers
— Raspberry & Almond Blondie, Date & Walnut Square and Pecan Caramel Shortbread. All of these were good, and each had something made them stand out from your usual fare.
I tend not to do a whole lot of mainstream stuff, so it was good to be amongst the crush of crowds just this once, as The Cake and Bake Show is definitely on trend right now! On my arrival late morning queues where snaked back and forth across Petersfield between crowd barriers, but when I came back at 1pm the worst of the queues had dispersed due to efficient crowd managment and most people having bought tickets or vouchers in advance. However, that was Friday — things may be different on Saturday or Sunday. I bought my ticket on the day, and that wasn’t a problem.
There were free demonstrations in the main hall, plus others you could pay for in the side rooms. Sports events or performing arts in an auditorium I get, but I think iPlayer wins for cookery demonstrations in my opinion. That is, unless you want to see your idol Paul Hollywood or whoever in the flesh! (I passed within 20 metres of him signing books at WH Smith’s stall — looks like a guy who enjoys his food!)
However, recently volunteering on organic farms has brought me in contact with people who work full-​time in growing or box schemes for minimum wages. Meanwhile, event management companies and TV food celebrities are enjoying the high life on the back of £14.50 per day admission fees and show guides for an additional £5. I know who I respect more! Still, young families and girly friends seemed to be enjoying it as a fun day out together which will no doubt inspire a lot of creativity. I might go again next year.