Schools Unite for Festive Baking Competition to Raise Food Allergy Awareness
Secondary school pupils from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire came together earlier this month (8 December) for a festive baking competition with a powerful purpose: raising awareness of food allergies and how to keep everyone safe and included.
Food allergies affect around two children in every classroom, making awareness and education in schools vital. When pupils understand food allergies, it helps create safer, more inclusive environments where children with allergies can fully take part.
Twenty pupils from Years 7 to 9, representing 10 schools across The Two Counties Trust, took part in the Big Vitalite Bake at Wilsthorpe School in Nottingham.
The participating schools were Allestree Woodlands School, Friesland School, Swanwick Hall School, Frederick Gent School, Selston High School, Ashfield School, Springwell Community College, Heritage High School, Manor Academy and Wilsthorpe School.
The challenge was to bake a festive cake and compete for the title of Champion Baker. Each team was given a standard sponge recipe and ingredients, along with a selection of flavourings, fondant icing and decorations, allowing pupils to personalise their creations with festive colour, flavour and finishing touches.
Crucially, food allergy awareness sat at the heart of the challenge.
Working in teams of two, pupils had two and a half hours to prepare, bake and decorate their cakes, considering food allergies at every stage of the process. From safe kitchen practices to clear and accurate allergen labelling, pupils demonstrated a strong understanding of food safety and inclusivity, ensuring their final bakes were both safe and informative for people with food allergies.
The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, was delighted to attend the event and serve as one of the three judges. We were hugely impressed by the pupils’ creativity, and by the maturity and confidence they showed when talking about food safety and inclusion.
After much deliberation, the team from Friesland School in Derbyshire was crowned Champion Baker.
The winning team will receive a hamper of allergen-friendly kitchen equipment, along with vouchers to support the purchase of allergen-free ingredients, helping them to continue baking safely and inclusively.
A teacher from one of the participating schools said:
“There is a calling for events like this, to encourage students to learn about food allergies inside and out of the classroom.”Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said:
“It was a pleasure to attend the first TTCT Baking Competition and to see pupils embracing the challenge of baking with food allergens in mind. We were delighted to serve as judges and witness not only the creativity of their cake designs, but also their thoughtful approach to using allergen-free ingredients and clear allergen labelling. With greater knowledge and understanding of food allergies, we can improve the lives of people with food allergies. We applaud all the children who took part and showed such an impressive understanding.”Claudia Stratford, Brand Manager of Vitalite Dairy Free Spread, added:
“Vitalite was delighted to support the first Big Vitalite Bake. Watching pupils build confidence while learning about food allergens was inspiring, and we’re proud to champion inclusivity alongside The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.”Derek Hobbs, Executive Headteacher at The Two Counties Trust, said:
“Our first TTCT Baking Competition was a fantastic success and a great example of coming together as one Trust. It was a day I’m sure the pupils won’t forget. We were also delighted to have the generous support of Aspens, The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and Vitalite, whose contributions helped make the day extra special.”
By helping young people understand food allergies early on, events like this play an important role in creating safer, more inclusive communities for everyone living with food allergies.