Bake clubs throughout the city’s homes and offices will compete against each other for the chance to enter a city ‘Bake Off’, where Wellington’s ultimate baker will be decided by a panel of bakers extraordinaire, including Ruth Pretty.
Visa Wellington On a Plate Co-director Sarah Meikle says the key ingredients to the challenge will be local flavours, great baking, impartial judges and a healthy dose of competition. Bake Clubs must have a minimum of four members and recipes must include a local product.
“A Bake Club can be a group of friends, colleagues, study buddies or even your sports team. All you need to do is form your club, register at VisaWellingtonOnaPlate.com and await further instructions.”
Each club will nominate a Bake Master, who will be issued the week’s baking challenge from festival organisers.
Clubs will compete in three baking challenges across three consecutive weeks, with the group’s two best bakers progressing to a fourth knock-out stage to decide who will whisk their way to the New World Wellington Bake Off on Monday, 20 August.
“Challenges will be issued on a Thursday, but each Bake Club can select their bake day according to what suits their group as long as it takes place within the week.
“Bake day sees each club member bring their entry to the club’s selected venue and put it to a panel of their own judges. It could be a work morning tea on a Friday or a catch up with friends and family over the weekend.”
Judging forms will be provided for the ‘Tasters’.
Wellington’s Top Baker at the New World Wellington Bake Off 2012 will win $1,000 worth of New World groceries, a Fisher & Paykel appliance to the value of $2,500 and a KitchenAid Mixer from Kirkcaldie & Stains valued at $995.
Registrations close Thursday 12 July at 5pm.
How to Whip Your Bake Club into Shape (and how the competition works):
:: Register online at VisaWellingtonOnaPlate.com by Thursday 12 July to take part. Your first bake challenge is issued Thursday 19th July. A Bake Club must have at least four members (there is no maximum limit on the number of bakers per club).
:: Each week at 10am on Thursday a baking challenge will be issued – baking needs to be baked and judged by the end of the following Wednesday and scores tallied by the Bake Master.
:: Everyone in the Bake Club must bake on the same day once a week for four weeks (the club determines the bake day best suited to the members).
:: The tasters (anyone with taste buds will do, including the Bake Club members) rate each bake against a simple form provided. Tasters must sample and rate all members’ baking, but can vary week to week.
:: Baking is judged on taste, appearance, flavour, and inclusion of Wellington regional ingredients. A minimum of one Wellington ingredient is required per bake.
:: The two bakers with the highest total scores after three weeks progress to week four. At week four the slate is cleared and it’s all down to the baker who gains the most points for that one bake. The top scorer represents their club at the New World Wellington Bake Off event during Visa Wellington On a Plate on August 20th, where the prizes and glory are up for grabs.
