Sunderland care home chef wins national bake-off competition with cake inspired by residents' memories

Carol Scott, chef at the Four Season group’s Regents View Care Home in Hetton, took part in the bake-off competition held across the parent company’s 166 UK care homes.

Team members at the homes were asked to showcase their baking talents with creations inspired and loved by the residents.

Carol’s tropical orange cake was deemed ‘delicious & delightful’ by the judges and residents alike and she was crowned the care company’s ‘Baker of the Year’.

A baker for 25 years before joining Regents View Care Home in 2001, Carol said: “I love creating and designing new cakes for our residents and getting them involved in our baking activities.

"It’s not just about making something delicious to have with a cup of tea, it’s about doing something enjoyable together that brings back lots of happy memories.

"Many of our residents used to bake regularly and our cookery sessions are a great opportunity for reminiscence as well as being creative and sometimes very messy – which is a lot of fun.”

Carol decided to design and create her tropical orange cake after chatting with residents about their memories of baking with their families.

Resident Ann, 76, remembered happy times baking with her grandparents when she was a child, with the family’s favourite being orange cake.

They spent most Sundays in the garden enjoying a slice of cake with a cup of tea, laughing the day away.

“This cake reminds me of my grandparents, it’s beautiful from top to bottom,” said Ann.

"The sponge is soft and has a beautiful flavour. I even had to lick my fingers when I finished.”

Fellow resident, Annie, 89, added: “The cake is beautiful It’s fluffy and delicious and the oranges made out of icing look so real.”

The judges, who included Jeremy Richardson, chief executive of the Four Seasons Health Care Group, and experts from the group’s catering partners; Brakes, Premier Foods and catering equipment companies Lockharts and Edge DPM, presented Carol with an iPad, £50 of vouchers and a bottle of fizz.

Regents View Care Home in Francis Road, Hetton, provides nursing dementia care, residential dementia care, palliative care, short-stay respite care and support for mental health well-being.

The home is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.