Celebrity chef launches Forget-Me-Not Bake Off

Local chef and Ready, Steady, Cook! regular Tony Tobin launches week-long campaign to get children baking in memory of loved ones

• Celebrity chef and Jigsaw (South East) Patron launches annual campaign to takes place on 23-30 September
• Schools to get kids baking and selling healthy cakes, biscuits and muffins
• Best recipes to be considered for special Forget-Me-Not recipe book
• Launch photos available

Bereavement charity Jigsaw (South East) is encouraging young people and their families across Surrey and Sussex to roll up their sleeves and bake in memory of loved ones – through the new Forget-Me-Not Bake Off campaign.

The campaign, which was launched at the charity’s annual Summer Family Reunion in Reigate on Saturday 27th July, is being rolled out across local schools and aims to get kids baking favourite recipes while raising essential funds for bereaved families, or those facing the loss of a loved one through serious illness.

Recipes are often a closely guarded secret within a family, handed down through generations – be it Granny’s special fruitcake, Mum’s marvellous carrot cake or Dad’s healthy oatcakes. Now the charity is encouraging school children to re-create their family’s favourite healthy cake recipes, compete with their classmates and raise essential funds for Jigsaw (South East).

Baking as therapy

Nickey Price, Jigsaw’s Operations Manager said:

“Jigsaw’s Grief Support Groups and work within schools indicates that baking and cooking can be a very beneficial and therapeutic activity for families, often provoking important, but difficult conversations surrounding the loss of a loved one. In fact some agencies even incorporate a cooking activity in their support programmes as it has been shown to produce such positive outcomes.”

In recognition of this, Jigsaw (South East) is encouraging as many schools as possible to get onboard with this new annual campaign, which takes place on 23-30 September and ask their pupils to bake cakes, biscuits, muffins – anything – to be sold at cake sales at their schools during that week. The charity is also encouraging the use of wholesome ingredients in line with the Government’s campaign to promote healthy eating in youngsters. *

Speaking at the launch, celebrity chef and Jigsaw (South East) Patron Tony Tobin said:

“This is a fantastic campaign. I think kids should start cooking as soon as possible – the sooner the better. I personally started cooking when I was very young – aged eight – and eventually it led to a very rewarding career as a chef. Cooking can certainly be a very therapeutic and relaxing activity – you can really lose yourself while baking and end up with a delicious treat.”

Tony Tobin and the charity invites recipe submissions from children to go into a special Forget-Me-Not Bake Off recipe book.

Get involved in three easy steps

Visit the campaign webpage  for more information.

*Baking as part of a balanced, healthy diet

In line with the Department for Education’s guidelines on healthy eating in schools, we encourage pupils to not only bring out their family favourite recipes, but also try to make it in the healthiest way possible. See our website for some healthy alternatives

Instead of sugar, can you use honey? In place of cream, can you use yoghurt? Or why not try to find innovative – and tasty – ways of incorporating fruit or vegetables. You’ve heard of carrot cake, but did you know courgettes lend themselves to the art of cake baking as well?

For more ideas on creating delicious – low fat – cakes and biscuits, visit http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/low-fat-cake