The Big Boutique Bake Off 2024 Competition Results

In a delicious display of creativity and community, Boutique Care Homes recently hosted its annual Big Boutique Bake Off, uniting residents and team members in a joyful celebration of food, memories, and togetherness. This event, much more than a simple baking competition, allowed participants to explore family recipes and engage in a shared experience that not only delighted taste buds but also stirred treasured memories.

From cookies and biscuits to showstopping cakes, this year’s entries were as diverse as they were delightful, with homes across the Boutique Care Homes group showcasing their skills and collaboration. The Bake Off created a platform for residents and staff to connect in a meaningful way, reminding everyone of the power that food has to bring people together.

Without further ado, here are the winners and special mentions for each category:

Best Cookies & Biscuits

• Winner for Cookies: The Burlington
  Soft and fluffy white and milk chocolate cookies stood out as the residents’ favourite treat, perfect with morning tea or coffee. Many residents enjoy these so much that they often ask for seconds in the piano bar! Judges praised the cookies for their nice colour and lovely texture, noting how well they tasted. There were plenty to go around, much to the relief of residents who feared they might miss out.
• Winner for Biscuits: Brampton Manor
  Melt-in-the-mouth walnut & cheese biscuits with a touch of basil, rimmed with poppy seeds, stole the show in the biscuit category. Light, delicious, and full of flavour, these biscuits were a popular choice with everyone.

Best Cupcakes & Muffins

• Winner for Cupcakes: The Burlington
  Vanilla sponge cupcakes, decorated with vibrant buttercream and sprinkles, won over judges and residents alike. These delightful cupcakes catered to those with a sweet tooth, making them a top favourite.
• Winner for Muffins: Brampton Manor
  Raspberry and white chocolate muffins impressed with their perfect texture and delicious combination of fruit and chocolate. Baked to perfection, these muffins were a standout entry.

Best Boutique Care Homes Values Themed Showstopper Cake

• Winner: Brampton Manor
  The judges were blown away by the magnificent showstopper cake from Brampton Manor. The fun, colourful design creatively blended BCH’s “It’s a feeling” strapline with the eight core values, and featured hand-crafted resident sculptures. A “laughing box” added to the fun when Ameet Kotecha cut the cake. The chocolate buttercream sponge was light and decadent, without being overly sweet—leaving everyone wanting more!
• Special Mention: The Burlington
  The Burlington’s five-layered rainbow cake was a true representation of the residents’ experiences and memories. Decorated with thoughtful labels describing how residents feel about living at The Burlington, the cake was topped with two blossom trees in honour of the home’s five-year anniversary. The bright colours inside symbolised the vibrancy and warmth of the home.

Special Moments Across Our Homes

• Chartwell House hosted their Bake Off event alongside their Macmillan Coffee Morning, raising over £300 for charity. Their showstopper cake, an innovative triple chocolate creation adorned with edible flowers in pastel colours, fetched £67 alone! The event was a huge success, with the team, residents, and visitors all feeling part of the home. Well done, Team Chartwell!
• Brampton Manor delighted residents with ginger biscuits that boasted an authentic ginger flavour, lovingly baked by the team. Both iced and non-iced options were available, with the iced version featuring edible flowers for a colourful, artisan touch.
• Brampton Manor’s cheese muffins, made with a hint of homegrown basil, added a fresh, homey element to their entry, using produce from the home’s garden.
• At The Burlington, residents played a significant role in the baking process, deciding what to bake and how to decorate it. The sense of community was palpable, with residents and staff working together to create their entries—a true community project with lots of photos capturing the wonderful moments.

Reflecting on the success of the event, Ameet Kotecha, Founder and Managing Director of Boutique Care Homes, shared his thoughts; “The Big Boutique Bake Off has become more than just a baking competition—it’s an opportunity for our residents and team members to connect over shared memories, family recipes, and creativity. I’m incredibly proud of the way our homes came together to make this event so special, with each cake, cookie, and biscuit symbolising the heart and soul of our community. Congratulations to all the winners and participants for showcasing the spirit of Boutique Care Homes.”

The Big Boutique Bake Off has proven to be a highlight of the year, celebrating not just the culinary talents within each home but also the deeper connections and memories that food can evoke. From the intricate designs of the showstopper cakes to the simplicity of a well-baked biscuit, this year’s event exemplified the warmth and sense of community that defines Boutique Care Homes.

For more information and to see the full array of creations, visit the homes’ Facebook pages to explore the incredible moments captured during this event.