Macmillan charity benefits from Culdrose bake-off
A Petty Officer’s idea for a Charity Bake-off had sailors and civilians from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose scrambling for their aprons and muffin trays recently as part of, “The World's Biggest Coffee Morning” - Macmillan Cancer Support's annual charity fundraising event.
Petty Officer (PO) Lorraine‘Lorry’ Osman set the challenge for her fellow bakers after last year’s event proved so popular. “It was a bigger success than I anticipated”, said Lorry. “The rivalry last year between everyone on the Force to bake the best cakes was really tense, so when asked to run the event again… how could I refuse”.
To add a twist to the competition Lorry enrolled the help of two independent adjudicators in the shape of Commander Air Engineering, CDR Steve Jose, as the ‘Paul Hollywood’ judge and Sea King Force Logistic Officer Lieutenant Sophie Beacham, as the ‘Mary Berry’ of Culdrose. Their job was to select the top three entries and ultimately a winner.
Civilian staff from Sodexho and Serco on the Base as well as service personnel from the Force donated Cakes and Fancies free of charge to help raise money, which amounted to £225.90
Lorry continued: “We had some brilliant entries this year and the judges really had their work cut out. But like in all competitions their could be only one winner and 1st prize went to the Deputy Air Engineering Officer Lieutenant Helen Dobbs, for her Rocky road cake, which proved particularly popular with the engineers on 771 NAS”
Second prize was won by Chief Petty Officer Dev ‘Bondy’ Bond with his boozy Lemon and Pimms drizzle cake and third place went to Mike the Cleaner with his rather large and gooey Carrot cake. Special mention was also given to the Sea King Force Air Engineering Officer, Lieutenant Commander Steve Fuller’s imaginative ‘scoobie snack’ creation, which was made of several layered of wafers, fruit and oodles of Cornish Clotted cream.