THIS year’s South Warnborough Bake Off celebrated its fourth year of cakes and bakes from the community last Saturday with some stunning displays of culinary prowess.

Leading the way with the award for ‘Best in Show’ and the eight to 13 year olds category was Phoebe Forsyth with a stunning cake decorated with raspberries and a winning star, while Olivia Brown took the under-eights category honours with a topical bonfire night showstopper.

And their was special congratulations for the Bryant family, with Nick taking the men’s section with a hardcore coffee cake and Emma the women’s category with a mouthwatering meringue cake.

According to event spokesman Jonny Orange, judges Nadia Schicchi, the landlady of The Poacher pub, and Mary Saunders had their work cut out this year. Cakes, buns, biscuits and pastries were abundant in Ridley Hall as villagers tried to emulate bakes from the hit TV show. All funds raised went to the village church.

Mr Orange said: “Rather like the Channel 4 hit series, most of the old faces turned up again to support this local event, which had four individual categories. Ridley Hall was full of sugar-laden kids and all were eagerly awaiting the prizes on their bakes.

“This year we had amazing bonfire showstoppers, a frog on a lily pad, a spaceman on the moon, a burning Guy Fawkes, baked cheesecakes, Malteser and sweet Pinata cakes, gingerbread men, meringues...”

It was, said Mr Orange, a “hard day for the judges” who were amazed in particular by Phoebe’s cake – “at the lightness of the sponge, the delicate buttercream filling and the jam filling, exploding with flavour”.

“It made her a very worthy winner!” he said.