A special Pineapple Coconut Upside-down Cake made by Flexible Learner Yvette Treco was the icing on the cake to round off a very successful programme of events through Fairtrade Fortnight.
Yvette’s cake won the hearts of the judges at Forth Valley College’s Fairtrade ‘Bake-Off’ final, which took place at the Stirling Campus on Tuesday 14 March, and she was presented with the £100 in vouchers first prize.
The final of the College’s very own Fairtrade version of the popular show – thanks to a £1000 grant from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum – proved to be a great success and generated some intense friendly competition and excitement – as well as four fabulous cakes - on the night.
Two heats at the Stirling (28 February) and Alloa (7 March) campuses had seen members of staff Fiona Duff, and Mary McEwan and City and Guilds Professional Cookery student Eilidh Walker and Flexible Learner Yvette Treco, progress to the final, where experts FVC Chef Manager Ype van der Schaaf and Shaune Hall, Product Development Chef for Falcon Foodservice Equipment (and former Head Chef at FVC’s Bistro), were waiting to carry out the judging duties.
Throughout the competition the bakers had been encouraged to include as many Fairtrade products as possible in their recipes and this was shown in Yvette’s Pineapple Coconut Upside-down Cake, Fiona’s Orange and Cinnamon Cup Cakes (2nd place and £50 in vouchers), Eilidh’s Mango and Lime Cake (3rd place and £25 in vouchers) and Mary’s Coconut Almond Bakewell Tart (4th runner-up and cake and utensil pack).
FVC’s Fairtrade Committee Coordinator Lisa Hachemi and the College’s Chef Manager Ype van der Schaaf were behind the initiative, which they hope will raise more awareness of the Fairtrade products available in the market place. Recipe’s from the competition will also be made available to the public soon.
Ype, said:
“It’s been quite amazing to see all the Fairtrade recipes we have had and that for me was what it was all about, so it really has achieved its objectives and been very worthwhile. The standard has been very high and it was very hard to choose a winner.”
Shaune, said:
“I was really looking forward to tasting the four cakes produced by the finalists and I was not disappointed. I was looking for individual signatures on classical recipes and all the competitors managed to do that. It was a great night and a very good opportunity to promote Fairtrade products. Well done to everyone, especially Yvette who just pipped the others to win."
Lisa, said:
“We have been very excited about this new event which was another Fairtrade challenge for our students and staff to get their teeth into. We can’t thank the Scottish Fair Trade Forum enough for their funding. It helped us to buy Fairtrade aprons, ingredients for the heats and the final and provide prizes for the winners. It was a really great event.”
To find out more e-mail fairtrade@forthvalley.ac.uk