BAKING tins and pinnies need to be at the ready at the July 18 Village Beach Festival this year for a one-off bake-off competition.

The Big Thurrock Bake is a competition for the most impressive cakes based in a special marquee at the festival.

Cooks and bakers are being asked to face off in a competition to win “best cake”, display their cakes and swap recipes.

Exhausted bakers can celebrate their efforts at 4.30pm withaMad Hatter’s Tea Party, where everyone will be served with a free cup of tea and a cake.

Cake will be dished out for mad hatters and bakers “until supplies are exhausted”, say the organisers.

Delicious and nutritious meals can be made from the top ten foodbank items in “Ready, steady, cook!”, running hourly from noon.

The five categories for competitive bakers are:

  • Best voluntary sector cake – logo or image representing the organisation
  • Best healthy cake – open to individuals, organisations, groups or schools
  • Best budget cake – open to individuals, organisations, groups and schools
  • Best creative design cake – best cake or sugar work, open to all
  • Best international cake – open to all

Anyone with a taste for baking is welcome to enter the competition, display their cakes and swap recipes.

People are also encouraged to donate food to Thurrock’s Foodbank.

Contact terry.piccolo@ thurrockcvs.org.uk for more details.