The national competition to find the Queen’s platinum jubilee pudding may have ended, but keen bakers still have a chance to be part of the Harrogate district’s royal celebrations.
Last night, the winner of the national pudding competition was announced as Jemma Melvin, who created a lemon and amaretti trifle.
Her recipe will now sit alongside others, such as Victoria sponge and Coronation chicken, which have been created to mark important royal occasions.
Meanwhile, in the Harrogate district, a new competition has been launched to find “a cake fit for a Queen” – and naturally, Bettys is leading the hunt for the worthy winner.
Bakers are tasked with creating an 18cm flavoured sponge with a filling of their choice, complete with decorations to fill the brief of being “fit for a Queen”.
Once they’ve tried and tested the perfect recipe, entrants must upload a photo of their finished creation along with the recipe itself to the competition page on the Stray Ferret’s website by the deadline of Wednesday, May 25 at 5pm.
A shortlist of five will then be drawn up and the finalists will be invited to Bettys Cookery School for the judging on June 1.
The winner will get a place on a course of their choice at Bettys Cookery School.
The competition will be judged by Ann Hedges, a teacher of food and nutrition and a food product developer who has worked for major UK and international retailers, as well as food manufacturers including Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury’s.
To find out more about the competition or to enter a cake, click here.
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Harrogate bakery expands with £250k project
Bakery site Bakeri Baltzersen has begun a £250k expansion project.
The site, in Kettlesing, supplies the company’s sister brands in Harrogate town centre, as well as other, wholesale partners.
The project will involve knocking through to a unit at Springfield Business Park, which will then create triple the floorspace of the bakery.
It will be part-financed by a £20,000 grant from the Product and Process Innovation Fund, a European funding programme. Harrogate Borough Council has also provided a grant of £27,390.
Along with it, more jobs will be created, with a particular demand for trainee bakers, packers and drivers.
Paul Rawlinson, co-director of Baltzersen’s and Bakeri Baltzersen, said:
“We are proud to be a part of the Harrogate community. We want to grow our range of products to offer a wider selection, work with more wholesale partners across Yorkshire as we fly the flag for our town, and create new jobs, training and career opportunities for local people.”
The work is expected to be completed in June.
Harrogate woman semi-finalist of Florist of the Year
Helen Pannitt, owner of Helen James Flowers
A Harrogate florist is celebrating making it to the semi-final of the Florist of the Year competition run by Interflora.
Helen Pannitt, who owns and runs Helen James Flowers in Harrogate, has been a florist for 37 years. She has previously won a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
For the competition, she created a hand-tied bouquet, under the theme ‘Inspired by Nature.’
The winner will go on to represent Great Britain and Ireland at the Interflora World Cup in September 2023.
Helen Pannitt, owner of Helen James Flowers, said:
“I simply love competitive floristry and with the curtailment of competitions over the last couple of years due to COVID, it’s great to have something to get the competitive juices flowing again.”
The finals will see participants creating floral designs on the theme of ‘growing together,’ with a final unknown topic that will be revealed on the day.
The winner of the competition will be announced on Sunday 24 April.
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Harrogate district’s monthly business safari to be held
Harrogate District’s Chamber of Commerce is due to hold its monthly Business Safari event.
The members-only speed networking event will be held next week at St George’s Hotel.
You can sign up to the monthly agenda through the Harrogate Chamber website.
Plant competition for school children hosted by Johnsons of Whixley
Johnsons of Whixley in Harrogate is holding a competition for primary school children.
To celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee and gardening, £250 worth of plants will be sent to the winner’s school, including ten plants for their own home garden. Those in second and third place will also win a plant.
Children under the age of 11 can participate by drawing an imaginative Jubilee Garden. The form can be downloaded here.
Children must create a drawing of a jubilee garden as part of the competition
JW is a three-generation run family business which grows and supplies trees, shrubs and plants to UK-wide planting schemes.
The company plays an active part in the community, having collected donations for Ukraine and providing plants to Baby Rainbow Memorial Garden last month.
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Bilton bowling club to open new clubhouse
Bilton Dragon Bowling Club is due to open a new clubhouse next Sunday.
The crown green bowls club was founded in 1909 and has members aged 14 to 93. The club plays on a green behind the Co-op on Skipton Road.
Its first clubhouse was a wooden pavilion erected in 1910 at a cost of £17 and 10 shillings.
The new one has been funded by a £20,000 grant from Sport England and fundraising by members.
The club had hoped to open it last year but it was delayed due to covid.
Players at the club.
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Mayor of Harrogate Trevor Chapman will be there today to cut the ribbon.
The club is also looking for new members. If you’re interested in playing or have any questions, email the club’s chairman Trevor Whincup here or call John Archer on 07715030832.
Mr Whincup said:
Creatives called for Harrogate’s role in Royal Albert Hall anniversary“Bowls is perceived to be an older person’s sport, but we have members of all ages. It’s good exercise and it’s a good game.”
Harrogate will have its name linked to the 150th anniversary of the Royal Albert Hall in London – and aspiring artists are also being invited to get involved.
To mark the venue’s milestone, Harrogate Spring Water is planning to create limited-edition anniversary labels for its bottles, to be sold at the Royal Albert Hall and selected other outlets.
To come up with the perfect design to showcase the diverse culture of the venue, Harrogate Spring Water (HSW) is calling for creatives to help. An expert panel, including representatives from HSW and the Royal Albert Hall, will nominate a shortlist and choose the winning design, with a prize of a £4,000 creative bursary. Two finalists will receive a £1,000 bursary.
James Cain OBE, CEO of Harrogate Spring Water, said:
“We are so pleased to be able to offer talented creatives across the UK the opportunity to feature on our bottle; we understand just how important it is to support the Arts and Creative industry during this time.”
“The 150th anniversary of the Royal Albert Hall is such a special milestone and its fantastic to be able to celebrate our valued partnership with such an iconic and historic institution. We cannot wait to see the designs!”
During 2021 and 2022, the Royal Albert Hall celebrates its 150th birthday, with a special programme of events including major commissions from British artists, headline performances from musical legends, and a series of showcases promoting the next generation of talent.
In its long history, the Royal Albert Hall has hosted great works of art and design including an 800-feet-long mosaic frieze encircling the building, a Picasso-designed programme cover in 1937 and a 2014 mural by Sir Peter Blake celebrating the venue’s diverse history.
In 2021 and 2022, as it marks its 150th birthday, its programme of events will include major commissions from British artists, headline performances from musical legends and a series of showcases promoting the next generation of talent.
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Harrogate Spring Water is an official partner of the celebrations and its 500ml still and sparkling bottles will feature the commemorative labels this year and next. Artists are encouraged to use colour to reflect the diversity of culture at the Royal Albert Hall.
Craig Hassall, chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall, said:
“We’re delighted to launch this one-of-a-kind design competition as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations.
“The Hall has been a meeting place – and an inspiration – for artists of all kinds since we opened in 1871, and we can’t wait to see how contemporary creatives interpret our diverse history. We’d like to thank our friends at Harrogate Spring Water for helping us mark this milestone in such an inventive and unusual way.”
For more information about the competition, click here.
Knaresborough competition to inspire young chefsA Knaresborough pub has launched a young chefs competition to inspire the next generation of foodies.
Six Poor Folk has invited anyone between the ages of 11 and 16 to design their own small plate using seasonal produce.
The winning entry will be featured on the pub’s menu throughout October. The pub is organising a celebrity chef to judge the dishes.
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Thousands of chefs leave the profession every year because of tough working conditions. But the pub is trying to stem the tide.
Ashleigh Lambert, one of the owners at Six Poor Folk, told the Stray Ferret:
“When you are young it can make a big difference to win a competition like this. It could inspire them to carry on in food. It could inspire people like Harvey. He is working in our kitchen part time and really enjoying it.”
Ms Lambert said she had seen a high calibre of entries already but she urged as many people as possible to get involved.
Anyone interested can send their pictures and recipes to Six Poor Folk via email by clicking or tapping here.
Ripon photography competition on life in lockdownRipon’s citizens are being asked to capture, in one compelling image, what living through the coronavirus pandemic means to them.
Ripon Grammar School has launched a community-wide lockdown photography competition, to be judged by an award-winning documentary photographer, whose work has appeared in National Geographic and Time magazines.
Organiser Ruth Savage, said:
“Perhaps people have already captured their lockdown image over the past three months, or may wish to explore the simple pleasures of appreciating something anew as lockdown restrictions are slowly eased and we adapt to a new way of life.”
Judge Mark Read, whose work has also appeared a range of high-profile UK publications including The Sunday Times, Telegraph and Guardian said the brief was wide.
An example of lockdown art caught on camera
The RGS past pupil, who is now based in Los Angeles, said:
“It’s an interesting time and many people are looking to art to represent how they are feeling. You should feel that you can express your relationship with the current times in any way you feel fit. I’ll be looking for something that feels personal, arresting and thoughtful.”
Read more:
Mrs Savage added that the competition is also open to past and present RGS students, parents and staff and entries will be displayed in an online exhibition on the school website:
“Each photo will be assessed more on the story and emotions it conveys than on its technical expertise. We want people to use their camera lens to provide a window into their world during the extraordinary times we are living through.”
Headmaster Jonathan Webb said he was looking forward to seeing entries:
“Our freedom of movement may have been restricted – but our freedom of expression knows no bounds. It will be interesting to see how people choose to use their cameras to reflect on their experiences during these very strange and challenging times.”
The competition is open now and throughout the summer holidays, with prizes donated by Ripon Business Services. Email your image to Ruth Savage on SavageR@ripongrammar.com by Tuesday, September 1st, providing your name, age if under 18 and connection with RGS, if any.