Showstoppers delight in GDST London Bake Off final at Sydenham High

Talented bakers from eight GDST schools and two local secondary schools delivered showstoppers to rival those seen on the Great British Bake Off in the final of the first GDST London Schools Bake Off, hosted by Sydenham High School.

The ten contestants were from: Bromley High, Croydon High, Kingsdale Foundation School, Notting Hill & Ealing High, Streatham & Clapham High, Sydenham School and Sydenham High, with ages ranging from 12 to 17.

Chief judges Mrs Katharine Woodcock, Sydenham High’s Headmistress, and Ms Farah Hamid, founder and owner of Kitchen Skills, London’s newest cookery school, were amazed and delighted by the young baker’s efforts.

The showstoppers featured everything from a ski lift to a science clamp stand, as well as more regular themes such as Christmas reindeer and summery ice cream cones. 

Ms Hamid said: “I am absolutely blown away by the standard today – the variety of techniques and the flavours. I am very impressed so it’s going to be a hard decision to find the winner.”

The finalists had already won through heats in their own schools and then two semi-finals for years 7-9 and 10-13 respectively, with a high standard of baking demonstrated throughout.

After much deliberating (and a lot of tasting) it was one of the youngest bakers, Year 8  Bromley High student Miranda Fitzpatrick, who was crowned the winner for her ‘pot of gold at the end of the rainbow’ showstopper, taking away a £50 Amazon voucher as her prize. 

The two runners-up were Croydon High’s Kaviarashi Baskavan and Kingsdale’s Chiara Martinez Farinango who each received a voucher to attend a masterclass of their choice at the Kitchen Skills cookery studio on Kirkdale in Sydenham.