THE Great British Bake-Off had a rival competition when a Fairtrade Bake-Off saw talented bakers from Haslemere compete, with more than 50 cakes in the mix for judging.

With a typically suave judge called Paul passing judgment in a tent, the competition on Lion Green was part of The Wave, the annual community event organised by Haslemere churches.

The event attracted a large crowd and Haslemere mayor Melanie Odell took centre stage, along with chef Paul Mcallister?as judging of the cakes began, even if Mary was nowhere to be seen.

They set about tasting every cake and whittled the entries down to chose the winning bakes, which were eventually eaten by a large hungry crowd.

One of the organisers, Fiona Short, said: “The aim was to raise the profile of Fairtrade and ingredients ranging from Fairtrade sugar to cocoa ensure people continue to keep this important initiative in mind when shopping.

“Haslemere has been a Fairtrade town since 2007 and the town council has always been a keen supporter, ensuring that Fairtrade goods are used at council events.

“With the town’s Fairtrade status up for renewal, this was an ideal opportunity to ensure that townsfolk are still looking out for these goods when they do their shopping and that local shops are stocking the products.”

Prizes were donated by the Royal School’s Fairtrade team, Tesco and a team of Fairtrade volunteers.

Fiona added: “There was a fabulous talk and Fairtrade chocolate tasting which everyone could participate in, provided by Tom Allen, from Trading Visions, an educational charity which aims to increase understanding, highlight the issues facing producers and their communities and emphasise that the actions consumers take can make a difference to others and make the world a better place.

“Finally, quizmaster Eliot Ambrose tested the crowd on their Fairtrade knowledge with his fun and interactive quizzes – he was outwitted by their detailed knowledge and consoled himself with lots of cake.

“A big thank-you goes to the marvellous Fairtrade team on the night who had worked so hard to ensure the evening went smoothly.”