***UPDATE*** The competition was won by our fabulous co-founder Alex Mead, seen here with his prize and below his triple tier Biscoff carrot cake. Delicious!
Eleven amateur bakers compete against each other to win the title of Greatest Alive Baker.
Our #AliveBakeOff started on 4th September with our first intrepid baker kicking off the schedule for the next few months. As we grow as a team so do our tummies it seems as we devour weekly offerings of cakes, bakes and treats. The oven gloves are off at Alive HQ. Even the most mild-mannered of our staff have been baking and re-baking cakes to compete for the title. Sadly there is no trophy, but I’m sure we will buy them a drink or two for their valiant effort.
The Bake Off idea is really changing the conversation and energy in the office on bake days and and supplying an extra slice of creativity in our team.
Baking sparks creativity
Our team have been ‘on brand’ in their efforts to grab that accolade. Cacti coffee walnut cake, wrestler biscuits, mud cake, and millionaire shortbread have all featured thus far. Each one different and progressively getting more creative. We haven’t finished our bake off battle yet so we are excited to see what’s next but every bake helps visually stimulate creativity for our team.
“Baking has the benefit of allowing people creative expression,” associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, Donna Pincus, told HuffPost. “There’s a lot of literature for connection between creative expression and overall wellbeing. Whether it’s painting or it’s making music [or baking], there is a stress relief that people get from having some kind of an outlet and a way to express themselves.”
Baking can improve wellbeing
The science behind baking means you have to focus on the job in hand. Get it wrong and you have a biscuit flat cake, get it right and you are in line for star baker. It’s almost meditative affects mean that the baking process is a great stress buster.
Baking stimulates the senses
We all love that smell. The sweet sugary aroma that fills the room. The anticipation of getting to taste what we have created. Maybe we work in an industry where we don’t often get our hands on with things? Often baking takes you back to a time and space in life where you have strong memories. It grounds us and gives us connection. All these senses stimulated help anchor the feelings of the here and now for you as a team.
Baking is good clean fun
It’s a simple and fun way to inject some humour into your workplace. Its, cheap and easy to bake a cake and everyone can get involved.
Baking for others feels good
Sharing is caring. Making others feels good with what you have created, putting smiles on their faces (unless the cake is dire in which case it’s more of a grimace). Enjoying others tae pleasure from your offering is a feeling that you can’t always create in work projects.
Baking is synonymous with celebration
The word cake is associated with a party. A fun place with lots of energy, laughter and happiness. Making your team feel like being at work is a celebration can’t be a bad thing.
Show us your bakes
Our Star Baker is yet to be decided as we still have 5 to bake but we have a front runner who has iced their way to the front of the baking pack.
While we wait to crown our champion here are some great bakes and showstoppers from the professionals at the GBBO. Tweet us your creations at @alivewithideas, we would LOVE to see them.
Useful links
