What does SSC stand for? Super Sonic Cake of course!
by Martyn Davidson, BLOODHOUND Operations Director
A chance conversation at a recent regional meeting of the Chartered Management Institute between myself and Dorret Conway (latest series of Great British Bake-Off) focussed on a discussion about inspiring kids in schools. Since appearing on The Great British Bake-Off, Dorret has launched her own cake company, Cake to Cry for Ltd. She aims to create and commission cakes to meet customers' requirements, working with an extensive network of talented bakers and cake decorators. It transpires that the aim of “inspiration” is something we have in common with Dorret. This led to a further discussion about baking a BLOODHOUND car cake and using that as a tool to inspire children in a school in the North-West. After all, what is cooking and baking but chemistry!
A full suite of accurate pictures and logos were supplied to Dorret and her friend Louise Brimelow (Great British Bake-Off series 1). Louise manages the Preston Branch of the Cake Decorating Company. They were able to persuade the Chairman of Booths grocery store chain (also the new chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership) to donate the ingredients to the project. Booths are a prestige supermarket chain in the north-west. Construction started:-
The result:-
Dorret Conway and Louise Brimelow with their SSC.
The cake is 90% edible including printed logos with edible ink! (Who knew!!)
With the cake complete after extensive, extensive overtime by Louise and her team, the three of us met at Kirkham Grammar Primary School on the 21st April 2016. The cake on its sugar paste desert floor is a 4-person lift. The logistics of negotiating the Cake Decorating Company branch’s stairs, into a vehicle, then into the school, was a feat worthy of Britain’s Strongest Man!
Three pupils from each year were gathered together in the hall at tables. However, first up was a 10 minute presentation from me using the cake as a highly accurate model of the car. This was followed by a Q&A session, which was wide-ranging indeed, covering both technical and baking topics! The pupils then returned to their tables to create their sugar paste masterpieces of model Bloodhounds led by Louise. I vaguely wandered among the tables assisting the pupils with an air of culinary expertise which, in reality, is limited to tasting.
An unusual joint STEM and baking presentation!
A very industrious scene!
Photo courtesy Dorret Conway and Kirkham School
All the pupils received a poster as a prize.
From there we moved to the Secondary School site opposite to set-up our respective stands for the senior year Careers Fair. This was a large affair covering national and local employers, the armed services, police and fire, but also with an emphasis on a wide variety of apprenticeship options. The Chairman of Booths gave a welcome address; I also thanked him for donating all the ingredients of the day. With a Jaguar by the door and the cake in the foyer, both our stands were the centre of attention from pupils and parents alike.
With the Chairman, Mr E Booth, of Booths Supermarkets
Both stands complete their set-up
In the end, a long and busy day for everyone involved!
My thanks go to Mr Edwin Booth of Booths Supermarkets Ltd, Dorret Conway of Cake To Cry For Ltd, Louise Brimelow and her team from the Cake Decorating Company Ltd Preston Branch, and Michelle Trickle from Kirkham Grammar School.
