Cast aside Masterchef, disregard the Great British Bake Off, the real kitchen clash of 2011 took place at the Can Cook Studios on Wednesday 21 September. Bolland & Lowe faced off with their culinary competitors at Morecrofts Solicitors in a bake off to promote the Macmillan World’s Biggest Coffee Morning which takes place on Friday 30 September in which the two companies are taking part.

Our lean, mean baking machines, John, Phil and Barbara went head to head with Helen, Sally and Pauline of Morecrofts in a fight to the death (by chocolate). Both teams had to whip up a cake, a biscuit and a pudding, one of which had to be gluten free, and hope that their efforts passed the taste test of the discerning Can Cook Studio chefs. You could cut the tension with a pallet knife as both teams took to their stations, sieves and whisks at the ready.

All was going well for Bolland & Lowe, we made a good start and even had time to take to Twitter in a gentle attempt to undermine our rivals’ confidence with some social media mind games, then we suffered our first setback. No microwaves meant Phil’s chocolate melting had to go old school, boiling water and a glass bowl forming his makeshift bain marie.

Minutes remained, cakes were carefully freed from their tins, biscuits served up and finishing touches applied. The tension returned as the judges tasted and deliberated, the X-Factor-esque silence before they delivered judgement only heightened the suspense. Despite our valiant efforts Morecrofts were declared the winners of the 2011 Merseyside Macmillan Annual Bake Off (this is the point where that Snow Patrol song usually plays as the director cuts between the jubilant winners and valiant, distraught runners up). We’d like to congratulate Helen, Sally and Pauline, but we’ll be back next year, ready and raring to claim that 2012 title!

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