Fair Ways Bake Off 2026 

Fair Ways Bake Off 2026 brought together young people from across our services to showcase their creativity, confidence and baking skills. With 13 fantastic entries and support from community partners, this year’s event was a true celebration of achievement and teamwork. 

This year’s Fair Ways Bake Off was another fantastic celebration of creativity, effort and achievement, bringing together young people from across our services for a truly special event. 

From delicious cheesecakes to beautifully decorated sponge cakes, each bake reflected the time, care and creativity that had gone into it, making it a real challenge for our judges to choose the winners. 

Celebrating Every Achievement 

At Fair Ways, the Bake Off is about so much more than baking. It’s an opportunity for young people to build confidence, develop new skills and take pride in what they’ve created. 

We were so proud of every single entry this year. The enthusiasm, effort and willingness to get involved was clear to see, and each participant should feel incredibly proud of what they achieved. 

Events like this highlight the importance of recognising individual strengths and celebrating progress, no matter how big or small. 

A Tough Job for Our Judges 

With such a high standard across all 13 entries, judging was no easy task! 

We were delighted to welcome guest judges this year, Becki Simmons from Spark Community Centre and Bill Sainsbury from Portsmouth City Council, who brought their expertise and enthusiasm to the event. 

There were five award categories this year, as well as an Overall Winner. 

The Best Tasting Bake was awarded to Ollie from Hider for his Biscoff cheesecake. The judges were extremely impressed, not only did it look fantastic, but the buttery base was perfectly balanced with a rich and indulgent Biscoff cream that was a real taste sensation. The audience were eager to try it, and it was completely gone by the end. 

The Best Decorated Cake went to Matty from Garden House for his beach-themed creation. Presented on a large tray with detailed sand and beach effects, it was both creative and eye-catching. The addition of jelly babies relaxing on sunbeds and beach umbrellas added a fun and memorable touch. 

The Best Young Person Involvement award went to Evie and Layla from GLADE Totton. They impressed the judges from the very beginning, arriving in mechanic outfits alongside their Disney Cars-themed display. Their three cakes (Lightning McQueen, Mater, and a tyre) were fantastic, full of creativity and detail. They also presented a video which had the judges smiling. 

A Special Recognition Award was presented to Vicki from Fostering, who created an amazing owl cake that was beautifully and skilfully decorated with buttercream and fondant. 

Another Special Recognition Award went to Emily from All Seasons. Emily produced a fantastic cake at the last minute after her original cake was accidentally damaged, showing real resilience and determination. 

The Best Presentation award was given to Brandon from GLADE Eastleigh for their Rubik’s Cube-style cake. This impressive bake wowed the judges, with its colourful, checkered sponge inside, excellent flavour and wonderful fondant figures. They also presented a fantastic video that had both the judges and audience laughing. 

The Overall Winner was David from Stamshaw, with a spectacular Victoria sponge filled with cream and fruit and generously topped with fresh fruit. It was beautifully presented, incredibly moist, and full of flavour. An outstanding bake that impressed on every level. 

Looking Ahead 

A huge thank you to everyone who took part, supported and helped make this year’s Bake Off such a success. 

We’re already looking forward to next year and if this year is anything to go by, we know the bar will be set even higher!