Great British Bake Off Star Judges Residents’ Baking Creations At Gillingham Care Home

A star of the Greatest British Bake Off visited a Gillingham care home to judge the residents’ best bakes.

Carole Edwards appeared on Season 13 on Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off in 2022. The popular baker visited residents and their families at Fern Brook Lodge care home to taste 19 different bakes while the home’s chef, Louise, kept the scores.

The colourful creations were split into categories for residents, relatives, and the care home team with Carole enjoying a host of flavours including Dorset apple cake, shortbread, Victoria sponge and Welsh rarebit muffins. Afterwards, Carole took a tour of the care home, which is part of the Care South family, to view the facilities and to meet some of the other residents, as well as the home’s kitchen team.

Carole said: “They all did very well. It was great to see what the residents had made. Some of the bakes looked very professional. I’ve had a lovely time at Fern Brook Lodge. It’s a beautiful home and everyone I have met is so warm and friendly. It seems to be a very well-run home.”

Fern Brook Lodge resident, Joy, loved watching Carole taste the cakes in the home’s largest communal lounge known as The Brook. Afterwards she said: “I enjoyed it very much. It was very good. I like baking and always used to make a Victoria sponge cake for my family to have after a roast dinner.”

Deb Wiltshire, Home Manager, said: “At Fern Brook Lodge, good nutrition and hydration is an important part of the care we provide every day. Our kitchen team produce homely, delicious meals that support the health and wellbeing of the residents in our care, and our activities team aim to encourage the residents to enjoy various food and drink-related events whenever possible. The residents in our care were thrilled to welcome Carole into our care home and already looking forward to seeing her again after she promised to come and see us again in the summer.”