Let’s bond over baking
Bake Off stars Manon Lagreve, Syabira Yusoff and Lizzie Acker are encouraging us to make friends over festive bakes. JANE HAASE finds out more
A NEW campaign is encouraging us to chat to our neighbours and say ‘Mince hi’ this festive season.
In response to worrying news that a third (33%) of UK adults have cut back on socialising due to high living costs, Eden Project Communities wants people to reach out and say hello in their community using mince pies or other festive food.
Backing the call is Great British Bake Off star and chef Manon Lagreve, who appeared on the show in 2018.
She says: “Sharing food is an amazing way to start conversations, find common ground and celebrate together, and there’s no better time to do it than during the festive season.
“This year, I’m backing the Winter Warmer campaign and calling on people to grab a plate of mince pies, knock on their neighbour’s door and spread some festive cheer!”
Manon has shared a recipe for a three-chocolate Christmas log or as it is called in her home country, Trois-chocolats Bûche de Noël.
She explains: “There is not a Noël without a Bûche – many Bûches, in fact – in our family. It is the traditional Christmas cake in France, and we stick to that tradition with absolute delight.
“Everyone has their favourite, and mine is a three-chocolate version – dark-chocolate genoise, white chocolate mousse and milk chocolate whipped ganache.”
Both Lizzie Acker who took part in the twelfth series of Bake Off in 2021, and Syabira Yusoff, winner of the 2022 Great British Bake Off, are also supporting the campaign.
Syabira says: “We all know that mince pies are a festive staple, but did you know they taste so much better when they’re enjoyed over a cuppa and a chat with a neighbour?
“Whether you use a family recipe, create a twist on the classic or pick up a box from the shop, I hope that people across the UK are inspired to join in and say ‘hi’ with a mince pie this winter.”
■ Eden Project Communities is sharing a menu of Winter Warmer ideas to help bring people together, celebrate local connections and light up our communities. Visit Edenprojectcommunities.com for more recipes, free guides, and downloadable resources