Cathy bakes up a storm to win top award

During lockdown Cathy baked for local residents and the sometimes overlooked services, such as the post office and pharmacies.

“I wanted to bring a little happiness to those who need it at a time when everyone was feeling blue,” said Cathy. “To see the smiles on people’s faces when my red cart pulled up at their door filled me with joy.”

In normal times, the Awards celebrate the bread; hundreds of loaves would be delivered for assessment by a panel of esteemed judges. Instead, in a special edition for 2020, the Awards recognise the people behind the loaves: the bakers, millers and farmers.

Hundreds of nominations for the Bread Heroes were sent in from across the UK. “All the nominees in this year’s Awards truly deserve recognition for their generous, considerate and often altruistic initiatives to help others,” said Stephen Hallam, Chairman of the Judges.

Twelve regional winners were selected by the judging panel. One of the judges, Emma Freud, Executive Producer Comic Relief, said: “These nominees were so well found - each of them have done remarkable things for their communities, using their talent with bread to make life easier for people who need support. It was a seriously tough choice, but I am confident we got the right winners.”

“The efforts of the bread community during these challenging times have been truly inspiring,” said Scott Goodfellow, Joint Managing Director, Tiptree. “We are delighted that this year’s Awards have been able to shine a light on their incredible endeavours.”