A Recipe For Success: The Great Meallmore Bake Off 2025

We're absolutely thrilled to share some wonderful news from our Meallmore Community. Caitlyn Mckenzie, a talented kitchen assistant at Crimond House Care Home in Fraserburgh, has been crowned champion of our 2025 Meallmore Bake Off competition – and what a victory it was!

Her show-stopping creation? An incredibly clever pie and mash cake that had everyone doing double-takes. This wasn't just any ordinary bake – it was a masterpiece of culinary illusion that captured the hearts (and taste buds) of voters across Scotland.

The People's Choice

With over 750 public votes cast, Caitlyn's ingenious design clearly struck a chord. The competition saw entries from ten of our 27 care homes across Scotland, with colleagues and residents joining forces to showcase their creativity and baking prowess in this much-loved annual tradition.

What made this year particularly special was seeing how our Meallmore community came together – from kitchen staff perfecting their techniques to residents adding those all-important finishing touches that make each creation truly unique.

The Art of Edible Deception

At just 21 years old, Caitlyn – who's also studying Food Nutrition and Textiles Education at the University of Highlands and Islands – set herself quite the challenge. Her goal was simple yet ambitious: create a cake that would completely fool the eye.

The result was nothing short of spectacular. Her chocolate layer cake featured fondant icing expertly coloured to mimic pastry, while rich, glossy chocolate sauce played the part of gravy to perfection. The 'mashed potato' was crafted from smooth butter icing, and even the vegetables were lovingly shaped from fondant. Every detail was considered, every element designed to blur the line between savoury comfort food and sweet indulgence.

Aberdeenshire's Baking Powerhouse

This year's competition proved that Aberdeenshire is home to some serious baking talent, with all three top spots going to homes in the region. Kynnaird House in Fraserburgh claimed second place, while Auchtercrag House in Ellon rounded out the top three.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

The entry from Kynnaird House perfectly embodied the collaborative spirit that makes our care homes so special. Kitchen assistant Kasia Dollberg crafted the vanilla and cream sponge, while residents took centre stage with the decorating, supported by Care Home Manager Roselle Alberto and Activities Coordinator Chelsey Masson. Their creation celebrated a culture and diversity event at the home, showing how baking can bring communities together and honour shared experiences.

A Labour of Love

Over at Auchtercrag House, residents played a vital role in bringing their highland cow masterpiece to life. Activities coordinator Julie Crossen spent hours perfecting the four-layered chocolate cake and covering it in rich chocolate buttercream, while residents got creative with fondant, crafting the cow's distinctive hair and delicate flower decorations. The entire project took seven dedicated hours from start to finish – a true testament to the patience and care that goes into everything we do.

Words from Our Winner

Commenting on her win, Caitlyn said: "I wanted to make something fun and completely unexpected, so creating a cake that looked like pie and mash felt like the perfect challenge. I'm over the moon to have won, especially knowing how many incredible entries there were from across Scotland. It's been a joy to share this with my colleagues and residents – they've all been so supportive and excited about the result."

Celebrating Our Meallmore Spirit

Jody Marshall, Group Hospitality Manager at Meallmore, said: "The annual Meallmore Bake Off competition is one of the highlights of the year for us. It's always fantastic to see the wonderful team spirit across the homes, as well as the incredible baking skills and creativity. This year's winners were as inspirational as ever. We were blown away by Caitlyn's pie and mash design – it was hard to believe it was actually cake! And we loved seeing the brilliant teamwork involved in the creations at Kynnaird and Auchtercrag. We've got a truly talented bunch in our homes – both in the team and our residents. It's a joy to see this on display. Well done, everyone!"

This competition beautifully showcases what makes Meallmore special – the creativity, dedication, and genuine care that flows through everything we do. From our talented team members to our wonderful residents, everyone contributes to making our homes places where people can truly flourish and celebrate life's sweet moments together.