The brand new development on the historic Apley estate opened on 31st March and is already enjoying great success, welcoming visitors from across Shropshire and beyond.

Dust off your apron, find your wooden spoon, and crack a few eggs…
Home cooks of all abilities and all ages are invited to bring your homemade cake or cakes along to Apley before 10.30am on 16th April. Prizes for the winners include Mary Berry cookbooks. You might choose to make a classic Victoria sponge, or a gooey chocolate cake, or maybe you’ll have a go at cupcakes – always great fun for children to decorate!

The Apley Big Bake is part of the new farm shop’s Spring Food Fair. During the day Mary Berry will be meeting customers, sharing baking tips and doing cookery demonstrations, as well as judging the competition. “We’re really looking forward to this event” said Farm Shop manager Frances Bowen. “We want everyone to have a go at making a cake – even if you’ve never baked before! You can get cooking with the children, or use your favourite cake recipe – the main thing is to have a go, and bring your cake, or even cakes, along on the 16th. However your cake turns out, big or small, fruity or flat, we’d love you to enter it!

Mary Berry, besides being known to millions through her recent series, Great British Bake Off on BBC 2, and various other shows, is the writer of forty-eight popular cookbooks, many of which deal with family cookery and some exclusively with cakes and desserts. She often makes guest appearances on Woman’s Hour, had a regular cookery slot on BBC Radio 2’s Debbie Thrower Programme, and she takes part in local radio phone-in programmes. Mary has been cookery editor of Ideal Home and was a member of the Council of Food from Britain.

During 2011 Mary will be returning to BBC2 as a judge in the second series of the Great British Bake-Off, and she’s also appearing in a Royal Wedding Special of the show.

Mary said of her forthcoming visit to Apley “My passions are baking and British local food so I am really looking forward to coming to Shropshire and judging the competition and meeting the people who’ve entered. A fun day out for all the family.”