Following a hotly contested live session at London’s renowned Divertimenti Cookery School, Charlotte Dibble from Oakham, Rutland, has been crowned the UK’s Best Office Baker.
The competition, organised by Zyliss, the innovative Swiss kitchenware brand, saw Charlotte go up against two other talented finalists to create her best version of a classic carrot cake in a live final at the school’s demonstration kitchen.
Charlotte, who works at Two Chimps Coffee, a coffee roastery in Oakham, impressed the panel of judges with her baking skills, creativity and passion for the job. A long-time baking enthusiast, she has long delighted her colleagues with creations that often incorporate her company’s specialty coffee, including her popular Tiramisu Cookies.
Charlotte’s winning bake stood out in front of a distinguished panel of judges, including award-winning food writer Jo Pratt, Divertimenti Cookery School’s Head Jules Kane, and Heidi Thomas, Head of Marketing at DK Household Brands, which includes Zyliss. The judges praised her for her technical skill, but also the unique flair she brought to the classic carrot cake challenge.
Commenting on her win, Charlotte said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have been chosen as this year’s UK’s Best Office Baker for 2024! Baking alongside the other talented finalists was such a fun experience, and I loved getting to know all the amazing people involved in the event. A big thank you to the judges, Zyliss, and the Divertimenti team for making it such an unforgettable day!
She added: “And I can’t forget about my amazing team at Two Chimps Coffee! They’ve been my biggest cheerleaders since day one. We even kicked off the celebration by eating the delicious carrot cake for breakfast – because why not, right?”
The competition, which began in October during National Baking Week, attracted entries from across the UK as office bakers submitted photos of their favourite creations. After a highly competitive selection process, Charlotte, alongside fellow finalists Natalie Steer from Witney, Oxfordshire, and Emma Greenslade from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, was chosen to compete in the live final.
Commenting on Charlotte’s win, Heidi Thomas, Head of Marketing at DK Household Brands, said: “We’ve been blown away by the talent and creativity we’ve seen throughout this competition. Charlotte’s enthusiasm, skill and originality shone through from the beginning, and we’re delighted to name her the UK’s Best Office Baker. We hope her win will inspire bakers everywhere to share their passion with the people around them – especially those colleagues lucky enough to be in an office with them!”
Food writer, Jo Pratt, also commented, saying: “All the bakers were so impressive especially given it was a brand new environment for them to cook in. Each of the participants threw themselves at the challenge and created stunning bakes. The competition was tight but Charlotte’s cake had an extra layer of finesse that made it stand out.”
As the newly crowned Best Office Baker, Charlotte received the Zyliss Baker’s Dozen Kit, a curated collection of 13 essential baking tools from the Zyliss range, designed to support home bakers in their culinary adventures, along with a signed copy of Jo Pratt’s cookbook. She’s also been invited back to judge next year’s efforts, as the brand looks to make Best Office Baker a staple of National Baking Week going forward.
To register your interest for next year’s Best Office Baker competition, please visit https://www.zylisscompetitions.com/ and for more information on Zyliss and its products please visit https://zyliss.co.uk/.
For more about Divertimenti Cookery School, please visit https://www.divertimenti.co.uk/pages/cookery-school.
