Friday 24 September was Macmillan Coffee Morning, but we went one step further at Parkeray HQ by hosting our very own bake-off.

Our finance department took a break from crunching numbers to lend their discerning eyes and sense of taste as expert judges of the fantastic cakes made specially by our staff.

Who needs Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith when you have Adrian Grint and Jamie Walker as judges! Five amazing cakes were entered into the competition by our staff members Ivayla Ivanova, Lesley Brewster, Miru Zelalem, Natalie Watson and Phil Pierce. Up for the taste test was a range of delectable offerings including chocolate brownies, rocky road, peanut and chocolate chip muffins, fruity fairy cakes and an original traybake.

Deliberations were a tad more serious than your average office bake-off, with entries judged on presentation, taste and texture. An extended session saw the judges quickly retreat to Meeting Room 5, where they gathered their thoughts privately. After several minutes the winner was finally announced as Natalie Watson with her amazing traybake served with a dashing of custard. With tales of baking at 3 am for freshness, it received high praise for its fluffiness and icing and was a clear winner by the judges.

We were delighted to fundraise on the behalf of Macmillan by putting our own little twist on the coffee morning. Congratulations to Natalie and all the bakers who contributed. Until next year, keep baking.