A Slice of Kindness: Mako’s Charity Bake-Off Raises £1,169 for Food Security and Hunger Relief

On Thursday 5 June, the Mako London office transformed into a scene worthy of The Great British Bake Off - only this one came with a sharper mission: raising funds to fight food poverty. The Mako Foundation’s Annual Charity Bake-Off brought together colleagues, creativity, and cake in equal measure, resulting in £1,169 raised for the foundation's 2025 charity theme: Food Security and Hunger Relief. With aprons tied and mixers whirring, our staff went above and beyond - some spending several hours in the kitchen and running test batches ahead of the big day. Every entry was made with care, flair and, yes, love. As a result, we had a table of dazzling bakes and an atmosphere buzzing with admiration, laughter and generosity.

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🏆 This Year's Winners

• Overall Winner: The exquisite Strawberry & Pistachio Tart 🍓 stole the show with its elegant piping, vibrant colour and beautifully balanced flavour. The overall winner also had the honour of selecting this year’s charity recipient - the money donated will go to: City Harvest.
• Winning Bidder + Best Presentation: The brilliantly designed Sweet Surprise cake - shaped like a gift box 🎁 and topped with fresh raspberries and fondant ribbon, not only earned the highest bid in the “Guess the Winner” contest but was also crowned Best Presented Bake.
• Best Taste: A Patch Made in Heaven, a whimsical carrot cake 🥕 with cream cheese icing, Oreo “dirt” crust, and edible moss and carrots, delighted the judges and earned the top spot for flavour.
• Most Creative: Veggie Snack Patch, an edible garden 🌱 featuring chocolate “soil” in mini pots and tiny fondant vegetables, won over hearts (and stomachs) with its creative concept and sustainable theme.

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🎂 The Full Menu of Marvels

Every other bake told its own story, and all of them deserve recognition:

🍫 Amster-damn Good Brownies – Rich, fudgy brownies speckled with crunchy surprises and tiny Dutch flags. Fun, indulgent and full of character.

🍯 Medovik (Russian Honey Cake) – A nostalgic layered cake dusted with golden crumb. Humble in looks, spectacular in flavour.

🍑 Plum Frangipane Tart with Plum Compote – A rose-shaped masterpiece of carefully placed plum slices atop a tender almond filling, spelling out “MAKO” in pastry.

🦈 Jaw-some Carrot Cake – A carrot cake adventure under the sea, with buttercream waves and fondant sharks breaching from seaweed. Part cake, part cartoon.

🍇 Blueberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake – A velvety, no-bake cheesecake topped with white chocolate shavings and a rich layer of blueberry.

🍋 La Framboise au Citron – Raspberry and lemon bundt cake, drizzled with icing and sprinkled with zest. Bright, fragrant and French-inspired.

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‍💖 A Community Effort

The funds were raised through a £10 'Buy to Try' all-access tasting donation and our spirited 'Guess the Winner' bidding contest, with every penny set aside to be donated to charity. The generosity didn’t end with the baking. We want to offer heartfelt thanks to:

• Every baker who donated their ingredients, time, energy (and ovens!) to create their masterpieces.
• Our judging panel - made up of a Mako Foundation trustee, a special guest, and two Mako staff members selected via a baking quiz.
• Everyone who donated to taste or bid, who showed up in the spirit of giving, and with an appetite.

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🌎 Where the Funds Will Go: City Harvest

This year’s chosen recipient is City Harvest, a London-based food charity that rescues surplus food and distributes it to more than 130,000 people each week. With a mission to rescue food, people, and the planet, City Harvest is a lifeline for food banks, schools, domestic abuse refuges, hostels, mental health projects and more. By redistributing this food, they provide over 1.3 million meals a month, reduce waste and carbon emissions, and support the UK's most vulnerable communities - all while operating entirely free of charge for the organisations they supply.

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🍰 A Bake-Off to Remember

At Mako, the annual bake-off is about connection, creativity and collective impact. Thank you to everyone who contributed, tasted, judged and supported. Together, we’ve proven that a little sweetness can go a long way.

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