Cookies, Cupcakes and Christmas Cheer: The Annual Festive Bake Off

The annual Orchard Festive Bake-Off came to a delicious close earlier this month, and what a competition it was! With eleven homes taking part, the judges had their work cut out as creativity, teamwork, and festive spirit filled our homes.

This year’s challenge was no small feat: each home was tasked with baking and decorating 12 cupcakes and 12 cookies. And spoiler alert… every single entry sleighed.

Our Sunderland-based home, Archers Court, stayed true to tradition – and why not when it works so well? They presented beautifully iced Christmas tree cookies alongside classic vanilla buttercream cupcakes. Simple, festive, and perfectly executed.

Castleford Lodge brought the laughs with their snow people creations, complete with googly eyes, scarves, and tiny chocolate-chip cookie hats. Becky, their Activities Co-ordinator, told us residents had a little too much fun sampling the ingredients… which may explain why not all the cookies made it to the finish line!

Over at Chatsworth Lodge in Chesterfield, residents whipped up elegant tree-topped cupcakes finished with a gold star, paired with festive wreath cookies featuring a special candy cane twist.

Residents at Cherry Trees were determined to take home the star baker title. Their cupcakes were topped with white chocolate stars and plenty of ambition. Sheila, one of the residents, said she had a wonderful time baking and decorating - and has already put herself forward for the judging panel next year!

 Green Lodge took a traditional and well-loved chocolate chip cookie and decorated it simply brr-illiantly, topping it with an adorable marshmallow to look like a snowman.

Meanwhile, Green Park wowed us with their attention to detail and impressive symmetry. Their mini Christmas tree cookies and fondant-topped cupcakes were so pretty they almost looked too good to eat - almost.

At Middleton Park Lodge, bakers got creative with double chocolate cookies cleverly transformed into Christmas puddings - an ingenious and very festive idea.

Paddock Stile Manor raised the bar with cupcakes topped with fresh fruit and candy canes, bringing a fresh and colourful twist to the competition.

Residents at Paisley Lodge rolled up their sleeves to create Christmas tree sugar cookies alongside delicate snowflake cupcakes - a real team effort with delicious results.

Riverdale truly pulled out all the stops. From decorative snowman cupcake cases to vibrant icing and sprinkles, their bakes were full of flair. Fortnum & Mason… eat your heart out.

And now…. drumroll please…. We’re pleased to present to you the winners of the 2025 festive bake-off: Eaton Court

Residents at our Grimsby-based home impressed the judges with 12 perfectly matched chocolate Rudolph the Reindeer cupcakes, complete with his iconic bright red nose, alongside 12 beautifully decorated Christmas pudding cookies. Finished with icing and festive green, white and red sprinkles, their bakes were packed with Christmas cheer and attention to detail.

Jason Hunter, Catering Lead and one of the judges, said: “All the entries were outstanding, and the competition was incredibly close. We had a really hard time choosing the winner. It was clear how much time, care, and effort went into every bake. A huge thank you to all our colleagues and residents who took part - you’ve wowed us with your skills and truly captured the spirit of the season. You should all be incredibly proud.”

A huge congratulations to Eaton Court and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s Festive Bake-Off. You made it truly magical.

If you’d like to find out more about any of our homes, click the link below.