The Great British Bake Off fan favourite signs up as a judge for Worthing micropub The Brooksteed’s Christmas baking competition

For seven weeks, Lottie Bedlow from Littlehampton put the south coast on the televisual map with her tasty treats on The Great British Bake Off last year.

Lottie believes that baking is in her blood and cites her Lancastrian great-grandmother, who was a fervent cake baker, as the ancestor who gave her the culinary gene.

Now, she will be putting others in the spotlight when she helps decide the winners of The Brooksteed Christmas baking competition.

There are five categories, Christmas cake, gingerbread house, mince pie, freestyle Christmas bake and junior bake off, with winners revealed at The Brooksteed Christmas Fayre on Saturday, December 11.

It costs £5 to enter and Lottie will join Carol Hunter and Chris Aron Isted to judge the winners. Entries will be sold off during the market to raise money for Worthing-based charity Superstar Arts.

John Azzopardi, manager at The Brooksteed Alehouse, in South Farm Road, Worthing, said: “Let your imagination run wild, the sky is the limit. There are no size limits so your creation can be small and perfect or massive and amazing or anything in between.

“Entries are rolling in for our Christmas baking competition and our judges are ready and waiting to see your amazing Christmas creations.”

Entry forms are available at the micropub or by email to [email protected] and bakes must be dropped off at Worthing Boys Club, in Ivy Arch Road, Worthing, on the day of the fayre, by 10am at the latest.

The fayre will be at Worthing Boys Club from midday to 5pm, with live music, winter workshops, stalls and refreshments, including a mini beer festival featuring Merakai Brewing Co and UnBarred Brewery.

Bookings are being taken to visit Santa’s Grotto at brooksteedalehouse.co.uk/santasgrotto. The cost is £6 per child to include a five-minute talk with Santa, a present and a professional photo.