Experimental, flavoursome bakes are turning industry heads and challenging old expectations.
Surrey-based bakery Made by Adele, based in Hampton and run by baker Adele Hing, has won four awards at the Great Taste Awards for its boundary-pushing cakes. The bakery secured two coveted two-star awards for its black sesame, calamansi lime, and jasmine tea cake, as well as its lemon, elderflower, and blackcurrant variety.
Judges described the black sesame creation as "what a beauty," while calling the lemon, elderflower, and blackcurrant cake "technically stunning" and "harmoniously balanced."
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Ms Hing said: "I wasn’t sure how the Black sesame cake would be received, as it’s quite a unique flavour pairing. I knew once I'd finalised the recipe that I loved the combination and that was all that mattered to me at the time, but having this flavour making an impact in blind tasting at the highest level validates everything I continue to work for since I started the business.
"It’s a verification that food is about flavour and not necessarily appearance which is key in my industry sector.
"Great Taste awards are measured on taste, not looks and it is this criteria alone that is important to me. In the public eye, cakes are mostly judged first on how they look, and how they taste second.
"My products are there to flip this way of thinking on its head and Great Taste awards does just that."
Two other cakes—chocolate, orange and rosemary, and chocolate, tahini and salted caramel—each received one-star awards. The latest honours bring Made by Adele's total to 12 Great Taste Awards in four years.
Ms Hing founded the business in 2020 after more than 15 years in food development and operations, including roles at major retailers like Waitrose. Her micro-bakery produces cakes in small batches, using natural ingredients with no artificial colourings or preservatives.
Judges at the Great Taste Awards, which include more than 800 chefs, critics, and food writers, awarded a total of 4,286 products with one star, 1,596 with two stars, and 306 with the top three-star rating.
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