National Baking Week - 14 - 20 October

There's something about baking that has always been closely connected with sharing. A cake brought into the office, biscuits offered with a cup of tea or something baked for a birthday can turn an everyday moment into a small occasion.

National Baking Week runs from 14–20 October and encourages people to get into the kitchen and bake, whatever their level of experience. The week began in 2007 and has since become an annual excuse to dust off the mixing bowls and rediscover the pleasure of baking.

Part of the appeal is the enormous variety. Bread, cakes, biscuits, pastries and pies all rely on different combinations of ingredients and techniques, and even familiar recipes can vary considerably from one baker to another.

There's also a surprising amount of science happening inside the mixing bowl and oven. Ingredients have particular jobs to do, measurements matter and changes in temperature, timing or technique can make the difference between a light sponge and a rather less successful one.

Perhaps that's why there's such satisfaction in getting it right.

Of course, you don't have to be the person doing the baking to appreciate the results. We see first-hand how quickly something sweet can bring people together. Deliver cakes to an office and it rarely takes long before someone puts the kettle on and people who have been sitting at their desks suddenly appear in the kitchen.

It's one of the reasons cakes and baked treats work so well for workplace occasions. They don't necessarily require a formal event. They can say happy birthday, congratulations, welcome to the team or thank you – or simply make an ordinary afternoon a little more enjoyable.

And while elaborate celebration cakes can be impressive, baking doesn't have to be complicated to be appreciated. Sometimes a familiar slice of cake, a good biscuit or a freshly baked pastry is exactly what you want.

If National Baking Week has put you in the mood for something sweet, you can always leave the baking to us. Our cakes and cookies are an easy way to treat the team, whether you're celebrating something special or simply making the afternoon tea break a little more tempting.

For those of us who spend our days preparing food for other people, there's something particularly nice about that. The work happens in the kitchen, but the enjoyable bit is knowing what happens when the food reaches the table.

National Baking Week celebrates the skill of baking, but perhaps just as importantly, it celebrates the pleasure of sharing the results.