Women in England are having their cake and eating it too, together, thanks to the numerous Baking Clubs that have sprouted all over the country. These clubs are bringing together art, therapy, and creativity together, offering a chance to interested men and women to share baking recipes and enjoy each other’s company while  sharing interesting anecdotes and stories about each other’s daily lives. These classes have managed to change the way English men and women look at their lives. Read on to know how:

1) It is Really Fun!

Members of these baking clubs find it fun to select recipes, bake them, and then share them with complete strangers, at a designated place at periodic intervals. One such member said, “It (baking clubs) allows me to switch off, to drift into my own little world. It really is like playing and it takes you back to your own childhood, to baking things with your mum.”  

2) It is Soothing!

Nostalgia is not the only reason why men and women are being drawn towards this group activity.  The fact that baking allows them to escape the mundane part of their daily lives is also a strong cause behind this emerging trend. Participants are finding baking at home and, then, sharing the baked items with their baking group colleagues as therapeutic.

3) It is Selling!

Besides these emotional reasons, the rising popularity of these baking groups is also manifesting itself in the sales figures, as presented by various companies. Sample these stats – Lakeland has started selling a third more baking products in the last one year; John Lewis has sold 40% more mixing bowls, and; Mintel reported that 36% people had stopped buying cakes and cookies from the market and, instead, are making their own.

4) It is Catching Up! 

When you have such diligent and delicious-looking chefs working wonders with baking on television, there is no way you can resist the temptation to adopt this pastime as wel. Television programs and personalities like Lorraine Pascale’s ‘Baking Made Easy’, Eric Lanlard’s ‘Baking Mad’, Nigella Lawson’s “Christmas Cooking”, and whatever one may say about her, Paula Deen, are contributing to this rising trend, inspiring a whole new generation of home-style bakers.

5) It is Interactive!

One of the baking group members said, “Baking is a wonderful thing to do with children. It’s very interactive and it’s easy for children to get their hands stuck in. It gets them playing and, of course, they get to eat the end result. I baked with my niece recently and we were side by side with a rolling pin each, which was very exciting for her.”

The UK baking sector is set to boom further with no less help from the fact that about 28% of British are baking at home at least once every week. Besides plain chatting, the members of these baking groups exchange recipes, share successes and disasters, and, of course sample each others’ creations, all at one place. In short, the UK baking groups are bringing art, therapy, and creativity together in a smooth blend. In case you want to get started on home-baking before joining the clubs try the top 10 baking tips.

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