THE great Colchester bake off saw a charity’s funds rise as quickly as competitors’ sponges.

Staff at Ingleton Wood, on the Colchester Business Park, donned pinnies to cook up a treat for guest judge, chef Patrik Minder.

The ‘bake off’ was part of the property and construction consultancy company’s charity tea party, set up to raise money for the Lymphoma Association, after one of their colleagues was diagnosed with the disease.

As well as the event in Colchester, Ingleton Wood held similar tea parties in its offices in Billericay, London and Norwich.

Company spokesman Katrine Isaac, said: “We had 25 entries in all to the bake off, with brownies, rocky road and sponges.

“The winner was Denise Behnke, who made a cake with rose petals. We raised a total of £650 in the Colchester office alone.”