A Great British Bake Off star visited a Gillingham care home to taste test mince pies and enjoy Christmas carols with the residents.

Carole Edwards, who appeared on Season 13 on Channel 4’s ‘The Great British Bake Off’ in 2022, visited Fern Brook Lodge to test mince pies baked by the residents and staff.

While Carole took part in the taste test, alongside Claire Davies, Deputy Manager at Fern Brook Lodge, the Gillingham Singers performed. The choir sang a range of Christmas carols including Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Silent Night at the care home on Fern Brook Lane to help residents to get into the festive spirit.

Following the event, Carole said: ‘It was a very sweet, very festive event and there was a real sense of community at Fern Brook Lodge with the Gillingham Singers performing. I think the residents and staff did very well with their festive baking. There were no soggy bottoms on the mince pies, as Mary Berry would say, and the quality was very good.’

Carole is a great friend of Fern Brook Lodge, having previously attended the care home’s own Bake Off competition as well as their summer fayre. Residents at the care home have enjoyed a host of festive activities in the lead-up to Christmas including baking and decorating a gingerbread house, Elf Day in aid of Alzheimer’s Society, Christmas Jumper Day, a visit from local charity, Teddy 20, with their Christmas sleigh, a Christmas lights switch-on event, and visits to see local garden centre displays.

Deb Wiltshire, Home Manager for Fern Brook Lodge, said: ‘The residents were thrilled to welcome Carole to the home to taste test the mince pies and offer up some baking top tips. We also got into the festive spirit with music provided by the beautiful voices of the Gillingham Singers, who gave such a wonderful performance.

‘It was a truly heartwarming day filled with Food, Fun and Friendship and the joy of the season. We are so grateful to Carole for joining us and sharing her expertise, and to the Gillingham Singers for spreading so much Christmas cheer.’

Fern Brook Lodge, which is part of not-for-profit charity, Care South, provides residential, respite, and dementia care. A dedicated activities team organise a daily programme of events to bring residents together to socialise and build friendships.

Care South is a leading provider of high quality residential and home care services across the south of England. The not-for-profit organisation, which is a registered charity, has care homes in Dorset, north Devon, Somerset and West Sussex, and home care offices covering east and west Dorset, and northeast Somerset and south Somerset.

For more information about the care services available, go to care-south.co.uk or call Care South on 01202 712410.