Green (Living) Review: Twitter Helps Celebrities Unite to Bake for the Ben Kinsella Trust

The Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry who is one of the UK’s best-known and respected cookery writers has agreed to write the foreword and contribute recipes

Celebrities, chefs and politicians are contributing their favourite baking recipes to the Celebrity Bake Book which supports The Ben Kinsella Trust.

Ben Kinsella was knifed to death in June 2008 in Islington. He was just 16 years old. His sister, Brooke Kinsella (who is an actress and was in EastEnders) and her family created The Ben Kinsella Trust to raise awareness about the growing problem of knife crime.

Later on this year Brooke will be launching a project to take a knife crime awareness exhibition to schools throughout the country. The intention is to educate children of all ages about the consequences of knife crime and what it can do to a family. The trust aims to educate children as young as primary school age in the difference between right and wrong and against ever picking up a weapon, be it through peer pressure, fear or simply believing it is cool. The Trust also hopes, one day, to build a youth centre in Ben’s name in Islington to help protect, support and nurture the kids on our streets.

The Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry who is one of the UK’s best-known and respected cookery writers has agreed to write the foreword and contribute recipes. Other well-known contributors include Home Secretary Theresa May, Jane Asher, Arlene Philips, Michel Roux Jr, Pearl Lowe, Lynda Bellingham, Denise Van Outen, Fearne Cotton, Gabby Logan, Lorraine Kelly, Edd Kimber and Katie Fforde.

The book is the idea of Linda Morris who contacted the celebrities via Twitter and asked if they would donate a recipe to her book. Mary Berry was the first to reply and dozens of others followed quickly. She was inspired to produce the book because of her family connections to Islington, where Ben Kinsella was murdered.

The book is being published by Accent Press who previously produced Food For Heroes (The Official Help for Heroes Cook Book) and East Meets West which raised money for Tsunami relief.

Hazel Cushion, Managing Director of Accent Press, said “This is such an important project and we are delighted to be involved. It is wonderful that Linda Morris already has so many key contributors and the interest from people wanting to be involved is astounding.”

The hardback book, priced at £14.99 (ISBN 9781908766502) will be published on 6th September 2012.

Contributors include:

Adam Simmonds
Aggie Mackenzie
Anita Rani
Annabel Karmel
Arlene Phillips
Atol Kochhar
Calum Best
Carrie Grant
Dean Edwards
Denise Van Outen
Edd Kimber
Emily Maitliss
Emma Forbes
Emma Freud
Eric Lanlard
Fearne Cotton
Gabby Logan
Gizzie Erskine
Glynis Barber
Hayley Tamaddon
Imogen Edward-Jones
Jane Asher
Jemma Kidd
Jenny Éclair
Joanne Wheatley
Julie Etchingham
Katie Fforde
Keri-ann Payne
Lauren Goodger
Linda Lusardi
Lorraine Kelly OBE
Lynda Bellingham
Mary Berry
Michel Roux Jr
Paul A. Young
Pearl Lowe
Sherrie Hewson
Simon Rimmer
Stacie Solomon
Stacie Stewart
Tania Bryer
Tracey Ann Oberman
Wendi Peters