Croxley baker takes her treats to the Houses of Parliament

A baker from Croxley Green swapped the kitchen for the Houses of Parliament recently. Linda Anderson, who runs Filled with Love Cupcakes in the village, was invited to bake a cake for a special fair at the Palace of Westminster during Fairtrade Fortnight. The focus of the event, organised by Fair and Funky, was on banana production. Farmers are going out of business due to the supermarket price wars that have driven down the price of bananas whilst production costs have increased. A banana farmer from Colombia called Foncho was the face of the event and it was sponsored by MP Jason McCartney.  More than 50 MPs attended. Linda’s cake was a banana shape and baked with Fairtrade bananas, pineapple, Fairtrade walnuts, vanilla and cinnamon. She told My Croxley News: “Foncho was overwhelmed by its realistic appearance and Jason McCartney said it was the nicest banana cake he had ever had – coming back for a second slice.” The day consisted of workshops in which children were shown a short film about banana production before making a Fairtrade flag and signing a banana to place on a cardboard tree. Linda, who is also a freelance reporter for My Croxley News, uses Fairtrade ingredients in her baking business wherever possible. She said: “I believe that if something is cheap then somewhere further down the line someone else has had to pay. For many producers Fairtrade offers a way to support their families, afford healthcare and education, and enable them to live with dignity. But they also produce some of the best products I have tasted.” A campaign has been set up to fight the price wars and ensure every banana is a fair banana. To sign the petition visit http://foncho.fairtrade.org.uk/supporters/resources/petition-information/ Linda’s cakes are available from Coco Café in Croxley Green or Little Beans and Co in Chorleywood. For more on her work visit www.filledwithlovecupcakes.org