Bethan (9) to raise dough with recipe book
A BUDDING baker is on a fundraising mission to help others with her weekly bake sales and her new recipe book,
Bethan Smith, from Drumnadrochit, started her Tasty Tuesday bake sale as part of personal development at the school and after raising £100 she was determined to make a family cook book for charity.
Bethan, who turned nine yesterday, collected family recipes, typed them out and annotated them before having them printed by the school. Her 12-year-old sister Megan has helped design the front cover.
Bethan struggles with her dyslexia in school but the charity work has given her an opportunity to learn in a practical setting – which suits her perfectly.
Her mum Amanda Luscombe-Smith is very proud of all her daughter has achieved. She said: "It started as a personal project at the school. She finds reading, writing and spelling harder but in her mind this fundraising makes a difference – she is just a doer that is how she learns best."
She started helping her mother from a very young age and even as a toddler had an interest in rolling pastry.
Mrs Luscombe-Smith said: "It has really helped her confidence and self-esteem and it has given her an opportunity to shine in school.
"Everyone in Balnain Primary School has been amazing, from helping with her bake sales to the recipe book."
Hard-working Bethan bakes on Sunday and Monday evenings so that she has enough cakes for her Tasty Tuesday sales.
The money raised from her baking is given back to the school’s fund but the sale of her book will be split between Cancer Research and Plan International UK.
The cancer charity means a lot to Bethan after losing her aunt Karen to the disease.
Plan International UK is a children’s charity that fights for the rights of children and equality for girls across the globe. Bethan became aware of it after seeing a TV advert showing the hardships of little girls overseas.
Bethan said: "I don’t think children should be made to marry people, I think they should go to school."
She has high hopes for her future career as a baker.
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"Me and my best friend Connie are going to open a café called Connie’s Cakes and Bethan’s Bakes," she said. "We might open it in Milton or Drum."
There are also plans for future recipe books. Bethan added: "I have lots more recipes so I will hopefully do another one next year. Right now lemon drizzle cake and lemonade are my favourites – I like lemon things."
Bethan was particularly busy this week baking for her own birthday picnic but she hopes that people enjoy her recipes which include some of her favourites from her Tuesday’s bake sales, as well as mains, puddings, smoothies and drinks.
