THERE’S nothing more British than a cup of tea and a slice of home-baked cake, and that is on the menu at this year’s celebration of the countryside.

The Autumn Show is being held on Malvern’s Three Counties Showground on Saturday and Sunday.

The nation’s undisputed purveyor of the perfect Victoria sandwich, the WI, is teaming up with French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli for the Great Malvern Bake-Off.

It is the Gloucestershire Federation’s celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and families are being encouraged to put on their oven mitts and get baking.

There’s a baking through the ages theme, with classes to represent each decade of the Queen’s reign from the 1950s through to the new millennium.

The winner of the Jean- Christophe Novelli class will get to meet and cook with the man himself on stage at the show.

Sharon Gilbert of the Three Counties Agricultural Society, said: “The Bake-Off is a wonderful addition to this year’s programme of entertainment and a great way for anyone to pick up some top baking tips.”

The classes in the competition reflect recipes which have become synonymous with the last 60 years. They’re designed for everyone to have a go, no matter how old or how experienced and for those with an artistic streak, there’s a chance to let the imagination run wild to produce a stunning celebration cake fit for the Queen.

Application forms and schedules are available at threecounties.

co.uk/malvernautumn Other attractions include edible gardens, a Royal Horticultural Society flower Show and plant theatre, a harvest pavilion with monster vegetables, live landscaping demonstrations, a new Vintage Village area, native livestock, an artisan food market, exquisite crafts, horse boarding and llama agility, forestry and superb shopping.