Doncaster chef encourages people to take part in virtual bake off using the ingredients from their cupboards

Kirk Wade, aged 33, from Thorne is a professional chef - due to the coronavirus he has not been at work at the restaurant Black Smith’s where he is the head chef.

He has been spending the last week at home cooking with his daughter Willow who is five years old - this has led to him hosting Doncaster’s first virtual bake-off this weekend.

He said: “I have been enjoying spending time in my own kitchen with my daughter - I usually work 60 to 70 hours a week so getting to spend so much time with her has been lovely.

“We have been doing a lot of baking and it got me thinking about other families.”

Kirk is asking people to get stuck in this Saturday, April 4 from 4pm onwards and to post photos of their bakes on Instagram with the hashtag #borisbakes.

His friend Steve Baggot fellow foodie helped him come up with the name to bring a little humour to the event.

Kirk will repost many of the baking photos to his Instagram page and be on hand to ask any baking-related questions.

“Just use whatever you have in the cupboards,” he continued.

“It doesn't have to be fancy but it’s a great way to get the kids involved and off the sofa.

“We’re sort of going backward in time and only cooking with what we’ve got in the house.

“I haven’t seen it as being locked in the house but more as an opportunity to spend time with my daughter.”

Kirk thinks that as he works in the restaurant business that he will not be going back to work any time soon but his partner Kirsty is a student nurse and has been fast-tracked into going into the field.

Kirk said: “We’re big advocates for mental health in this house and I believe doing activities to make you feel less stuck at home and staring at the walls is a must at the moment.”

You can find out more information on Kirk’s Instagram here.