FORGET book clubs. It's bake clubs that are on the rise.

Now Annette Langley-Tayler is hoping she has the right recipe for success when she launches the Bournemouth Bake Club later this month.

The mother of three who runs Annette's Makes and Bakes from her home in Talbot Woods, is inviting budding bakers to get together once a month and take part in competitions for the best cake.

She told Taste: "My grandmother taught me how to bake - she was an amazing cook and she taught me how to make pastry and cakes.

"I've got three daughters and I always made cakes for their birthdays and then friends would ask me to bake cakes for their kids and it went from there. But it can be quite anti-social. Sometimes I'm working until 3 or 4 in the morning so I thought a bake club would be a good way to get like-minded people together."

Annette who used to work in IT until she launched her full-time cake making business, is keen to get more people baking.

"Everyone loves these TV bake shows so I thought it would be a good way to encourage more people to start cooking again, because modern life is very stressful and it's too easy just to stick a convenience meal in the microwave.

But these processed meals often contain large amounts of sugar, fat and salt and use a lot of packaging too.

"I'm happiest when I am making or decorating a cake or cooking dinner for the family."

Annette has set up her own Facebook page where people can exchange recipes and tips.The first meeting of the Bournemouth Bake Club will be at the Dean Park Inn in Wimborne Road on Tuesday August 18 at 7pm.

She added: "We will have a new theme every month. This time it is white chocolate and raspberry - you can literally bake anything with these as the main ingredients. We will also have savoury themes at a later date and an independent judge who will decide on first, second and third place.

"There is no prize money or anything like that, just the fun of having your creation recognised as the tastiest. It will be a great way of making new friends and having a fun evening tasting all the creations as we will get to eat them after the judging has taken place!"

For more information, email Annette at freespirit111063@gmail.com