By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to empower young women and celebrate Sierra Leone’s rich culinary and cultural heritage, Zainab PYF Turay, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mabel’s Cottage Pastry Store, has on Wednesday 30th April, 2025 officially launched the second edition of the National Cake Festival Competition. The launch event took place at her pastry store on Cockle Bay, off Sir Samuel Lewis Road, Aberdeen in Freetown.
Held under the theme: “A Good Way to Get Teenage Girls Off the Street,” the festival aims to use baking as a tool for empowerment, creativity and economic opportunity, especially for girls and young women. The main event is scheduled to take place on the 6th to 8th November 2025, with the proposed venue being Youyi Building in Freetown.
Speaking at the launch, Zainab PYF Turay said the initiative was borne out of a passion to highlight the talent of Sierra Leonean bakers and to elevate the status of baking in the country.
“Baking is an art and a craft, not just standing behind an oven,” she said. “Sierra Leone has great talents that need to be recognized and this festival is a platform to showcase them.”
Now in its second edition, the festival will not only feature a cake competition but also serve as a cultural exhibition, allowing participants to showcase traditional foods, crafts and customs from various ethnic groups in Sierra Leone.
To participate as a baker, contestants are required to pay a registration fee of Le500, while cultural exhibitors will pay Le1, 500 for a booth to display and sell traditional items strictly non-European and authentically Sierra Leonean.
One of the unique highlights of the event is the grand prize: a fully-sponsored trip to Abuja, Nigeria, including accommodation at a five-star hotel and a two-week pastry and culinary training course. According to Zainab PYF Turay, judges for the competition will include both international professionals from Europe and the United States, as well as the event audience, who will have voting power.
“It’s a two-way competition,” she noted. “We want the people to have a say as well it’s not just about what the judges think.”
While the second and third place prizes have not yet been disclosed, Zainab PYF Turay promised they would also be significant, adding to the excitement and competitive spirit of the event.
She concluded with a passionate appeal to Sierra Leonean bakers:
“It’s time to put Sierra Leone on the map when it comes to baking. We want the world to know that we have talents here.”
Organizers expect the festival to draw wide participation from bakers, cultural groups and the public
, making it a landmark event for both culinary arts and cultural celebration in Sierra Leone.
