Sixteen- to 24-year-olds are the main driving force behind the upsurge in interest in baking, according to a new survey by Leisure Range Cookers. Over 1,500 people polled in the UK and Ireland showed that the younger generation were six times more likely to bake something from scratch every day, compared to any other age group. The survey also revealed that a third of those polled said they were inspired by television programmes, such as the recently screened BBC show The Great British Bake-Off.

The top items to bake were: apple pie, Victoria sponge cake, fairy cakes/cupcakes, chocolate brownies, and cheesecake. Chocolate brownies and flapjacks appealed almost equally to both men and women. The top five baking regions were the north east, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Midlands, and the south west. The study was published to coincide with National Baking Week (17-23 October).