It’s mince pie bake off day today with celebrity judge Lesley Waters.

Helen Fisher, from the Beaminster School Association, said this is the fourth year the fundraiser has been run and every year the creations get bigger, better and more elaborate.

Last year Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall judged the 100 or so entries – and selflessly tried every one.

Mrs Fisher said: “This will be our fourth year, last year Hugh judged them, the year before that we had Heather Upham from Beaminster’s Fancy That cake shop and the year before Lynette Fisher from Le Vieu Four in Beaminster.

“We’ve always sold mince pies at the Christmas fair and would often buy them in or ask for donations.

“Our bake off started around the time the great British Bake Off was beginning to be a bit of a sensation and we thought there are a lot of terrific bakers in Dorset being such a foodie region so let’s cash in on that and get the children baking and sell the winning ones at a premium at the fair.

“So a ‘best in show’ pie sells at a £1 a piece, otherwise I think they are about 20p.”

“The pupils really have embraced this and the competition has gone from strength to strength.

“Having celebrity judges like Hugh and Lesley does help and the judges always supply such lovely prizes, which is very generous.

“We have had people making original Victorian recipes using real mincemeat, we have all the unusual pastries, some children go so far as to make a whole decorative scene, so the displays have also come on in recent years.

“It does help if the judge likes mince pies. Hugh was a particular fan and genuinely did try every single pie that was submitted. It took him a good hour and a half and he commented on each one.”

Pupils have to write a description of how they made their pies and staff can enter as well. Lesley will be at the school to judge this morning and awarding prizes at 11am.

The pies will be sold in aid of the Beaminster School Association at Beaminster Public Hall tomorrow evening during the town’s Christmas festivities.