A very Yorkshire excuse to put the kettle on, bake something beautiful and help fund life-saving cancer research
There are few things Yorkshire does better than a proper brew, a good bake and rallying round for a cause that matters, so when Bettys and Yorkshire Cancer Research join forces, you already know it is going to involve something worth getting the cake stand out for.
This summer, the much-loved Yorkshire institution has teamed up with Yorkshire Cancer Research to support Yorkshire’s Big Brew, the charity’s fundraising campaign encouraging people across the region to host tea parties, coffee mornings, office bake-offs and kitchen-table gatherings to raise money for vital cancer research.
And the incentive? A rather special one, everyone who signs up to host a Big Brew will receive an exclusive Bettys Cookery School lemon tart recipe, created especially for the campaign. That means supporters can serve up a proper taste of Bettys at home while helping fund research and services that could save lives across Yorkshire.
A lemon tart with a purpose
This is not just any bake. It is a Bettys bake, the exclusive lemon tart recipe has been created by the award-winning Bettys Cookery School in Harrogate, giving home bakers the chance to make something elegant, bright and beautifully summery for their own Big Brew event.
Whether you are planning a coffee morning at work, a garden gathering with friends, a village hall fundraiser or simply inviting the neighbours round for tea and cake, the idea is simple: every brew, bake and butty helps raise money for cancer research in Yorkshire.
And let’s be honest, if you are going to ask people to part with a few quid for charity, offering them a slice of Bettys-inspired lemon tart is not exactly going to hurt.
Why Yorkshire’s Big Brew matters
The heart of this campaign is much bigger than cake, according to Yorkshire Cancer Research, every 15 minutes someone in Yorkshire is told they have cancer. The charity funds screening programmes, clinical trials and pioneering services designed to help prevent, detect and treat cancer earlier, when it is often easier to treat.
The press release highlights examples including the DOORstep trial, offering women in Hull free door-to-door transport to breast screening appointments, and the YORKSURe trial, which is exploring whether urine self-testing kits and community early-detection clinics can help identify bladder health problems, including cancer, earlier.
That is what makes Yorkshire’s Big Brew so powerful. It is not a complicated ask. It is ordinary people doing something simple, social and very Yorkshire, and that collective effort helps fund work that could make a real difference.
The personal story behind the campaign
One of the most moving parts of the campaign is the story of Ruth Burke-Kennedy from Saltaire, who has been part of the Bettys team for more than a decade.
Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 after noticing a change in her breast. Within a month of seeing her GP, she had surgery to remove the cancerous mass. Because the cancer was found early, she was able to receive treatment quickly, followed by five sessions of radiotherapy. Thankfully, she is now cancer free.
Ruth said: “I’m cancer free now, and that’s largely thanks to early diagnosis. I think it’s so important for people to recognise the importance of what Yorkshire Cancer Research does, by funding research that helps find cancer sooner.”
That is the bit that really lands. Campaigns like this are not abstract. They are about people. Families. Friends. Colleagues. The person stood next to you in the queue for a Fat Rascal. The person pouring your tea. The person you love.
Bettys Cookery School celebrates 25 years
The partnership also comes at a special time for Bettys Cookery School, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, since opening in Harrogate, the school has welcomed thousands of aspiring cooks and bakers from across Yorkshire for hands-on courses led by expert tutors. One of those experts is Lisa Bennison, Manager of Bettys Cookery School, who has worked with Bettys for nearly 40 years after first joining as a college intern in 1986.
Lisa described the lemon tart recipe as a way of sharing the school’s knowledge and enthusiasm for food with people across Yorkshire, while helping support the work of Yorkshire Cancer Research, It is a lovely fit. Bettys has always been about more than just food. It is about occasion, craft, hospitality and bringing people together. Yorkshire’s Big Brew taps into exactly that.
There is also a Bettys afternoon tea prize up for grabs
As if an exclusive Bettys lemon tart recipe was not enough, Yorkshire Cancer Research will also be launching a photo competition on its social media channels.
Budding bakers will be invited to show off their Big Brew creations, with the chance to win an Afternoon Tea for Four voucher at Bettys Tearooms in Harrogate or York. Entries will be judged by experts at Bettys, with the winner announced in September.
So yes, your lemon tart could potentially lead to more cake. That feels like the sort of circular logic we can fully support.
How to get the Bettys lemon tart recipe
To receive the exclusive Bettys lemon tart recipe, you need to sign up to host a Yorkshire’s Big Brew through the Yorkshire Cancer Research website.
Everyone who signs up will receive a free fundraising pack, which includes the recipe along with materials to help make their event feel the part, including balloons, bunting, cake flags and more.
You can host something as big or as small as you like. A full-on afternoon tea. A coffee morning at work. A cake sale. A few friends round the kitchen table. The point is not perfection. The point is showing up, raising what you can and helping fund research that matters.
A proper Yorkshire brew for a proper Yorkshire cause
Neil Preston, Director of Fundraising at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said Bettys was a fantastic fit for Yorkshire’s Big Brew, helping bring people together to raise funds for research and services that save lives. He added that every Big Brew will help create “a Yorkshire free from cancer.”
That is a big ambition, but it starts with small, very human moments.
A kettle boiling.
A cake being sliced.
Someone dropping a few pounds into a fundraising pot.
A conversation around a table.
And in this case, perhaps a homemade Bettys lemon tart sitting proudly in the middle.
So, if you have been looking for an excuse to bake, gather your favourite people and do something genuinely worthwhile, this is it.
Put the kettle on. Get the lemons out. Yorkshire’s Big Brew is calling.
