Cake ban ... mum Kirsty Hippolite and daughter, Georgie, told they couldn't sell home-made cakes
Solent News & Photo Agency
A SCHOOLGIRL was banned from selling home-baked treats at a school cake sale – because her mum did not have a “food hygiene certificate”.
Georgie Hippolite, 12, was told she could not sell the cakes by a teacher who claimed it breached "health and safety" regulations.
Her baking-mad mum Kirsty, 39, had made the sweet treats for the end-of-term charity sale - as she had several times before without any problem.
But a male tutor phoned Mrs Hippolite after asking pupils whose mums were home-baking and declared her cakes were not fit for the fete.
He reckoned that without a hygiene qualification - usually held by catering professionals - children eating her cakes could fall ill and sue Cowes Enterprise College, on the Isle of Wight.
Health and safety ... the school claimed selling home-made cakes was in breach of regulations
Solent News & Photo Agency
The full-time mum-of-five, who laughed in disbelief, said: “He explained Georgie was unable to sell the cakes unless they had been made by somebody who had the qualification because of ’health and safety’.
“I couldn’t stop myself from laughing as he told me the school could be sued if a pupil fell ill after eating one of my cakes. It’s ridiculous.
“People have been baking cakes at home for sale at fetes and village fayres for years without any issues.
“My kitchen is spotless and nobody has ever fallen ill after eating my food.”
Secondary school ... Cowes Enterprise College on the Isle of Wight
Mum Kirsty raced to make the cakes for Georgie's year eight classmates when she was told there was an opportunity to raise money for charity.
She spent £4 on ingredients and almost 2 hours making and icing 20 confetti and 20 violet cream cakes at their home in Cowes.
Later that afternoon Georgie’s tutor phoned to explain she couldn’t flog the cakes – but, like other pupils, could instead bring in shop-bought treats for the end-of term sale.
And then the teacher cheekily said she could still bring in the cakes – for the school staff to eat.
Cake sale ... mum Kirsty has baked a number of times for school charity sales
Solent News & Photo Agency
Mrs Hippolite, whose husband Paul is a landscape gardener, said: “He was apologetic and sounded as if he felt a bit foolish as he asked if I had a food hygiene certificate.
“The qualification the school was demanding is usually only held by catering professionals - not mums who enjoy baking as a hobby.
“However, the teacher did tell me all was not lost and that Georgie could still take the cakes in for the teachers to enjoy.
“Georgie has taken cakes in for classmates before without any problems.
“Health and safety has gone mad when a mum must have a qualification to prove she is ’safe’ to make cakes for her daughter’s friends.”
Confused ... the baking-mad mum was told the teachers would still eat the cakes
Solent News & Photo Agency
The food hygiene certificate requires three hours of self-study time and costs about £15 to complete.
But the Isle of Wight Council said the school had been over-zealous and parents did not need the certificate for occasional cake sales.
The school’s headteacher James Stewart said: “The safety of our students is of paramount importance so we followed the recommended guidance.
“If somebody fell ill having eaten a cake in a classroom - and we had not done all we could to ensure they had been prepared safely - we would be liable.”
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