Our Noble Selves

Flynn and Miss Ogilvie, referred to as Maud later, were invited as observers to a blind judging of the Festival Cake, meaning they did not participate in the evaluation.

The event was held in secret (in camera) at the Royal Society of Arts in London on an unspecified date in 2026.

The cakes were prepared by Denholm’s team of suitable women in a test kitchen provided by Lyons, a well-known British food company.

Five judges, including an Italian sous chef, a journalist from Woman’s Realm, and a man who wrote obituaries for the Evening Standard, evaluated the cakes without knowing their creators.

The judging was described as a solemn affair, with the judges seated around a large mahogany table, served by a young waitress from Lyons’ Corner House restaurant.

The atmosphere was formal, and some judges appeared uncomfortable, with one commenting that bacon and eggs might have been more appropriate for the early hour.