Cirencester ag college celebrates 180th anniversary with 65kg cake

The oldest agricultural college in the English-speaking world – the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) at Cirencester, Gloucestershire – has celebrated its 180th anniversary with the creation of a giant cake.

The spectacular creation, designed to replicate the historic main building on campus, was put together by alumni Simone Walls, who graduated from the then college in 1999 with a degree in rural land management.

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Simone now works for a private wealth management company, but also runs her own Bumpkin Bakes cake-making business near Cirencester.

The huge cake was more than 60cm high, 60cm wide, and weighed more than 65kg. Among the ingredients were 168 eggs, more than 9kg of flour, and 11kg of buttercream.

The cake was cut by RAU vice-chancellor Prof Peter McCaffery, and chairman of the university’s governing council Dame Fiona Reynolds at a special celebration on Wednesday (24 September).

Prof Peter McCaffery and Dame Fiona Reynolds cutting the cake © RAU

As well as staff and governors, the dignitaries were joined online by senior staff from the RAU’s partner universities around the world.

Prof McCaffery said: “Agricultural innovation requires international collaboration and we are delighted that our global partners in China, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Sharjah could join us today to celebrate our 180th anniversary.”

The Royal Agricultural College opened its doors to its first 25 students on 15 September 1845 –  almost exactly 180 years ago – becoming a university in 2013.

In addition to the more than 1,100 students currently studying at its Cirencester campus, the RAU  has more than 3,000 students enrolled on its courses with international partners.

“Our founding mission was to develop agricultural education and land management across the world, and we are delighted and honoured to have them as members of our global family,” said Prof McCaffery.