Bake Off is, for what feels like the billionth time, back. And while I’m no fan of the insipidly good natured, three-challenge competition format the behemoth has spawned – Great British Sewing Bee , Glow Up – it remains the original and, I’ll begrudgingly admit, the best. I am allergic to both bunting and union jacks, so the opening episode’s opening montage was inevitably tough going.
But as the flags faded and a fresh batch of 12 hopefuls were tasked with making an “elevated” version of their signature loaf cakes, the formula that has made the series such a success was swiftly evident. Bake Off isn’t just about cakes; what happens in the tent is a metaphor for life, and the ways we all succeed and fail every day. But unlike real life, there’s only so much that can go wrong with sponge.
Welsh Georgie’s “Nonna” loaf, for instance, had been handed down to her from her Italian grandmother who taught her to cook without recipes. Her intuitive brand of cooking was tested, however, when she missed a crucial ingredient . Meanwhile, Dutch fashion designer Christiaan’s apple miso fudge loaf suffered from the opposite problem – an over-ambitious recipe and experimental flavours.
Representing head and heart in opposition, neither Christiaan nor Georgie’s loaves went down well with the judges. But in the technical challenge, tasked with baking eight mini Battenbergs without a recipe to follow, improviser Georgie was in her element and came first. As for Ne.
