I am always in search of something fun and entertaining to watch on television. I am tired of aliens, zombies, 24 hours of news, and a wide variety of other junk I am not interested in! If you feel the same way you’ll be happy to know that my daughter told me about a program that you must watch, The Great British Baking Show! Have you seen it? If not, you should stop reading this post right now and go find it because it is the best program I’ve ever seen! I’ve watched the four seasons on Netflix and their counterpart program Master Class and been enchanted by each and every episode.
The hosts, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood (real names), are fabulous British bakers and a delight to watch. Their skill in both savory and sweet baking is like nothing I’ve ever seen on this side of the pond!
The show is a competition that brings together 12 of the UK’s finest home bakers for weekends of three competitions:
1. Signature Bake - you’re given a theme and bake your version of the theme.
2. Technical Challenge – you’re given a partial recipe of something you may or may not have ever heard of and you must bake it.
3. Showstopper – you’re given a theme and make something fabulous!
Each of these three ‘bakes’ are judged by Mary and Paul and a Star Baker chosen at the end of each hour long episode. Sadly, the least successful baker is asked to leave.
I love this program because, unlike American competition cooking shows, these people are all actually home cooks. No one also owns a bakery, or caters weddings, or has 2 restaurants. They all bake out of their home kitchens and have ordinary day jobs Monday through Friday. They’ve ranged in age from 17 years old to 70+ years old, with careers from ‘stay-at-home mum’ to aerospace engineer.
Prior to the competition the contestants are given a list of the Signature Bakes and Showstoppers to practice at home, then each weekend they return to the competition tent and prepare their selections.I have been amazed by their talent, awed by their commitment, and humbled by their kindnesses! Each person supports their peers and just wants everyone to do a good job! I find myself rooting for all of them and don’t want anyone to go home – they are always just the loveliest people!
In the final week the competitors invite their family and friends to attend the last ‘bake’ and share in their joy. All of the competitors who have been asked to leave return too and are so happy to still be part of the festivities. When the winner is finally announced they are given a bouquet of flowers and a cake stand engraved with The Great British Baking Show logo.
This show is a delight and I have learned more about baking from watching this than from any cookbook. I love the people and how enamored they are of Mary and Paul, I love how completely kind everyone is to one another, I love that they support one another, I love that the prize – after 12 weeks of intense baking – is a cake stand, and I love that these wonderful people all come together because they really really really love baking.
I’ve started trying to recreate some of the recipes I’ve seen on the show and it is not easy! These people are super talented! In future weeks on this blog you will see some of my Great British Baking Show desserts that I hope you will enjoy making too! Maybe somebody will give me a cake stand one day!
Comments