While the likes of BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors took British audiences by storm this year, and Channel 4’s Taskmaster have upped their comedy game, I somehow have taken a surprising endearment towards The Great British Bake Off’s new season.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to me if many of you had not heard of the series before, as it’s fair to say Bake Off may be exclusive to British audiences, and it somehow represents all things good about Britain… cakes and community! This year, we see 12 amateur bakers compete to win the title of UK’s Best Amateur Baker, and are judged by Paul Hollywood and Nigella Lawson. With different themed baked goods each week, these have included ‘Cake,’ ‘Biscuit,’ ‘Bread’ (hilariously, everyone’s worst week by far), and ‘Deserts.’ As the timer ticks down through their Signature, Technical, and Showstopper bake, the bakers revel in the hope of being Star Baker of the week, announced by iconic presenters Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding.
I think the true brilliance of Bake Off is how each baker makes their creation unique to them, as they bring in their personal, diverse backgrounds to their baked goods to add that needed deeper meaning.
While Paul’s handshake and Nigella’s smiling approval means your baked good is an all-rounder, what does it take to reach this level? An important factor in these bakes is the overall look and design that the baker presents, and largely because, how can one not subconsciously judge a book by its cover? I, for one, am neither a baker who can make a picture perfect pastry, nor an artist with any creative edge, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.
The series opened with a flying start, with a beautiful array of artistic displays from our baking individuals. I could instantly tell that Yannis would be a strong competitor in terms of design from his boldness in creative expression on the get-go. Despite many of his bakes failing to reach his intended flavour (and often, failing to reach his intended final design too due to high ambition and so-little time), Yannis’ visuality in his baked designs are wonderful.
From this Cake Week, we not only got an introduction to Yannis’ creative ambitions, but we also got to see a teary-eyed Nigella reacting to the elegance of Gabe’s “Blü Romantic” Portrait Cake. Part-time baker, and full time drag king & artist, Gabe really showed his true artistic colours in his Showstopper. With a fabulous blue cake representing him as both Gabe, and his inner-self behind the mirror, drag king Blü Romantic. The symbolism behind the judges having to manually crack the baked “mirror” to reveal the true Gabe was truly a Bake Off scene that I’ll never forget.
In the Audience Choice Week, bakers were asked to create a wearable bake (a task that almost sounds impossible to a non-baker like myself). However, Clara’s “Pina Couture Handbag” went above and beyond anyone’s expectations. The handbag itself almost looks real, as one is only able to tell it apart from reality through the chocolate’s sheen. It amalgamates who Clara is as an individual too – all things stylish and ultrafeminine.
And of course, we can’t forget to mention the beauty that is Mo’s “I Love Bread x” Garlic Bread for his Signature in Bread Week. After his bold statement saying he thinks “bread is boring” in front of, what seems to be, the world’s number one bread-lover, Paul, the humour and creativity in his bear design encapsulates what Bake Off is. Besides it being competitive, the enterprise is still friendly, and everyone gets to have a little fun. Plus, has anyone noticed the
bear’s nipples, if you’ve not been too distracted by its six-pack abs?
As a result of this artistic analysis, the one who should truly be throned as the “Star Artist,” and to no one’s surprise, is the mastermind behind it all… Bake Off’s very own illustrator: Tom Hovey. As “food illustrator to the stars,” Hovey has illustrated the bakers’ preliminary ideas right onto canvas since the show’s commencement in 2010, and it’s hard to not be stunned by each and every illustration Hovey creates – which only allows an added level of excitement to see the
bakers’ final outcome.
There are so many further examples from the series that I could demonstrate each baker’s artistry, and that only goes to show their creative talent as we’re only on episode six out of 10. Take this simply as a sign to appreciate some of the artistic flair as seen on The Great British Bake off, especially now that The Celebrity Traitors has come to an end. And when you tear up at the Bake Off, like Keith Brymer Jones in The Great Pottery Throw Down, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!
Photo by Benjamin Chambon on Unsplash
