Where has the Great British Bake Off been hiding?!

 

Another non eating blog! I think my waistline is probably thanking me after the week so far! What with me working the past 4 nights as a babysitter, a very sedentary job when looking after a young baby at night, I have needed a distraction to stop me from sleeping or going insane, and if it involved eating I think would have gained about a stone by now!

I caught part of the last episode of The Great British Bake Off on Tuesday (8pm BBC2) and so I decided to catch up on the rest of the series, as it really intrigued me! I have never been a trendsetter, in fact I ALWAYS seem to trail behind in trends/obsessions. I bought 50 shades about 2 months after everybody else, I obsessed over F.R.I.E.N.D.S 4 years after is ended, and as ever I chose yet another programme to become excited over- this time a good 3 series in!

For those who do not know, The Great British Bake Off is a contest on its third television series with Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood as judges and who choose what the contestants make, and hosted by Mel and Sue. The series starts with 12 contestants, who have to make/bake/cook 3 different pudding/bakes per episode. The three categories are: Signature Dish-a set theme but with the contestant giving it their own twist, a Technical Challenge- a set recipe to see how technically correct they can be, and a Showstopper- as long as it follows a certain theme they make it as dramatic and amazing as they can to impress the judges. Each episode has somebody crowned Star Baker, and on the other hand somebody gets thrown out of the competition.

My Favourite Things about it:

• It is not over dramatic! A lot of TV contests are completely over dramatized, with the theme to Jaws playing in the background as contestants scream, shout and throw things, all in the name of attention to boost the ratings. Of course there is drama- if there wasn't then it would be a bit boring- but it is very British and not over done.
• It has Mary Berry! She is an absolute ledge! She is prim and proper, and is like an oracle of the pudding and baking world! I honestly think that if she doesn’t know a technique to make good pastry or sponge cake that it is worth knowing! The woman has written over 70 cookery books for crying out loud!
• The contestants are courteous! They are pleasant and friendly to their fellow contestants, but without fake sobbing and rounds of “She/He is such a hero” when they make a pudding better than them, or get voted off per week by Mary and Paul.
• IT IS AN ENTIRE SERIES PRACTICALLY JUST DEVOTED TO PUDDING!! I am shocked and appalled at myself for not noticing this series earlier if I am quite honest.
• Every contestant has the privilege of doing what I would love to do if my budget stretched to it- and that is bake pretty much constantly. And they do not just get to bake a Victoria sponge, or apple crumble with the scraps and leftovers they find in their store cupboard like I do. They get to experiment! I there is an aspect of envy here, but with this entire blog being dedicated to gluttony effectively, what is one extra sin among friends?!
• It is wholesome, aimed at everyone, and perfect for anyone with a passion for pudding and other baked goods!

Image Copyright of the BBC