25 Reasons Why We Love Bake Off

By Sarah Kneath

It’s that time of year again – that time where most of the British public become master bakers and food critics. Where it’s acceptable to judge other people’s culinary skills when you literally possess none yourself.

There’s been a lot of controversy about the new format and the move to Channel 4 – but we’re not here to wade in on that debate. Not today anyway. We’re reserving judgement until we’ve seen the first episode. For now, we’re happy to relive our love for this wonderful show!

Offices will be divided, cakes will be consumed and many a brew will be slurped… It’s time… For the Great British Bake Off.

Here are our Top 25 Reasons why we love this programme so very much.

• We love cake and there’s lots of cake

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• The heated debates in the office over who should win
• Building alliances with those who share your views over who should win
• Not being able to eat any kind of baked good without wondering what Paul Hollywood would think of it
• The innuendo

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• When they’re announcing Star Baker and you could cut the tension with a (cake) knife
• Pie week!
• Becoming obsessed with home-baking for a few months only to give it up when the series finishes
• Judging your mother’s baking next time you’re there for Sunday lunch “That’s not how Mary Berry would have done it MUM!”
• Bread week!
• Putting on a stone while the series is on as it is impossible to watch without eating SOMETHING
• Becoming a food critique for an hour a week

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• Then offering your expert knowledge on the bake and uttering phrases like “definitely under-baked, I’d have cooked that for at least 10 more minutes”
• Finding it hard to do any baking at home without imagining that you’re on the show
• The contestants faces when they’re asked to bake a “schichttorte”
• When people forget the egg-wash. Rookies.

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• The sheer Britishness of it all
• Forgetting to stock up on sweet treats to eat while watching and tucking into the dark cooking chocolate you have left over from last year’s obsessive baking frenzy.
• How flustered people get over a sponge
• The “one-hour remaining” look of sheer panic

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• The Paul Hollywood hand shake
• When they take a break to drink a brew
• The “to use the proving drawer or not use the proving drawer” debate
• Did we mention the cake?
• It brought us the many faces of Nadiya Hussain

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If, like us, you find yourself inspired to pick up a sieve and baking apron and go baking mad in the kitchen – check out some of our wonderful cookery books, packed full to the covers with scrumptious recipes. Sadly we can’t promise we’ll have you whipping up a meringue like Mary Berry, or brandishing a freshly baked loaf like Paul Hollywood…