What are your abiding memories from the Bake Off in 2019?
My abiding memories from the Bake Off tent are ones of pure happiness and (on many occasion) utter disbelief that I was part of such an incredible show. I felt so privileged and honoured to be one of so few. Yes, there was the overwhelming exhaustion, some VERY real stressing and many sleepless nights, but I’ve honestly never felt so alive. I was completely invigorated by the whole process and, as cliché as it sounds, the journey has helped me recognise a real passion for baking.
What were the main challenges of baking in ‘the tent’?
The time constraints are obviously very tight which certainly doesn’t leave any room for error and the equipment/ environment differs from what you are used to, plus you have a few hundred beady eyes watching your every move, but besides these things, my biggest challenge was the pressure I put on myself to ‘do my best’.
What main thing did you learn/ take from being on the show?
The main thing I learnt from the show was that mistakes are your very best friend… the more mistakes you make in life, the more you learn and the more you grow as both a person and with your skill – obviously the trick was to make the mistakes at home rather than in the tent!
Would you recommend applying for the show? It must be quite daunting?
I would thoroughly recommend it if baking is something you enjoy. That being said, it’s incredibly competitive and very few people are selected, so it shouldn’t be your sole aim in life. Absolutely do it for fun and see what the process entails. If the stars align, it could be you in that tent in future years, but most importantly continue to enjoy baking for what it is; the most thrilling creative endeavour.
