Is ‘Bake Off’ for amateur bakers anymore?
As an amateur baker, I adore The Great British Bake Off. Regardless of where I am and what I am doing, I will always make the time to watch it.
After a couple years of Great British Bake Off addiction, I can’t help but notice that things have gotten a little harder. Now, I’m all for trying out modern, new recipes, however the tasks on the show seem to be a bit more than amateur worthy.
Are they really representing the amateur bakers of Great Britain?
Whilst doing some research into the subject, I actually discovered that a few of the contestants have previously entered baking competitions. Are they really representing the amateur bakers of Great Britain?
Image: Comic Relief 2013/ Flickr
For example this year we welcome Benjamina, the 23 year old teaching assistant. She runs a successful online food blog called, Carrot & Crumb and she even bakes for events such as weddings and birthdays! It’s clear she’s a brilliant baker and her cakes really do look scrumptious; however, my initial thought was that Bake Off was for amateur bakers, rather than semi-professionals.
Not only are do the contestants seem more and more professional each year, but the tasks they are given get even more complicated.
I was first introduced to Mokatines (small cakes made up of genoise sponge and coffee flavoured butter cream) in 2015 through the show. It really was love at first sight but it was very misleading. There was no way I could ever recreate the intricate and pretty formation of glorious genoise sponge, complex crème beurre au moka and creamy coffee icing.
Now I’m just as stumped as someone who thinks that cake comes from Betty Crocker box.
It seems fairly easy, but it’s anything but simple. As a foodie and a weekend baker, I was pretty shocked that I didn’t even know half of the technical challenge recipes. I used to know every single technical challenge and I’d tasted the end product at least once – however now I’m just as stumped as someone who thinks that cake comes from Betty Crocker box.
The question still remains unanswered, is The Great British Bake Off really for amateur British bakers like you and me or has it become another platform for professionals to compete with recipes an amateur baker has never heard of?
Comments (6)
I loved the article and I agree with you Veneesha. Just because GBBO has been a success that doesn’t automatically make everyone in GB a better baker because of it. The challenges should not keep getting harder. Its loosing its relatability! Ive been baking for years and I’ve never made a genoise, and that’s because i’m a REAL amateur when considering the artist hierarchical scale: Amateur, Part timer, Semi-pro, Pro. I would contend many of the candidates on GBBO these days are part timers and semi-professional. More amateurs please! Yep these are my comments a year and a half later. Thanks Veneesha.
What a stupid remark, Joanna. Shame on you.
So if a friend asked you to bake their wedding cake and offered to pay towards the costs, would you then not be considered an amateur baker?
Why shouldn’t standards get higher? Everyone and their dog can whip up a Victoria sponge these days, and that’s in part due to the popularity of the show. Just look at the things they were baking on season 1!
Home bakers want to challenge themselves and try new things e.g Mokatines – A couple practices and they really weren’t hard to make. A good amateur baker should be able to bake a basic genoise!
Great read, I agree. I think you should give me cake to sample.
Thanks for your comment Joanna.
If you look up the definition, one of the main traits of the term amateur is not being paid . In this case, the example that I used was correct. Technically she isn’t classed as an amateur baker because she does get paid for her baked goods.
Is it really fair that standards are getting higher? Surely if they get higher then GBBO will no longer involve amateur bakers?
Also, I can assure you I am a very good baker, a very good ‘amateur’ baker…
Doesn’t amateur just mean that they don’t bake for a living and are basically self taught/taught by family etc.? Standards are just getting higher – which they should. Perhaps you’re just not very good?