Great British Bake Off makers want farmers to apply for show

Makers of The Great British Bake Off are encouraging members of farming families who are handy in the kitchen to apply for the show’s next series.

Would-be star bakers have until 5 January to submit their applications if they want to be in with a chance of appearing in the hit programme.

The TV show follows the trials and tribulations of budding bakers from every background and every corner of Britain – and now the producers have contacted Farmers Weekly because they would like to hear from those in the farming community keen to prove their baking prowess.

See also: So you want to… offer fishing on your farm?

The last season, featuring judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, with presenters Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding, typically drew more than nine million viewers an episode when it aired on Channel 4.

“The hunt is on to find Britain’s best amateur bread-kneaders, cake-makers and jelly-setters – and it might just be you,” the show’s makers says. “If you or someone you know is a smart cookie in the kitchen, maybe it’s time to take a whisk and apply.”

Rural vibes

Somerset vet Rosie Brandreth-Poynter, who reached the semi-final in 2019, urges anyone in farming to give it a go.

“It was so much fun – a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said. “It’s filmed out in the countryside, so you’ll feel very at home. They had to pause the judging at one point because a ram kept interrupting Paul every time he spoke.

“One of the highlights was walking into the tent for the first time – when you see it and it looks exactly as it does on television,” she recalls.

““My favourite bake was my biscuit animal. Everybody was making really majestic creatures and I made a chicken.”

Rosie Brandreth-Poynter

Appearing on the show would be a great chance, Rosie reckons, for someone to fly the flag for agriculture and the countryside.

“Noel had a wonderful time asking me all sorts of weird and wonderful vet-related questions – the less appropriate of which didn’t make the programme. He could really do with a farmer to question next.”

And farmers, she says, would be perfectly placed to deal with the pressure of the tent. “They’ve got an advantage in a way because they’re used to dealing with stress and adverse circumstances. Farmers don’t have a meltdown if something goes wrong – they just swear, then sort it out.”

So how’s life changed for Rosie, who specialises in equine work? “When I go out to yards, everything takes a bit longer now because everyone wants to know all about the show and take a photo of me with their horses!”

If you think you could be crowned “the UK’s best amateur baker” in series 11, submit your application online before 5 January 2020.