Twelve brand new bakers are whisking it all in the Bake Off tent.
We sat down for a quick bite to get to know them a little (ahem!) batter. Say hello to the Series 11 bakers:
DAVE
30, Armoured Guard, Hampshire
As a child, Dave rarely ventured into the kitchen, relying entirely on his mum’s cooking – he taught himself to bake only once he’d flown the nest. Now living with his girlfriend in their first home, he loves filling his kitchen with fancy, colourful gadgets and he even chooses his appliances with Bake Off in mind! Dave bakes at least once a week, always while listening to his favourite punk rock bands. His baking style is innovative and imaginative and his strengths lie in bread (pretzels, brioche rolls and baguettes are particular favourites) and decoration. He especially loves a mirror glaze to give his bakes a professional-looking finish. When he’s not baking, Dave can be found pursuing his other passions: cars, DIY and taking his dog and cat for walks.
This has been a very different Bake Off for the 2020 bakers – how pleased were you to finally get into the Tent on that first morning?
Very pleased, it felt like a long build up and that there were many hurdles to overcome first. It was a dream come true walking in on that first morning.
As a baker what would you say are your strengths… and what are your weaknesses?
My strengths are the ability to learn from mistakes, take criticism and use it to improve. I am incredibly determined and see the positive in every situation.
Weaknesses would be feeling overwhelmed when mess builds up and struggling with some baking jargon… and French words!
What were you most looking forward to before you entered the big white Tent?
Looking forward to showing Paul and Prue my bakes and hearing those famous words: On your marks, get set… BAKE!
HERMINE
39, Accountant, London
Hermine was born and raised in Benin, West Africa, and moved to London in 2001 to pursue further education. Growing up, she used to love helping her mum bake for big family gatherings, and then at the age of eight decided to go about it on her own. She bought the ingredients for a savarin cake and threw herself into the challenge. She’s never looked back! The French influence in Benin has instilled in Hermine a love of high-end pâtisserie; she enjoys baking intricate millefeuille, éclairs and entremets. She is also a dab hand at sourdough – so much so that her nine-year-old son now refuses to eat any other bread! A notorious feeder with an infectious laugh, she’s creative at heart and loves cooking marmalades and jams to give as gifts, making beautiful labels as well as delicious fillings for the jars.
In the very first week of filming, what special memories do you have of that time?
Getting to know the other bakers and forming bonds.
As a baker what would you say are your strengths….and what are your weaknesses?
My strength is my understanding of how ingredients work together and how to get flavours right. My weakness is the ability to get a clean neat finish under time pressure.
This has been a very different Bake Off for the 2020 Bakers – how pleased were you to finally get into the Tent on that first morning?
It was a lot of anticipation and at some points I thought it might not go ahead, so to finally get into the Tent that first morning was surreal. I could not believe I made it in.
LAURA
31, Digital Manager, Kent
A Gravesend girl born and bred, Laura began baking at around the age of eight but realised her flair for it only a few years ago. She loves citrus and strong flavours and enjoys putting a modern twist on old classics. Laura thrives working under pressure and thinks her organised nature is what particularly suits her to taking part in Bake Off. The perfectionist in her wants things to look faultlessly pretty and gorgeously dainty. She specialises in decoration and is proud to have mastered the art of piped buttercream flowers. Laura is happily married to a Police Community Support Officer and she loves musical theatre (as a performer and audience member) and is a volunteer for the Samaritans.
What were you most looking forward to before you entered the big white Tent?
I was really excited about the whole experience but I think I was especially excited to meet Matt Lucas. I saw him in Les Mis last year and he was incredible. I was very star struck when I first saw him and made a bit of a fool out of myself. I think my first words to him were “OMG I LOVE YOU”.
If you were asked to choose a previous Baker to ‘bubble with’ in Lockdown which one would it be and why?
It’s hard to choose as I love them all, but it would probably have to be Rahul or Candice.
This has been a very different Bake Off for the 2020 Bakers – how pleased were you to finally get into the Tent on that first morning?
It was so surreal walking into the tent for the first time. My stomach was in knots and I was so nervous but excited at the same time. I’ve watched the show for so many years so it was a dream come true to finally be in the Tent. I kept pinching myself.
LINDA
61, Retirement Living Team Leader, East Sussex
Linda discovered her passion for baking during her frequent childhood visits to her aunt’s dairy farm, just down the road from her own home. She’d help to milk the cows, then carry a bucket of milk into the kitchen, where her aunt taught her to bake cakes topped with rich, creamy icing. To this day Linda buys homegrown produce from another aunt’s fruit farm and uses it in her baking. Her strengths are in the classics and in home-comfort cooking, like her signature sausage rolls. A lover of the countryside and of being outdoors in general, Linda will frequently head with her partner to their local beach to fish for mackerel and mullet. She also loves to spend time in her garden – cultivating its produce and for its positive effects on her wellbeing.
If you were asked to choose a previous Baker to ‘bubble with’ in Lockdown which one would it be and why?
It would be Steph. I thought she was amazing! I admired her timing (which I could take a lesson from) and winning Star Baker three times in a row said a lot about her talent. I just wanted to hold her when her soufflés didn’t rise in the final technical and she cried.
What were you most looking forward to before you entered the big white Tent?
I was so excited and I am still in a little shock. I just wanted to do my best and show people how much I loved to bake. I find it’s a real therapy and lovely when it’s so appreciated. I’ll never lose that magical feeling I had when I first walked into the Tent and that will stay with me as one of my moments. It’s never too late to chase your dreams.
In the very first week of filming what special memories do you have of that time?
Meeting the other contestants on the first day, we were all there to compete for the coveted accolade yet I didn’t feel we were in competition with each other. I felt grateful and privileged to be in the mighty tent with so many talented bakers and a bit starstruck meeting Prue, Paul, Noel and lovely Matt. I couldn’t believe I was there.
LORIEA
27, Diagnostic Radiographer, Durham
Born and raised in Jamaica, Loriea uses baking as a means to celebrate her Caribbean roots. She moved to the UK when she was 15 years old, but began baking at 5 with her maternal grandmother, whose influence plays a big part in her cooking style. Loriea loves to include coconut, chillies and cinnamon in her food and rarely follows a recipe exactly. In fact, from the moment she reads a recipe, she starts to think how she can tweak it to make it her own. Her husband, Peter, is (of course) the biggest fan of her cooking, and he especially loves her Jamaican patties. When Loriea isn’t baking or working long shifts at the hospital as a radiographer, she likes practising the craft of macramé. Growing up, Loriea was really into athletics and has even met Usain Bolt.
In the very first week of filming, what special memories do you have of that time?
What stands out the most is the close bond we had made already, as well as how supportive we all were to each other despite coming from various backgrounds. Basically, it was like catching up with long lost friends.
If you were asked to choose a previous Baker to ‘bubble with’ in Lockdown which one would it be and why?
I think I would have chosen Liam; he seems really caring, jovial and full of life. He is also a very innovative baker and those are qualities I see in myself.
As a baker what would you say are your strengths… and what are your weaknesses?
My strength is my cool and calm nature and my ability to work well under pressure. Outside of these, I think I have great strengths with blending untraditional flavours. However, these are not always to everyone’s taste. On the other hand, my weakness lies in my inability to follow a recipe without having to put my own twist in – I struggle to think in a simplistic way.
LOTTIE
31, Pantomime Producer, West Sussex
Lottie’s Lancastrian great-grandmother was a fervent cake-baker and for this reason Lottie believes that baking is in her blood. She has always had a fascination with cooking: when she was little, she watched cooking shows rather than playing with her toys and was often to be found making notes from cookery books. She calls herself a ‘perpetually frustrated perfectionist’ and, while her baking has become more refined over time, she hopes it retains an element of her dark sense of humour. When she’s not baking or busy with her job producing pantomime, Lottie will be playing computer games with her young cousins, or practising yoga.
In the very first week of filming what special memories do you have of that time?
So many memories! As a group we got really close really quickly because we were all living together and that made it feel extra special.
What were you most looking forward to before you entered the big white Tent?
I was most looking forward to meeting the other bakers and Noel and Matt. They didn’t disappoint!
If you were asked to choose a previous Baker to ‘bubble with’ in Lockdown which one would it be and why?
Henry. Got to be Henry. I love him. And his ties. And he’s a phenomenal baker so he could make sure we didn’t starve.
MAKBUL
51, Accountant, Greater Manchester
Self-taught baker Makbul first took on cooking at home as a means to help support his mum. He has honed those early skills through watching TV shows, reading books and drawing inspiration from famous chefs. He has a remarkable ability to measure out ingredients just by eye. Mak’s strengths lie in pastry (he says he’s better at puff than shortcrust) and, for celebrations such as Eid, he enjoys making traditional Asian nankhatai biscuits. He thinks baking has made him generally more patient, but woe betide anyone (even his wife) who tries to take control in his kitchen! Their three grown-up children are his harshest baking critics. Mak has recently taken up beekeeping – he produces his own honey, which he loves to use as often as possible in his bakes.
As a baker what would you say are your strengths… and what are your weaknesses?
As a baker one of my biggest strengths is that I’m not daunted by much. I will have a go. My biggest weakness is the mess I create!
In the very first week of filming what special memories do you have of that time?
My fondest memory would be firstly getting together as a group and how we all clicked. At last getting to meet all the people on the Bake Off team and the amazing support and friendship they gave me.
This has been a very different Bake Off for the 2020 Bakers – how pleased were you to finally get into the Tent on that first morning?
To see the tent for the first time was thrilling. To actually go into it was like stepping into another world, “at last, I am here!”
MARC
51, Bronze Resin Sculptor, Cornwall
Marc decided to enter Bake Off in a bid to show his daughters that even when life throws obstacles at you, you can rise to new challenges and develop new passions. Born and raised in Leicester, fervent climber Marc spent his youth travelling the world and conquering mountains, before settling back in the UK and becoming a landscape photographer. Personal tragedy, including losing his leg in a motorbike accident in 2016, led him to baking bread as a form of therapy, and from there he came to baking cakes and pastries. From palmiers and chausson aux pommes to opera cakes and millefeuille, his bakes now show true finesse. He’s a support worker and single parent and, with his daughters cheering him on, he’s taken up climbing again.
If you were asked to choose a previous Baker to ‘bubble with’ in Lockdown which one would it be and why?
Nadiya – a lovely person, warm personality, brilliant baker and amazing cook!
In the very first week of filming what special memories do you have of that time?
Being surrounded by 11 other great people all in the competition with me, and I just remember feeling the very positive and exciting energy in the tent.
This has been a very different Bake Off for the 2020 Bakers – how pleased were you to finally get into the Tent on that first morning?
I was incredibly excited, happy and very, very nervous!
MARK
32, Project Manager, Liverpool
Northern Irish Mark fell in love with baking at a pie shop in Edinburgh – he visited every day while he was at university for the shop’s delicious mac ’n’ cheese pie. Following that early inspiration, he began to experiment: first attempting (and perfecting) a lemon drizzle cake and eventually taking on multi-tiered wedding cakes, each time looking at the science of the bake in order to perfect it. His style is hugely influenced by his Irish heritage, but also by the flavours of Africa and Asia, where he travels regularly for his work as a project manager for public health research programmes. When he isn’t baking, you can find Mark walking in the Lake District, indulging his passion for wildlife, or with his wife, travelling and exploring new places.
In the very first week of filming, what special memories do you have of that time?
I have so many happy memories from that week, but the best has to be the moment when I met all the other bakers. After months and months of waiting, it was brilliant when we all eventually got to meet each other. We all bonded really quickly in the first week.
As a baker what would you say are your strengths… and what are your weaknesses?
I think I am quite a versatile baker and always up for a challenge. My biggest weakness is baking to a time limit – at home I spend hours (and sometimes days!) baking something as a way of de-stressing, so I wasn’t sure how I would deal with that in the Tent!
PETER
20, Accounting & Finance Student, Edinburgh
With his parents and brother, Edinburgh-born Peter grew up feasting on his mum’s home cooking. But it was Bake Off that inspired him to start baking for himself – he has watched every series since the first and has been baking seriously since he was only 12 years old. He loves to honour his homeland in his cooking, using Scottish ingredients including berries, whisky, oats and honey whenever he can. When he’s not baking, he is either upholding the family’s love of numbers by studying Accounting and Finance at university, or demonstrating his competitive streak on the badminton court – he has been playing badminton for a decade and has represented his county in the sport since 2012.
This has been a very different Bake Off for the 2020 Bakers – how pleased were you to finally get into the Tent on that first morning?
Absolutely chuffed! It was a long and uncertain path getting to the Tent.
If you were asked to choose a previous Baker to ‘bubble with’ in Lockdown which one would it be and why?
Maybe Selasi. He would keep our bubble very chilled out!
In the very first week of filming, what special memories do you have of that time?
Just being in the tent with the judges, presenters and other bakers and realising that I was ON THE BAKE OFF!
ROWAN
55, Music Teacher, Worcestershire
Entirely self-taught, Rowan calls his baking style ostentatious but, he hopes, tasteful. French pâtisserie is his absolute passion; he loves the subtlety of flavour and the style and sophistication of French baking, and he is drawn to fine, complex, layered cakes. His love of the Georgian era encourages him to reinvent 18th century recipes whenever he can. He enjoys decorating his bakes with flowers, preferably edible ones, using what is in bloom in his garden. A fitness enthusiast, Rowan swims a mile most mornings and is a keen cyclist and occasional horse-rider. He lives in Worcestershire with his partner, who shares his passion for music, the arts and theatre, and he can often be found in the British Library researching all things 1700s.
As a baker what would you say are your strengths… and what are your weaknesses?
My strengths are ambition in ideas and design. My weakness is over-ambition and no interest in timings!
What were you most looking forward to before you entered the big white Tent?
A gin and tonic afterwards.
In the very first week of filming, what special memories do you have of that time?
The joy and satisfaction of working alongside other lovely bakers.
SURA
31, Pharmacy Dispenser, London
Sura grew up surrounded by family who offered food as a means to show affection, love and respect. The many Middle Eastern and Asian influences in her heritage – including Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and India – mean she enjoys experimenting with ingredients and flavours from all over the world. Never one to stick to a recipe, Sura loves to improvise in the kitchen and inject her bakes with as much personality as possible. She loves to work with fragrant and floral flavours such as cardamom, rose and orange blossom. She now lives in London with her husband and elderly grandmother. When she’s not baking or working, she can be found indulging her passions for travel, architecture and design.
What were you most looking forward to before you entered the big white Tent?
I was looking forward to meeting Prue the most. I have watched her for many years on TV and I just loved her passion for food and flavours and her immense knowledge on it all. She inspired a lot of my baking in my early 20s.
As a baker what would you say are your strengths… and what are your weaknesses?
My strengths lie in flavour and balancing of flavours and also making small and dainty bakes, but my weakness is large multi tiered cakes.
If you were asked to choose a previous Baker to ‘bubble with’ in Lockdown which one would it be and why?
Nancy, because she’s my favourite baker of all time – she has such a wealth of baking knowledge and such a good, kind energy.
The new series of The Great British Bake Off starts Tuesday 22nd September at 8pm on Channel 4, and airs on Netflix US from Friday 25th September.