Despite attempting to perfect traditional biscuits in the Signature challenge, taking on a Technical torte fit for a prince, and putting her all into a tiered yeasted Showstopper cake, Freya sadly had to say Auf Wiedersehen to the tent in German Week.
‘Genuinely I think it’s been the best experience of my life. I was feeling the lack of experience quite a lot, I am 19 and I feel very proud to have kept up. To get to Week 5 and do it vegan, I really feel that I have done what I wanted to.
‘Bake Off has started so many crazy new ambitions and dreams for me. I’m so passionate about vegan baking that I’d love to write recipe books and really focus on vegan patisserie too. I hope to share all my recipes with the world and inspire other bakers to give vegan baking a go.
‘I have had lovely positive comments on social media about being vegan, and It’s A Bit of a Faff did become a bit of a catchphrase that people liked. It’s something that I do say every day!
‘I have learnt so much from the whole experience, but most of all that baking is such a personal thing. It is a way for people to share their different tips and tricks and also their different flavour ideas whilst being a way for people to come together with a shared passion. I’ve learnt so many new flavour ideas from the bakers!
‘Coming from North Yorkshire I do have an accent and I found it very funny how social media exploded at my pronunciation of cappuccino. I don’t think I can ever order one again! Coming from a smaller town like Scarborough I feel I have been given a great opportunity and I hope I have done them proud.
‘I feel so lucky to have such a supportive family and friends. We watch the show together each week, I make a bake each week which everyone shares, and I will continue to do that. I can’t wait to watch the rest of the series and see how the bakers do.
‘I can’t possibly list everything I will take away from this experience as they genuinely were the best weeks of my life. Most of all I am taking away friends for life, and skills that I hope to share with the world in the near future.’
Freya will join Jo Brand and Tom Allen on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice on Friday 22nd October on Channel 4 at 8pm.