The Great British Bake Off has seen some extraordinary culinary concoctions this year from intricate sugar domes to fiddly German delicacies and tricky terrines.
Now, following 10 weeks of incredible baking, the three remaining contestants, Chigs, Crystelle, and Guiseppe, have just one more chance to win over discerning judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith as they make a special carrot cake for the Signature, a Belgian treat for the Technical and an epic banquet for the Showstopper. But who will emerge victorious?
Here, Paul and Dame Prue tell us more...
'The Great British Bake Off' has been amazing this year. How did you find the final?
Leith: “We had such good finalists and it was tense in the tent. But when you’re filming in a bubble, you get close to everyone, so it was a great supportive atmosphere. After we finished filming and went home, it felt strange after spending so much time together, I did feel a bit misplaced for a while!”
Tell us about the challenges you set…
Hollywood: “The first challenge is a carrot cake, the technical challenge is one of mine, and the showstopper is a crazy one to end the series – four sweet and savoury treats for a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party showing four different baking disciplines.”
What were you looking for?
Leith: “Paul looks for finesse, and for me, it’s texture and flavour that are the key points. As you get to the final, you know they’re all going to be pretty good so you end up judging on a minuscule point of decoration. It’s about how they do things imaginatively but the taste still has to be good too.”
How difficult was it to choose the winner?
Hollywood: “To pick the three bakers to go into the final was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make since Bake Off began. The semi-finalists were all star bakers and technically, their skills were very close. Jürgen and Giuseppe are the most natural bakers I’ve met and together with Chigs and Crystelle, they were an amazing quartet. So it was a tough call to let one baker go at the semi-finals, and then to actually choose the winner, it got tougher…”
What have you enjoyed most about this series?
Hollywood: “For me, the most memorable bake was the chouxnut one in pastry week. They’re my favourite thing to eat, it was a bit indulgent! Also, in the same episode, we had Crystelle’s curry terrine Showstopper. It was exquisite, looked fantastic and had amazing flavours with clever decoration.”
Leith: “It’s just been so good judging all the bakers and seeing their different personalities as we’ve gone through the series. They’ve all been so individually skilled, which has made it interesting to watch, and for me, interesting to taste!”
When can I watch the final of 'The Great British Bake Off'?
The grand final of the baking contest will air on Tuesday, Nov. 23 on Channel 4 at 8pm and it will be available afterwards on All4.
