‘I am a bit of an undercover baker! I cannot wait!’
Fans rejoice as The Great British Bake Off (GBBO) returns to our screens.
It’s great to have Tuesday evenings in front of the TV with a cuppa, watching “Bake Off” again.
The popular competitive baking show returns with twelve new contestants, this time with three Desi bakers.
They are Ruby Bhogal, Rahul Mandal and Antony Amourdoux, all of Indian descent. The most Desi contestants of any series!
They are all looking to impress the judging duo of Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith whilst presenters Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig cheer on.
Ruby Bhogal
Ruby Bhogal, aged 29, from London, is ready to showcase her newly acquired baking skills.
Confessing she does not post about cooking and baking on social media, the project manager is ready to surprise her friends.
The project manager says:
“I am so new to baking there are going to be so many people that will be shocked.
“I don’t really post about my baking on social media, so I am sure my friends are going to be surprised.
“I am a bit of an undercover baker! I cannot wait!”
However, at university, Ruby did dabble in cooking for her male housemates. She used to make spicy minced lamb pastry roles which became pretty famous.
She also has a distinct love for music and cooking – at the same time, and says:
“Baking and music go hand in hand at home; I will always have music blaring, so it’s a pretty lively affair.”
Having grown up in an Indian Punjabi family, Ruby’s baking memories include her mother, Kelly, making an Asian favourite, Jalebis.
She loves to bake cakes and pastries for her family and friends. Like many Indians, she loves her booze, adding it into recipes when she can.
Will Ruby add a Desi twist to her baking to impress the judges?
Rahul Mandal
From Kolkata, Rahul Mandal, aged 30, moved to the UK to study and is currently residing in Rotherham as a research scientist.
His experience in both India and the UK inspired his “East-meets-West” style of baking. Maybe we’ll see a few Desi twists.
Rahul embarked on his baking skills progressively and says:
“Colleagues I knew during my PhD don’t have a clue that I can bake. Back in India, I didn’t bake either.”
“All of them and actually myself are surprised that I made it into the tent.”
Interestingly, Rahul did know anything about GBBO and says:
“Even five years ago I really had no idea about The Great British Bake Off.”
However, one of his colleagues urged him to apply because of his love for baking:
“He kept sending me the application link until I said to him that I have started applying.”
Will this scientific baker blow away the judges with his fusion dishes?
Antony Amourdoux
Originally from India, he calls himself the “Bollywood baker”. Antony Amourdoux, aged 30, was inspired to bake by his father who taught him the art.
Currently working as a banker in London, he says:
“My dad taught me how to make a Victoria Sponge as a little boy.”
His influences for baking are from his travels around the world and it was his partner who entered him on the show.
Knowing people will be taken back to see Antony on GBBO, he says:
“My friends back home in India will be really surprised.”
“They have known me to be a singer in a choir, a two-piece band but never as a baker, so it will be interesting to see their reaction.”
So, will this baker who can apparently “make cakes in such a small area” impress the judges with his global ideas?
Not Familiar with GBBO?
The Great British Bake Off invites a group of bakers to show off their culinary, creativity and vision when it comes to baking.
Each week of the show presents the bakers with different challenges and their efforts and baking creations need to impress the judges of the show.
The bakers will test their skills each week with every episode containing three rounds:
The Signature Challenge
The contestants bake their tried-and-tested recipes which they make regularly at home.
The Technical Challenge
The contestants are all presented with the same recipe without being told beforehand what the recipe is. They must then use their knowledge to make the product within a time limit. The judges will then taste the end-product blind and rank each one worst to best.
The Showstopper Challenge
The contestants show off what they can do as they bake a product that is presented to a professional standard that also tastes great.
The baker who impresses the judge’s for the week earns the accolade of “Star Baker” for that week. Meanwhile, they try their best to avoid elimination by the judges.
Each week a contestant is eliminated until there are three left, who then battle it out in the finals where one emerges victorious.
Watch the GBBO Advert
GBBO series 6 (2015), saw the finals that were 2/3 Desi, where the British-Bangladeshi baker, Nadiya Hussain was crowned the winner.
Can you imagine this series finale with all three Indian contestants?
See how they fair as GBBO returns from Tuesday 28th August 2018 on Channel 4 at 8 pm.
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