We recently lamented the contrived drama of "reality" cooking shows and
others have ranted about the declining quality of The Food Network, which
makes us wonder what food programs, if any, are still worth
watching? One worthy contender according to both The Telegraph and The Guardian is The Great British
Bake Off, which is in its fifth season and has graduated from
BBC Two to BBC One.
Originally created on a modest budget and based on the mildly
successful Great British Menu and Great British Food
Revival, The Great British Bake Off has become a
sensation that has surprised everyone including its creators.
Eschewing the trends of invective-spewing celebrity chefs and
overhyped contestants, the producers opted for lesser-known, more
modest hosts in Mary Berry, Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins, and
Paul Hollywood. The contestants as well weren't flashy or full of
drama, and the subject matter wasn't (at the time) wildly
popular.
Yet despite, or perhaps because of, these constraints, the show
worked. Eight million viewers tuned in for the premiere of the
fifth season. Not only is the show popular, but it has inspired a
renaissance in home baking in the UK. According to The
Telegraph, "Sales of shop-bought cakes have slipped, but the
number of people buying mixing bowls, rolling pins, loaf tins and
cake decorations soars with each run of the show. Before last
week's episode had even finished, Amazon reported that sales of the
non-stick round fluted pan used by the contestants to recreate
Berry's cherry cake had risen by 1,003 per cent."
The show has also reinvigorated the career of Mary Berry and
spawned several popular cookbooks. Yet even though show
winners might publish a cookbook or open up a baking shop, they
don't stay in the spotlight. The Guardian quips that "the
biggest star the show will ever produce is the eye-poppingly
well-endowed squirrel who wandered into shot in series two and
remains fondly remembered to this day." Retaining this
quintessential British modesty is part of the show's charm. The
Telegraph sums it up this way: "The Great British Bake
Off is plain rather than self-raising."
Are you a fan of The Great British Bake Off? Has it
inspired you to bake more?