The Great British Bake Off has returned to Channel 4 and with it a nationwide desire to whisk, sieve, zest and enjoy. Jacqueline Wake Young looks at some of the scrumptious baking equipment freshly arrived in the shops.
Prepare to gain a few pounds as the nation goes cake crazy with the return of Bake Off.
The popular television show is back for its 13th series and as a result the urge to whip up a Red Velvet will be strong among many of us.
Last year judge Paul Hollywood put on 12 pounds during Bake Off, much to his own annoyance.
He blamed staying in a hotel with the production crew and contestants during the filming of the series as part of the covid precautions for the weight gain and was baffled as to why the same hadn’t happened to his fellow judge Prue Leith.
The celebrity chef told a Sunday newspaper after the series ended: “I put on 12 pounds in that bl**** tent. Prue put on a pound. A pound during Bake Off? That’s ridiculous.”
In the early years of the programme, retailers credited it with a revival in home baking while Women’s Institutes cited the Bake Off effect for increasing their membership figures by something like 25%.
The Women’s Institute said at the time that Bake Off had inspired women to take up baking by “taking away the fear factor” and making it look fun.
Like any new – or rediscovered – hobby, a lot of the fun comes from getting all the new kit required to take park, even though most of us already have everything we need to rustle up a tray of scones.
Cath Kidston in particular has anticipated the mood by launching a range of baking wares that will make even the simplest sponge cake look spectacular.
Meanwhile many homeware stores now have dedicated cookery sections where a person can marvel at pink spatulas and springform pans to their heart’s content.
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