Shropshire Star

Meet this year’s Great British Bake Off contestants

Twelve amateur bakers will put their skills to the test when the competition begins on Channel 4.

Published

From a panto producer looking to put on a show to a music teacher hoping to hit all the right notes, this year’s The Great British Bake Off contestants have been unveiled.

Here are this year’s 12 hopefuls:

Dave, 30, a security guard from Hampshire

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Dave is among contestants for The Great British Bake Off (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Dave came to baking relatively late in life – only becoming an expert in the kitchen after leaving home.

Now living with his girlfriend, his baking style is described as “innovative and imaginative” while his strengths lie in bread – including pretzels, brioche rolls, and baguettes – as well as decoration.

When he’s not baking, Dave can be found pursuing his other passions – cars, DIY, and taking his dog and cat for walks.

Hermine, 39, an accountant from London

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Hermine is among the hopefuls taking part in this year’s series (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Hermine’s love of baking stretches back to spending time in the kitchen with her mother during her childhood in Benin, West Africa.

The French influence in Benin is evident in Hermine’s baking – she has a love of high-end patisserie and enjoys making intricate millefeuille, eclairs and entremets

She moved to London in 2001 to pursue further education.

Laura, 31, a digital manager from Kent

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Baker Laura will star in the latest series of The Great British Bake Off (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Laura started baking at the age of eight but it was only a few years ago she realised she had a flair for it.

She specialises in decoration and is proud to have mastered the art of piped buttercream flowers.

Laura also loves citrus and strong flavours and is said to enjoy putting a modern twist on old classics.

Linda, 61, a retired living team leader from East Sussex

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Retiree Linda will put her culinary skills to the test in the latest series of The Great British Bake Off (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Linda’s love of baking was sparked during childhood trips to her aunt’s dairy farm, where she was taught to make cakes topped with creamy icing.

She still buys homegrown produce from another aunt’s fruit farm and uses it in her baking.

Her strengths are in the classics and in home-comfort cooking, like her signature sausage rolls.

Loriea, 27, a diagnostic radiographer from Durham

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Loriea was born and raised in Jamaica and loves celebrating her Caribbean heritage (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Born and raised in Jamaica, Loriea uses baking as a means to celebrate her Caribbean roots.

She was taught how to bake as a five-year-old by her grandmother.

Loriea loves to include coconut, chillies and cinnamon in her food – and rarely follows a recipe exactly.

Lottie, 31, a pantomime producer from West Sussex

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Panto producer Lottie will put her baking skills on show in the latest Bake Off (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Lottie is another contestant whose love of baking was handed down by a family member.

Her Lancastrian great-grandmother was a fervent baker and Lottie has been watching cookery shows since she was a child.

She describes herself as a “perpetually frustrated perfectionist”.

Makbul, 51, an accountant from Greater Manchester

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Makbul is a self-taught baker whose strengths lie in pastry (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Makbul is a self-taught baker who first started cooking at home as a means to help support his mother.

He honed his skills through watching TV shows and reading books, as well as drawing inspiration from famous chefs.

Makbul says his strengths lie in pastry.

Marc, 51, a bronze resin sculptor from Cornwall

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Marc is among the stars of this year’s The Great British Bake Off (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Marc took up baking bread as a form of therapy after losing his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2016.

From there, he began making cakes and pastries, from palmiers and chausson aux pommes to opera cakes and millefeuille.

He has also taken up climbing again, an activity he spent his youth doing.

Mark, 32, a project manager from Liverpool

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Mark will put his skills in the kitchen to the test when taking part in The Great British Bake Off (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Mark said he fell in love with baking at a pie shop in Edinburgh, visiting every day while at university for the shop’s Mac ’n’ Cheese pie.

He then started experimenting with making his own baked goods – including a lemon drizzle cake and multi-tiered wedding cakes.

His style is influenced by his Irish heritage, but also by the flavours of Africa and Asia, where he travels regularly for work.

Peter, 20, an accounting and finance student from Edinburgh

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Peter has been baking since he was a child and will be hoping his experience counts when it matters (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Peter grew up on his mother’s home cooking and was inspired to start baking himself by Bake Off.

He has watched every series and has been baking seriously since he was 12.

Peter said he loves to honour his homeland in his cooking, using Scottish ingredients – including berries, whisky, oats and honey – whenever he can.

Rowan, 55, a music teacher from Worcestershire

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Music teacher Rowan will be hoping to hit all the right notes in the kitchen (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Rowan is entirely self-taught and describes his baking style as ostentatious but tasteful.

French patisserie is his passion and he is drawn to fine, complex, layered cakes.

Rowan also enjoys decorating his bakes with flowers, preferably edible ones, using what is in bloom in his garden.

Sura, 31, a pharmacy dispenser from London

The Great British Bake Off 2020
Sura will show off her many influences when taking part in the show (C4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)

Sura has many Middle Eastern and Asian influences in her heritage and says she enjoys experimenting with ingredients and flavours from around the world.

She likes to improvise in the kitchen and rarely sticks rigidly to a recipe.

Sura said she enjoys working with fragrant and floral flavours such as cardamom, rose and orange blossom.

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