Comedian Ellie Taylor has admitted to pinching a few treats from the Bake Off tent during the filming for her first series as new host of Bake Off: The Professionals. Ellie will join veteran host and former Bake Off contestant Liam Charles for the eighth series of the Channel 4 show as a new batch of professional bakers step into the tent.
Benoit Blin, Chef Pâtissier at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and Cherish Finden, formerly Executive Pastry Chef of the Pan Pacific London Hotel, judge once more. Taylor replaces Stacey Solomon as presenter, who took over from comedian Tom Allen.
This year's pairs hail from across the UK including Norfolk, Essex, Birmingham and Darlington. There are teams from luxury hotels such as The Dorchester, The Landmark and St. James’ Court in London and Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire and patisserie pairs from Manchester’s Bisou Bisou, Wigan’s Harwoods and London’s Meraki Baking Studio. And contract caterers, Lexington Catering.
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All to say, there were tasty treats around every corner and for Ellie, 39, that was a 'dream' part of the role. "They said: ‘Would you like the job?’ I said: ‘Is there cake? Can I eat it? Yes, please,'" she laughed.
"It was a no-brainer. It’s a dream gig. Me and my husband watch the main Bake Off together and, although I hadn’t regularly watched Bake Off: The Professionals, I’d seen bits. I knew it’d be a pleasure to work on and it was.
"Cherish and Benoit are lovely, Liam’s a delight and the chefs are brilliant. And I've never got to go to work with a Tupperware I could fill up with nice food before. That was a real treat."
Ellie explained tasting food cooked up by the talented professionals has made her appreciate the technique and skill behind each dish more. "I went for afternoon tea with my mum and was more mindful of the skill and work involved. Rather than just shoving everything in my mouth, I was noticing what it was, what the flavours were meant to be, where the textures were.
"You get to grips with the terminology. You can't say it tastes nice, you’ve got to say: ‘I like that flavour profile…’ I found my language changing. ‘What flavour profile have I gone for on my pizza? Cheese and tomato.’"
But the Strictly competitor admitted her time in the tent had not given her any desire to recreate what she'd tasted: "I don't want to make anything. I’d like to eat them at home. I’d like them to Deliveroo it to me.
"Every episode, I’d get out my Tupperware and take some for me and my husband to dissect. One of my friends had a baby during filming. I went to see her and hadn't had time to buy a present, so I took cakes I’d nicked from the set. I took some around to Mum and Dad, too. I was sharing the joy. Everyone loved it."
Though the comedian is unlikely to craft 36 Opera aux Fruit, or 36 individual Prinsesstårta a la this year's contestants, Ellie says she enjoys creating the occasional pavlova or cake with her daughter, Valentina. "She loves baking," Ellie said. "But mostly because she likes licking everything: the bowl, the whisks, the spatula.
"I’d have barely got the flour out of the cupboard and she's saying: ‘Can I lick the spoon?’ She was helping me make the pavlova and I had to physically wrestle the sugar off her. She’s got a sweet tooth like her mama. We’re cake and biscuit mad in this household."
