Announcement: One of our contributors is on The Great Irish Bake Off!

Dizzyblonde

Well done Will! I can't wait for next week

Birdsong

Will,

when they call time, is it really tools down or do you get a few minutes to tidy up & final finish

Chong

Thanks so much everyone will be in tomorrow morning as ever

grey_so_what

Mighty Man Will!!.............:)

Fair Play to you!.........

GSW:)x

Chong

Birdsong wrote: »

Will,

when they call time, is it really tools down or do you get a few minutes to tidy up & final finish

Genuinely thats it no added touches

fitzcoff

Well done again,

quick question, how do you feel watching the programme,do you feel it is a fair representative of how things were on the days filming or is the editing showing all the participants competely different.

Chong

Honestly, I dont understand elements and the most glaring one would be judging.

Everything is nice in person but complete 180 in the deliberation which is mind boggling.

Mr E

The judging is schizophrenic to say the least.

Well done last night, Will.

the-ging

Yeah the good think about the GBBO is that they are honest, Paul H will tell you if he doesn't like it or there is something wrong with it. Where as the GIBO everything is lovely and tastes nice until they are behind closed doors.

Anyway I though ya were a shoe in for Star Baker.
Good luck next week!

Chong

Thanks alot guys!

awec

I guess the judging is something that will only improve with time.

I think Stephen got too much praise last night for drawing faces on his macaroons. That's not exactly baking.

The Hill Billy

Nice one Will!

I'm looking forward to watching this (& last week's episode) with the Kids when I get home this weekend. My eldest lad really loves it & it is giving him a great interest in baking.

Chong

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Nice one Will!

I'm looking forward to watching this (& last week's episode) with the Kids when I get home this weekend. My eldest lad really loves it & it is giving him a great interest in baking.

See that for me is a fantastic to hear. I have loads of kids coming up saying they have started baking.

fitzcoff

I guess the show itself needs to develop for a baking show there is not a lot of baking in it.

Also it has big shoes to fill as most of us watching it would have watched GBBO and it is hard not to compare the two shows.

oh and another question are ys allowed to bring in your own props/serving platters etc or are they all supplied.

For instance last night the judges were critical of the finishes on Oonagh's cake would it not have been better to have one of the revolving cake stands to ensure the finish was right.

Not that I would ever enter in the show, I would have no where near the talent you all have, but at the semi final stage I reckon I woulld be using all the tools I could to help me.

In other words do you ahve the use the equipment supplied or do you/can you bring your own

just seen the comment about kids watching it, my fella almost 7 has it recorded to watch today as it is on too late, he loves it, that and masterchef australia

Chong

Love hearing that too Fitzcoff!

Yup you can bring in loads of your own gear to help on the show.

For a baking show there is not enough focus on the bake, I made a perfect chiffon cake but there was no comment passed on that which disappoints me alot.

awec

Chong wrote: »

Love hearing that too Fitzcoff!

Yup you can bring in loads of your own gear to help on the show.

For a baking show there is not enough focus on the bake, I made a perfect chiffon cake but there was no comment passed on that which disappoints me alot.

You mean more focus on how it looks rather than how it tastes?

Chong

awec wrote: »

You mean more focus on how it looks rather than how it tastes?

I dont think there is enough emphasis on the actual bake and how that tastes. There is a slant to looks, but there should be more critique on the baked product.

fitzcoff

yea they were very critical of your colours and not much was said about the bake.

I thought it was unfair on Mary Anne as she showed her journey through the bake and then they said that she should have decorated.

Also do the judges say a lot more to ye when judging or is it what is shown on the show

Chong

Small bit more but what you see on screen is pretty much it

fitzcoff

What has been your favourite part of the show so far as a viewer and as a contestant

Chong

100% as a contestant.

I had the best fun of my life it was like a rollercoaster.

As a viewer I find it even difficult not to be like everyone else who views it, enjoys it but critiques the show.

awec

Is it weird seeing yourself, and hearing your own voice on TV?

When's your book out? :P

Chong

Id love a book but the chances of that happening are prob slim to nothing.

Was weird alright but I have gotten used to it. I used to always think as a kid when you would mess with a radio and record yourself you always sounded different its kinda like that.

awec

Chong wrote: »

Id love a book but the chances of that happening are prob slim to nothing.

Was weird alright but I have gotten used to it. I used to always think as a kid when you would mess with a radio and record yourself you always sounded different its kinda like that.

Ye could always self-publish an ebook.

Chong

awec wrote: »

Ye could always self-publish an ebook.

I think thats what my blog is for.

Lovely Bloke

You can do the Foreword in the Cooking Club book, if it ever gets published.

emeraldstar

Chong wrote: »

Honestly, I dont understand elements and the most glaring one would be judging.

Everything is nice in person but complete 180 in the deliberation which is mind boggling.

Has your opinion of the judges changed now that you can see this?

Has Biddy ever offered any opinion of her own rather than simply echoing Paul's?

How much notice do you get as to what you bake each week (apart from the technical, obviously!)?

I presume the winner was allowed to at least tell their family they'd won?

Sorry if some of these have been asked before.

Chong

emeraldstar wrote: »

Has your opinion of the judges changed now that you can see this?

Has Biddy ever offered any opinion of her own rather than simply echoing Paul's?

How much notice do you get as to what you bake each week (apart from the technical, obviously!)?

I presume the winner was allowed to at least tell their family they'd won?

Sorry if some of these have been asked before.

Biddy wise never really offered much than she did on the show, what you see is what you get.

Cant say too much but this week we had 3-4 days notice so coming up with a cake that was anyway good was imo very difficult.

Winner I am sure has told their family

WeSoExcited

Hi Will

I was wondering to what extent do you have to come up with the recipes for the signature bake/showstopper yourself? I'd be an ok baker when I follow recipes in a book, but I would be terrified at having to devise a recipe myself. For the chocolate cake task for example, did you have to create a recipe from scratch or could you use a trusty recipe straight from a cook book or could you use a recipe straight from a book and make a few (small, big?) changes so that it wasn't a direct copy of a published recipe.

Thanks!

Chong

WeSoExcited wrote: »

Hi Will

I was wondering to what extent do you have to come up with the recipes for the signature bake/showstopper yourself? I'd be an ok baker when I follow recipes in a book, but I would be terrified at having to devise a recipe myself. For the chocolate cake task for example, did you have to create a recipe from scratch or could you use a trusty recipe straight from a cook book or could you use a recipe straight from a book and make a few (small, big?) changes so that it wasn't a direct copy of a published recipe.

Thanks!

For the recipe I think you would start with a solid base recipe be it from books or blogs. Then you start modifying it, by adding flavours, textures and decoration.

Also best book I have ever bought is this, its invaluable:

http://www.flavourthesaurus.com/about-author-niki-segnit/