Great British Bake Off 2023

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I’m gutted for Josh, I was really rooting for him and I really feel he had a genuine passion and art for baking, and the story about his nan urging him to go on and then passing, it would've been so special for him to win in her honour. Nonetheless I am happy for Matty and I hope he takes it in his stride and uses it for good. I wonder if he will keep teaching… can you be a teacher if you’ve been on a tv series lol?
I am glad Dan didn’t win, he was a bit of a smug knob. I don’t want to be nasty about his looks because he can’t change that but I think Matty and Josh had genuine passion for baking, Dan was a bit chaotic and tried too hard.
I can’t believe it’s over! What am I going to do on Tuesdays now!!
 
I was hoping Josh would win because it seemed so important for him, whereas I expect Matty was ecstatic to reach the final. But he was a lovely contestant, and I am thrilled for him. I liked Dan initially, but he came out with some remarks that made him sound as if he thought he was the one to beat. Like saying Josh had been chasing his coat tails. Or that Josh was just a nose ahead of him. Erm, I don’t think so Dan.
 
Dear God - how rude was Paul to Josh!!! Im sure he could have found a kinder way to say he didn't like his cake than it was boring. The poor boy must have been crushed.

And a winning cake that's like the leaning tower of pisa!!! Bake off has gone down hill.

I was pleased for Matty but really wasn't bothered who won.
 
Boring is too strong a word,” said Paul Hollywood, “but it’s on its way.” He was talking about a showstopper cake presented to him by Josh, a Leicestershire 27-year-old who hoped his three-tiered celebration of the English seasons, complete with a biscuit greenhouse, would win him series 14 of The Great British Bake Off. But the veteran judge could have been referring to this year’s final.

Think the Guardian review had it spot on!
 
Willow9999 said:
Boring is too strong a word,” said Paul Hollywood, “but it’s on its way.” He was talking about a showstopper cake presented to him by Josh, a Leicestershire 27-year-old who hoped his three-tiered celebration of the English seasons, complete with a biscuit greenhouse, would win him series 14 of The Great British Bake Off. But the veteran judge could have been referring to this year’s final.

Think the Guardian review had it spot on!
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If you have told me it was season 1 of the bake off I would have believed you. Nothing was out of this world amazing like in past and I’m no baker and have never decorated a cake in my life but could just about pull Josh’s show stopper off. There was no amazing piping skills like he has shown in previous weeks.
 
yellowmellow said:
So Pleased for Matty… did he propose when he won and they didn’t show it? Because he called Lara his girlfriend all the way through, then when she was talking it said “fiancé”… then he ran over like he was going to propose but they cut away and then at the end it said they’re getting married?!
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I 100% said that to my husband when he said that!

As an OG disliker of Dan I really felt for him in the final, it’s not nice to know you’re out of the running. Didn’t mind who won out of Josh and Matty but kinda felt like Josh was a bit cheated he was the strongest baker over the three challenges
 
yellowmellow said:
So Pleased for Matty… did he propose when he won and they didn’t show it? Because he called Lara his girlfriend all the way through, then when she was talking it said “fiancé”… then he ran over like he was going to propose but they cut away and then at the end it said they’re getting married?!
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They called her his fiancé at the start of the program when they had all the family footage of everyone. So if they weren’t engaged beforehand it was a bit odd.
Couldn’t be dealing with Josh mentioning his Gran for every challenge. No one else needed a sob story, it felt like bloody xfactor.
 
After the first 2 challenges I thought Josh had it in the bag. But his showstopper while it was nice, he ran out of time and rushed the piping - if he had more time and detailed it properly, then he had it, he had the potential I think to make it look so much better.

I thought I was hearing things when Dan referred to Matty and Josh as "rugrats" - I thought it was a bit condescending and he knew he was going to be beaten by a fella 15 years his junior.

I feel for Josh mourning the loss of his Nan - who knows what pandemic restrictions were in place at the time - funeral arrangements might have been pared back, she may have been in hospital or a care setting where he may not have been able to visit her, we don't know (and it's not our business). I suppose what I'm trying to say is those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic and in recent years may have found it difficult. Also from when they spoke about her - she seemed to look after him after school every day, he must have been very close to her and it can be difficult when you have had someone so close to you in your life for so long, that when something really big happens that they are not there to share in it with you.

I think I recall Matty referring to his fiance at the start of the series but I could be mistaken.

Ah look I'm happy Matty won - he really seemed to be over the moon with the win.

Gosh they had to keep everything a secret for so long - that was recorded months ago.
 
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I must say, I hate how you can see the layers of cake beneath the artistic design. If I’d paid for this cake I’d be confused as to why the baker didn’t put a thicker white icing layer if they were going to bother making a design on top.
 
Celebration cakes are time consuming and definitely take practice before they are at a standard where people will pay for them. I assume that they don’t make them very much and maybe they are more brownie or bread makers perhaps. I think Matty won because his tasted the best out of the three.
It’s ironic that this year was simpler because people complained about the themed weeks and complicated challenges, but the bakers from the previous years were way more polished despite it being difficult. I always think the technical with barely any information is ridiculous.
 
I think people are forgetting that they make these cakes under high pressure and time constraints. Professional bakers will give themselves much more than 4 hours (or whatever it was) to make a highly decorated three tier cake.

I'm not saying it's impossible but I feel confident that it won't have been their best work. I'm sure all 3 finalists could crack out a fantastic showstopper if time was no issue.
 
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mrsbucket said:
I think people are forgetting that they make these cakes under high pressure and time constraints. Professional bakers will give themselves much more than 4 hours (or whatever it was) to make a highly decorated three tier cake.
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I always think it's so harsh when they give them such a short amount of time to do something that clearly needs much longer to do it well. Like when there have been things like ganache and the judges have complained that it hasn't set, or that the cake has been too hot. Because you didn't give them enough time to let it cool down properly! Most cakes need at least an hour to be cool enough for icing it and then they wonder why the icing is running off it:rolleyes: or something with pastry where they say it's not cooked enough because they didn't give them enough time to make it and cook it properly. They seem to be expecting the impossible a lot of the time

I've made wedding cakes similar size to Matty's one in the past and usually bake them the day before and then decorate the next day to make sure it's cool enough. A lot of bakers do the same. No way would I be attempting to make one in 4 hours
 
CrimsonCountess said:
I always think it's so harsh when they give them such a short amount of time to do something that clearly needs much longer to do it well. Like when there have been things like ganache and the judges have complained that it hasn't set, or that the cake has been too hot. Because you didn't give them enough time to let it cool down properly! Most cakes need at least an hour to be cool enough for icing it and then they wonder why the icing is running off it:rolleyes: or something with pastry where they say it's not cooked enough because they didn't give them enough time to make it and cook it properly. They seem to be expecting the impossible a lot of the time
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Exactly! But I guess it's an entertainment show so there has to be an element of jeopardy otherwise it would be boring.

I'd love to see what the self proclaimed baking demigod Paul Hollywood could produce in the same conditions. He might be amazing and make me eat my words.. but I doubt it 😆
 
Was a bit of a meh series 🤷🏼‍♀️ no one made anything spectacular really and the final showstoppers weren't particularly great either ...thread's been more enjoyable than the show tbh 🤣
Am glad Matty won though, Dan knew he wasn't gonna after the signature 🤭 Josh had definitely been the most consistent throughout the series but played it too safe in the end
 
CrimsonCountess said:
I always think it's so harsh when they give them such a short amount of time to do something that clearly needs much longer to do it well. Like when there have been things like ganache and the judges have complained that it hasn't set, or that the cake has been too hot. Because you didn't give them enough time to let it cool down properly! Most cakes need at least an hour to be cool enough for icing it and then they wonder why the icing is running off it:rolleyes: or something with pastry where they say it's not cooked enough because they didn't give them enough time to make it and cook it properly. They seem to be expecting the impossible a lot of the time

I've made wedding cakes similar size to Matty's one in the past and usually bake them the day before and then decorate the next day to make sure it's cool enough. A lot of bakers do the same. No way would I be attempting to make one in 4 hours
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How is it any different to previous years though? I’d now way be able to do what they did in 4 hours. Maybe 4 hours working time but would probably go off and do something for a few hours while the cakes were cooling. This years final just seemed a bit mehh and not OMG wow how the duck did they do that in such a short space of time.
 
mrsbucket said:
Exactly! But I guess it's an entertainment show so there has to be an element of jeopardy otherwise it would be boring.

I'd love to see what the self proclaimed baking demigod Paul Hollywood could produce in the same conditions. He might be amazing and make me eat my words.. but I doubt it 😆
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I said last year I wanna see Paul doing those ridiculous technicals he was setting 😂
 
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