Bake Off finalist Ian set to cook up tasty treats
A STAR baker will be firing up the oven in Earl Shilton.
Great British Bake Off finalist Ian Cumming will demonstrate some of his delicious energysaving recipes to pensioners.
The taster session will include his feta and spinach steamed buns, Scottish smoked salmon pasta and slow-cooked chicken.
The chef will also be tantalising tastebuds with his no bake cheesecake.
The idea of the recipes is that they can be prepared using minimal amounts of energy, and so save people money on their bills.
Smart Energy GB, the national campaign for the smart meter rollout, helped organise the event.
A representative from the group will be giving a talk about the benefits of switching to a smart meter.
There will also be a time for a question and answer session afterwards.
Ian, 44, appeared in the sixth series of the popular cooking show, in 2015.
He was among the final three, only to be beaten by full-time Luton mum Nadiya Hussain.
One of his nicknames on the show was ‘Teacher’s Pet Ian’, as he was Star Baker for three consecutive weeks.
He wowed the judges with his wild garlic pesto soda breads and trio of spicy and herby baked cheesecakes in the first few weeks.
Unfortunately, his elderflower and lemon buns, mille-feuille and colossal carrot cake didn’t quite cut the mustard in the final.
Ian works as a travel photog- rapher, and lives with his wife and two children in a listed Tudor building in Cambridgeshire.
His profession has involved extensive work in Tibet, and in 2015 he was the official photog- rapher for a visit to Britain by the Dalai Lama, who he presented with a cake for his 80th birthday.
He has been a snapper at venues around the world for more than 20 years.
There are plans for the amateur chef and Smart Energy GB to hold similar events across the country.
The culinary event will be at Earl Shilton Senior Citizen’s Centre this week.