Star of new Bake Off ? It could be a Scottish mac ’n’ cheese pie!
IT’S definitely not what Prue Leith or Paul Hollywood would describe as a showstopper.
Yet a humble macaroni and cheese pie could, in a roundabout sort of way, end up being the surprise winner of this year’s Great British Bake Off.
For one of the contestants has disclosed that he was inspired to take up baking by his regular trips to an Edinburgh pie shop – and by his regular fix of the pastafilled pastry.
While studying finance in the city, Mark Lutton made daily trips to the Piemaker cafe on South Bridge where he would buy its popular mac’n’cheese pie.
So impressed was he by the treats on offer in the shop, he decided to roll up his sleeves and try his hand at baking.
He will now be showcasing his talents on the top-rated television show, which returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday.
And it is even possible Mr Lutton may choose to recreate a version of the £1.70 pie that kickstarted his hobby – which would clearly be one of the most unusual signature bakes in the programme’s history.
Mr Lutton is one of 12 contestants hoping to be crowned the nation’s best amateur baker, one fewer than the baker’s dozen who competed last year. The 32-year old project manager from Northern Ireland, who now lives in Liverpool, said: ‘I loved the Piemaker and walking across South Bridge in the city.
‘I visited the café every day. My love of their macaroni and cheese pie inspired me to start baking. I think I’m quite a versatile baker and I’m always up for a challenge.’
News of his inspiration could provide a boost for café owner Fiona Venter, who established Piemaker with her late husband in 1995.
Mrs Venter, 60, said: ‘It is not the most salubrious pie to inspire someone to get into the Great British Bake Off, but we’ve had people coming all the way from Newcastle for a macaroni pie. It’s a particularly Scottish pie.’
The new series was delayed by Covid. Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will return as judges, but comedian Matt Lucas is replacing Sandi Toksvig as the programme’s co-host alongside Noel Fielding.