Bake Off winner reveals his biggest fear
Bake Off winner on TV contest, his love of Scottish ingredients and his granny’s cookbooks
There’s a few words Peter Sawkins would use to describe the past year but, unlike most, boring isn’t one of them. The 11th series of The Great British Bake Off was, perhaps, the most relevant and memorable in the show’s history, and so to just be one of the 12 bakers was, the 20-year-old admits, a whirlwind in itself. But to also become both the youngest winner and the first Scot to take home the prize, all in the middle of a global pandemic? Well, that was the icing on the cake.
“It’s been the most exciting time I’ve ever had,” explained Peter, from Edinburgh, who is currently finishing a degree in accounting and finance.
“There’s so much warmth around the show, people really appreciated it, and it was just nice to be a part of that. Although, I was only a small part, really, because it was the crew and the team that put the show together who did such a fantastic job.
“That warm, cosy, fun feeling that everyone gets on a Tuesday night was kind of needed, I think, so I’m very lucky to have been a part of it.”
He added with a laugh:“I’m very grateful for the show because, you know, one thing my life hasn’t been this year is boring. It could have been a time of great tedium and boredom otherwise.”
Hailed as the slice of normality we had all been craving during lockdown, last year’s Bake Off broke Channel 4’s own viewing figures record, as 10.8 million people tuned in to watch the opening episode both live and on catch-up – the channel’s biggest broadcast since records began.
Filmed over six weeks rather than the usual 12 – and under strict “self-contained biosphere” rules due to coronavirus – the series saw Peter bake his way to triumph with the likes of a chocolate and orange Battenberg cake, kedgeree pasties, and strawberry and elderflower babas, the latter of which won him the coveted title of Star Baker in the semi-final.
His recipes often paid homage to Scotland, both with ingredients and design, but Peter admits it wasn’t a conscious decision to honour his homeland – he was simply creating the type of bakes he came to know and love while cooking in the kitchen with his mum and granny.
He said:“When I was writing recipes for the show, I didn’t realise, necessarily, that I was putting Scottish things into my food. Obviously, I knew it was going to be Scottish when I did, for example, the Biscuit Burns Supper but otherwise I just chose the ingredients because I thought they would be delicious and wow the judges.
“That’s what we’ve got here – amazing food and such variety.You could make all your baking and food from Scottish ingredients, and you would still have great differences and get fantastic results.”
With his love of home-grown produce, it’s no surprise Peter’s first collaboration after winning Bake Off is helping to promote seasonal Scottish ingredients. He has teamed up with the Scottish Government and
industry body Scotland Food & Drink for the campaign “Scotland brings so much to the table”, which aims to encourage Scots to explore the natural produce found on our doorstep. Peter says using local ingredients can help “add a story” to everyday dishes. He explained: “Food is just the best quality when it comes moments from your door. It’s the freshest it can be, and you get the best taste, too. I also think it adds story and character to the dish when you know the provenance of your food – you are more connected. It sounds a bit wishy-washy, but I think it’s true! And we all know homemade just tastes better.”
Peter’s first cookbook, aptly named Peter Bakes, is set for publication in October, so in between lockdown and studying for university exams, he’s been busy writing and testing new recipes – the results of which have been dropped off as parcels to a few very lucky friends and family.
The collection, he hopes, will be similar to the cookbooks he grew up with in the family kitchen.
He said: “One of the loveliest things is your grandparents’ cookbooks. I have their handwritten notes within those books and it’s just so nice to look through.You can pick out recipes and your mum and dad will say, ‘Oh I remember having that when I was younger’. Those cookbooks are almost like a family photo album but with food.”
For new bakers and home cooks hoping to improve their skills – and perhaps even make their own appearance in the famous white tent – Peter says there’s no real secret to his success. It was all down to trial and error.
“I started baking very young with my mum in the kitchen and then took it up as a relatively serious hobby when I was about 12,” he explained.“I went through so many failed bakes at different points – I produced some absolutely dreadful stuff! But you just have to keep trying, and practising.
“You’re not going to be amazing from the get-go, and sometimes things won’t go too well.You just have to keep practising, stick with it and learn from your mistakes.”
Were there any mistakes from Bake Off he has learned from?
He laughed: “Well, I’ve avoided cheesecakes since I was on Bake Off.They did not go particularly well for me. I’ll need to face them sometime soon and overcome my fears.”