loveFOOD meets... John Whaite
Law graduate, and 2012 winner of The Great British Bake Off, John Whaite reveals why he swapped the courtroom for the kitchen.
After claiming top prize in the BBC's The Great British Bake Off, John Whaite decided to continue baking as a professional. He now has more culinary qualifications under his belt and two cookbooks out. But he hasn't forgotten the great times he had with the series.
“It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in my life," says John. "We’d be out on a Friday night, enjoying food and drinks, then be off to the tent on a Saturday to start filming. The whole process was brilliant. You’re so involved in the situation that you forget it’s televised.
"Watching the show back you realise that, you know, perhaps you could have worn a different outfit. Months later you think, ‘Oh crumbs, I’m being watched by seven million people and I’ve just done a Woody Woodpecker impression!’ So it’s daunting, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”
From courtroom to kitchen
John took part in Bake Off while completing his finals as a law undergraduate, receiving a First Class Honours degree despite the extra workload. He explains that he has been baking since an early age with his mother, and the skills stuck with him.
“Back then baking was a process that we did, no questions, we just did it. And over the years I sort of realised that it was something I found really comforting. I think because of that link with my childhood and the maternal bond.
"I found that when I was going through difficult times in life, baking always offered something that was quite serene and tranquil for me. Baking’s also quite constructive, so it became therapeutic for me as well.
"I’ve done a patisserie diploma that took me nine months. I’ve learnt a lot about the industry in that time as well and that’s given me the voice I felt I needed. Even though I’d done Bake Off I felt that I wanted to grow even more in the industry so I could feel viable when I stood on the stage telling people how to bake things; that people would find me a reliable character in the industry.”
The patisserie diploma took place at the legendary Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London.
“It was hard going, but all part and parcel of the fun, and it really adds to that energy and buzz. The process itself was difficult – the exams are hard and the expectations high. They’ve got high standards in terms of absenteeism and attendance.
"It was difficult to try and fit it in around my book writing but Cordon Bleu has improved me as a baker and I now feel that I have a reliable, responsible voice in the industry.”
Comfort food
So what's John's favourite failsafe food? “Something starchy and cheesy, so spaghetti carbonara, mac and cheese... anything that's quite bad for you but good for the soul, really.”
On his new cookbook, John Whaite Bakes at Home, he says: “The cookbook sort of epitomises what home baking means to me. It describes how baking at home can be literally at home or it can be with your friends on a Friday night making pizzas and sharing beers. There’s also some great picnic recipes in there because it’s starting to get sunnier, and the days are getting longer. It’s a book that demonstrates what home baking is to me, with simple, tasty recipes.”
John Whaite Bakes At Home is published by Headline and is available now – you can buy it from Amazon here
You can watch a short video interview with John here
Main image taken by Matt Russell
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