The Great British Bake Off: Where do the leftovers go?

We’ll take it, if there’s some going 🍰

When it comes to feel-good shows, we think it’s safe to say that The Great British Bake Off is a top tier contender! As hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith prepare for the 2024 final, we can’t wait to see who is crowned the Star Baker.

An age old question still haunts our minds… And our stomachs, for that matter – what happens to the leftover food once filming has wrapped?! Well, we’ve done some digging, and can now shed some light on the situation…

What happens to the leftover food on the Bake Off?

You will be happy to know that the goodies do not go to waste, as the leftover baked goods are shared between the crew and the bakers themselves. Bake Off’s Chief Home Economist Faenia Moore told BBC Good Food: “It’s important for the bakers to eat what they’ve slaved over, so after each challenge I make up a ‘baker’s basket’ to go to their lunchroom.”

Any food then left over goes to crew members, with former series four contestant Ali telling Birmingham Mail: “The cameramen literally stand there with forks in their back pockets, waiting to swoop as soon as filming stops.”

It appears, however, that leftovers are but a myth in the Bake Off tent, with Ali admitting: “The cakes are meant to be taken to a lunch area where everyone can share them, but they don’t usually get that far because the crew eat them first.”

How much food is left over on the Bake Off?

Well, as fans of the show will know, there are three rounds to be completed during one episode of the show – their signature bake, the technical and the showstopper. Of course, this means that there are three tasty treats produced by each contestant – with just one slice taken by the judges – so PLENTY of treats left for the bakers and crew to enjoy.

However, 2013’s Ali also revealed that there are more baked goods than we may think, confessing that in order to test the ovens, the technical team bake a Victoria sponge in each one every day! That’s a lot of cake…

“And on the first day, everyone gets an hour practice run-through so they know where everything is.”

Explaining the reasoning behind the mass cake production, he said: “They do that to make sure that all the ovens are working properly and no-one can blame a bad bake on a technical malfunction.

So, there we have it! Although our dreams of finding a location filled with all the sweet treat leftovers we could ever imagine are shattered, we know they go to the hardworking cast and crew – well deserved, we think!

Check out the Bake Off cast for 2024 below:

The Great British Bake Off final takes place on Tuesday 26th November at 8pm.

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Everything you need to know about Bake Off 2024

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The Great British Bake Off: 17 things you didn’t know about the hit series

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