S04.E10: The Final

[Athena]

It's the final of The Great British Bake Off! 13,000 applicants were narrowed down to 13 of Britain's best amateur bakers, and the 13 became three. There are just three final challenges standing between the bakers and the title of winner of the Great British Bake Off. Mary and Paul have chosen the final challenges to test the bakers on the areas in which they wanted to see how far they had grown in skill and creativity.

 

The Signature Challenge asks them to create a technically difficult picnic pie - a savoury pie packed full of fillings that create a creative design, surrounded by shortcrust pastry with perfectly baked sides strong enough to be served out of the tin. The Technical is one of Paul's, as they are tasked to make 12 perfectly shaped pretzels, six savoury with rock salt and six sweet, flavoured with poppy seeds and topped with sweet orange zest and glaze. For the very final challenge in this year's Bake Off they must bake the ultimate showpiece in a baker's repertoire - a wedding cake. Three tiers that are their last chance to showcase their creative, baking brilliance.

 

All of their efforts will be prepared for their family and friends at the GBBO summer garden party, who will be there to support the winner - but which of our female finalists will it be? Bake Off finalists; on your marks....get set......BAKE!

[Jodithgrace]

Duplicate post..guess my missing post showed up after all!

Edited November 9, 2015 by Jodithgrace

[Jodithgrace]

Well, I am shocked that Francis pulled it off! I had my money on Kimberly or Ruby, if Ruby's nerves didn't do her in. When Kimberly's signature bake was leaky, I figured that Ruby had it in the bag. Alas, the wedding cake did her in. 

But I am happy for Francis. At last her flavors caught up to her artistry. None of the wedding cakes were especially gorgeous, but with only six hours, I thought they were as good as could be expected. The flavors were fine, but that level of decoration takes time. 

I can't believe that Ruby forgot to note the baking times for her layers and they were in fact, over baked! That cost her the win. Funny, her mum says that she is never pleased with herself. I guess it's her thing. I hope this doesn't kick her self confidence in the pants, because she did, in fact, do extremely well! 

 

BTW..I posted this earlier today, but my post mysteriously disappeared!  BUT, I notice that there are no other posts, which surprises me. Did nobody watch the finale, or are everybody's posts also disappearing? I found my post, intact, in the auto save, so check there if your post is missing. :)

Edited November 9, 2015 by Jodithgrace

[becauseIsaidso]

Where I am, the finale is only halfway through, so I guess this is a bit of a spoiler for me...sorry to hear Kimberly didn't get the win, I had really hoped for her.

Edited November 9, 2015 by becauseIsaidso

[dgpolo]

Here, too, only halfway through.

[formerlyfreedom]

It's fine to talk about the episode before it has aired in the US. Please see the pinned mod note. Especially in this instance, the show plays at all different times depending on what PBS station - for example, it doesn't air in my area on Tuesday!

[wonderwoman]

"I found my post, intact, in the auto save, so check there if your post is missing. :)"

How do you access -auto-save? I looked, but couldn't find it. I'm wondering if it doesn't work on an iPad, which doesn't allow me to use the quote function or bold and italic.

[Ketzel]

Congratulations to Frances; she did very well. I feel for both Ruby and Kimberly - they both have a couple of "if onlys" to live with. If only Kimberly had pre-cooked her savory picnic pie filling, instead of putting it into the pastry raw! If only Ruby had written down the bake time for her cake layers, or managed to remember them under pressure!

Edited November 9, 2015 by Ketzel

[Rinaldo]

I would propose that we use the female spelling, "Frances," that she actually uses.

[GaT]

Well that was a surprise, I wasn't even considering Frances as the winner, I was sure it was going to be either Ruby or Kimberly (and I was rooting for Kimberly). After the signature bake, I thought it would be Ruby because her basket was beautiful. Then after the technical, I thought it would be Kimberly, & even though Frances had the best looking cake, I'm not sure how it was enough to give her the win.

[Rinaldo]

It seemed to me that each of the others had a misstep in one bake, and Frances didn't really have any. She was the most consistent. She really did grow throughout the competition -- still gifted at design but making it more an integral part of her creations rather than extraneous as before, and also very strong on the actual baking techniques. I too have a special fondness for Kimberley, but I can't quarrel with the final decision.

[shok]

I can't quarrel with the final decision either but it doesn't mean I like it. I really felt all through the whole season that Kimberley was held to a different standard than some of the others, especially Ruby. Her wedding cake apparently was perfectly baked and very delicious but didn't look as good?? They complained about the appearance of both Frances' and Ruby's too. Hell, Ruby got star baker two or three times even though she had problems with how her stuff looked all the time. Kimberley far outdid the other two with her pretzels and while it was unfortunate her loaf didn't hold up, it too apparently tasted good.

 

So she didn't win because she didn't improve as much as Frances? She didn't have to! Her bakes were strong all through the show's run and she showed how competent she was right from the beginning. I dunno, just as it seemed Ruby was favoured and coddled all season long, I just felt they were unnecessarily tough on Kimberley. Too bad. Hopefully she's done very well for herself since the show aired. I stayed unspoiled but now I'll have to go googling to see what I can find on her.

[Merneith]

Congrats to Frances! I was rooting for Kimberly, but I couldn't really argue with the result, today. I thought the printed word piece on Kimberly's cake was a good idea but it didn't work out to have quite the impact. That plus the soggy pie meant she came up short. Frances had the best Showstopper and the best Signature, even if her pretzels were the worst (although no one really excelled there.) I hope Ruby continues to grow and learn. and maybe hardens up a bit.

 

When's the next season start?

[Rinaldo]

So she didn't win because she didn't improve as much as Frances?  

I didn't say that, and I don't think Paul and Mary did either. The point is that the Frances of weeks (say) 1-4 was not of winning stature, but in the final she was. And it's a given of this competition that they consider only what happens in that particular week's episode, no looking back when judging.

[shandy]

I was also pleased for Frances, although I was cheering for Kim. Thinking about Wedding Cakes, I rarely remember the taste and always remember the look. I loved the idea of the languages of love, but the design looked muted on screen, and didn't seem to merit the time she spent on it. She was very much a thinker rather than a visual artist. Watching Ruby run herself into the ground was not good, but I was glad she re-focused and finished with her head high, even if her hat boxes needed a bubble level.  Frances managed to unify concept and execution. I loved the marzipan bees and the sense of flow in the edible confetti. Great bunch of people this season, I will miss it. 

[DeLurker]

Surprised too at the win by Frances - I thought Ruby and Kimberly were the contenders going into this weekend.

 

But congratulations to Frances.  I think I would love to see a collaboration of her style and Kimberly's flavor combinations.

 

The picture of Kimberly as a little girl with her sister was incredible - she had that smile even then!

 

And Glenn!  How I missed you!

[Frost]

Ruby's picnic basket pie was the best thing she baked all season.  It looked tremendous, was baked perfectly, and apparently tasted delicious as well.  Wedding cakes are never going to be her thing, I don't think.  She doesn't seem to enjoy all the fussing that type of cake requires, whereas that is absolutely Frances' wheelhouse. 

 

I enjoyed this show so much!  Plenty of tension and drama without obnoxious contestants making snide comments about each other during their talking heads segments.  What a bunch of lovely people!  I hope other seasons are as great as this one.  I can't wait to watch.  I'm almost sorry there aren't any commercials so that I can commend the advertisers for supporting this kind of show.  Note, I said 'almost'!

 

I would have been OK with any of them winning and I'm very happy for Frances. 

[Qoass]

 

Leaving me wanting more.

 

Yes, I want the next series to begin on PBS immediately.  I don't care of it's old or recent; it will be new to me.

[Quilt Fairy]

I'm so disappointed, but I knew Kimberley was out after the first bake, they were never going to let her come back after that. Frances was the one baker that I never developed any feeling for during the course of the show, except for some mild animosity, for reasons I can't explain.  I just don't care for her. She needs to be a cake decorator rather than a baker. All season long Mary and Paul praised Ruby and Kimberley for their flavors but Francis only for her style. I would have preferred Toby (first one out) to win rather than Frances. Her wedding cake looked like it was going to collapse or fall over, it was obviously very lop-sided, but that never even got mentioned by the judges. Of course, they never mentioned Ruby's almost-falling down shed, so maybe the standards in the UK are different.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Quilt Fairy

[meep.meep]

Congratulations and well done to Frances!

 

They used the pretzel technical bake on the American season of the show and almost everyone bombed.  

[backgroundnoise]

I'd have been happy with any of the three, but based solely on the challenges last night, I think the right person won.  I like that the show really did judge based on what they did that weekend, even if I think over the course of the show Kimberley was a better baker. 

 

What a great show.

Edited November 9, 2015 by backgroundnoise

[Calicocat]

Her wedding cake looked like it was going to collapse or fall over, it was obviously very lop-sided, but that never even got mentioned by the judges.

 

 

I thought it was lopsided, too but since no mentioned it I wonder if it was an optical illusion cause by the "confetti" on one side of the cake.  I was rooting for Kimberley but can't argue that Frances had a better weekend and deserved the win.

[Psychobunny]

I cannot believe how bad the pretzels looked.  I made some when I was about 12 and I at least knew to roll them out evenly and how to twist them so them looked right.  I also thought they still used lye to make them brown.  I thought Ruby's picnic basket was gorgeous and Ruby herself is absolutely stunning but her lack of self-confidence is offputting (although I hated to see her crying). I think if she was trying to do a sunset motif on her wedding cake, she should have had the layers making a progression of colors rather than having two lighter ones and a darker one in the middle (like here https://www.google.com/search?q=sunset+wedding+cakes&biw=1093&bih=521&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CC4Q7AlqFQoTCN6MuvOAhMkCFYTtJgod238G-Q&dpr=1.25#imgrc=VlFdCzM9bZhU_M%3A). I actually would prefer a cake that looked like Kimberly's to one that looked like Frances' but the printing was a mess and my feeling is the judges here would prefer that things be hand-crafted rather than using a stamp and also they seem to really dislike fondant.  I also love how Frances dried the shaved rhubarb to make it ruffle up like rose petals. I do think that making everything edible was a definite plus.

[DiegoBurger]

If you missed last season, it is streaming on Netflix right now. Some real characters which makes it a lot of fun and it has the same vibe of a competitors who are supportive who take on everything with a great sense of humor. So much for the stereotype of the British "stiff upper lip." I'd love to bake in a tent with any of these people. Not only does this show make me hungry, it inspires me to bake. Cannot say the same for any other cooking program. 

 

I was hoping Kimberly would win - I thought the poppy seed filling might push her to the top. 

[GaT]

And it's a given of this competition that they consider only what happens in that particular week's episode, no looking back when judging.

 

All season long Mary and Paul praised Ruby and Kimberley for their flavors but Francis only for her style. 

This is what bothers me, the final shouldn't be treated like the rest of the competition where the winner can be determined by one day's competition. Ruby won Star Baker 3 times, Kimberley won it 2 times, & Frances won it once, what is the purpose of being named Star Baker? It apparently doesn't figure into winning the competition, so why have it at all? Someone could win Star Baker every week & still lose, this doesn't make sense to me.

 

While I was looking up how many times people won Star Baker, I ran across this article written by Ruby . I had no idea all this nastiness happened, does it happen every season? Or was it just this one?

Edited November 9, 2015 by GaT

[DeLurker]

I'm guessing every season.  I liked the article she wrote and think she made her points well.

[Mondrianyone]

If you missed last season, it is streaming on Netflix right now.

 

For those who aren't signed up for Netflix, Season 1 is also available on Amazon Video, all episodes for free if you happen to have Amazon Prime.  Now I wish TPTB would get off the stick and release another season already.

 

This is what bothers me, the final shouldn't be treated like the rest of the competition where the winner can be determined by one day's competition. Ruby won Star Baker 3 times, Kimberley won it 2 times, & Frances won it once, what is the purpose of being named Star Baker? It apparently doesn't figure into winning the competition, so why have it at all? Someone could win Star Baker every week & still lose, this doesn't make sense to me.

 

While I was looking up how many times people won Star Baker, I ran across this article written by Ruby . I had no idea all this nastiness happened, does it happen every season? Or was it just this one?

 

I agree about the meaninglessness of Star Baker if the wins aren't taken into account in some way.  And if they aren't, there should at least be some tangible prize awarded each week for whoever's named Star Baker.

 

I didn't find an article written by Ruby at your link, GaT.  But when I went looking for something like it, I found this:  http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/ruby-tandoh-mary-berry-bake-off-twitter-312449.

Apparently she's not the delicate little flower she seemed to be during the show.  I get people wanting to say snarky things about Paul, but being mean to Mary???  It makes my luscious lower lip want to quiver prettily and my big green eyes fill with tears.

[GaT]

I didn't find an article written by Ruby at your link, GaT.  But when I went looking for something like it, I found this:  http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/ruby-tandoh-mary-berry-bake-off-twitter-312449.

Apparently she's not the delicate little flower she seemed to be during the show.  I get people wanting to say snarky things about Paul, but being mean to Mary???  It makes my luscious lower lip want to quiver prettily and my big green eyes fill with tears.

Whoops wrong link, this is the correct one http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/22/great-british-bake-off-ruby-dandoh, I'll edit my post.

[ichbin]

While I was looking up how many times people won Star Baker, I ran across this article written by Ruby . I had no idea all this nastiness happened, does it happen every season? Or was it just this one?

I think the "nastiness" you're referring to probably stems back to Paul Hollywood's past putting suspicion on whether some female contestants are getting praise from him for reasons other than their baking skills.  If you're not familiar with what happened do a search for Paul Hollywood+affair.  It was apparently quite the scandal. 

[GaT]

I think the "nastiness" you're referring to probably stems back to Paul Hollywood's past putting suspicion on whether some female contestants are getting praise from him for reasons other than their baking skills.  If you're not familiar with what happened do a search for Paul Hollywood+affair.  It was apparently quite the scandal. 

I knew about the affair, what I find strange about it is that it was apparently bigger news in the UK than the US. In the US it was "eh, so what", in the UK it seems more like "OMG!!!!!!!"

[FoundTime]

This episode cracked me up because my maternal grandfather was a pretzel baker. Of course he had machines to do the twisting! I can see how that would be tricky to do manually.

 

I'm fine with the results, though as I said last week, I thought this was Kimberly's to lose. I'm not sure Ruby could have handled the win; it might have done her in!

 

It was great to see the other bakers at the garden party and I left this season with a big smile on my face. I just love the whole positive vibe of this show, especially compared to so many American competitive reality shows.

[Rinaldo]

Why have Star Baker? Well, they didn't, in the very first competition (they were still working out a number of kinks in the format then). I have taken it as an "extra" -- a nice bit of recognition that recipients can be proud of: even if you were eliminated in week 4, you can recall being named Star Baker.

 

I do understand feeling disappointed when a consistent high achiever, and a personal favorite, doesn't get the prize at the end (I have feelings of that sort in relation to an earlier season). But they have always (again, after that very first season) been above-board that consider-only-this-week is the way that they do it. And I've come to feel that it's the fairest way in the long run: how would one weigh consistent strength this week against a slip two weeks ago? And how big was the differential three weeks ago (when X was a bit worse than Y) compared to now (when Y seems somewhat better than X)? So I think their system is the best; and they do stick to it. So all bakers know they need to avoid being eliminated each week, and the next week everyone starts even.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Rinaldo

[Pallida]

Considering the winner of the entire season basically only wins a trophy, I don't think Star Baker needs to be attached to something tangible. I think of Star Baker as another positive for this show. It's rewarding the person who does really well that week and makes each week both positive and negative at the end instead of solely negative. People are rewarded for doing well week to week by staying in the competition. They don't need more than that.

[AllAboutMBTV]

If I won Star Baker it would be the first thing on my CV. I'd have tshirts and buttons printed up. I cannot even imagine.
 

You'd think -- well, I would -- that all three final challenges would be difficult and laborious, but Paul throws in pretzels as the Technical. If you've never made them before, they're not easy, and they won't come out right (kinda like first-time pie crust). Well done, Hollywood.
 

Is it January yet? We're getting S6 in January as the Downton lead-in, yes? (Sadly, I inadvertently spoiled myself as to who wins -- curse you, BBC News app! -- but, knowing who wins, I'll be interested to see how their experience in the tent is edited.)

[Cyranetta]

 

I thought the printed word piece on Kimberly's cake was a good idea but it didn't work out to have quite the impact.

What struck me is that the printed words were at much too small a scale, and in addition, they should have been piped (or some other 3D technique).

 

I read something earlier today that US PBS has yet to decide if they will show another season (pfft!).

[travel9x]

I was rather disappointed in the ending since I was pulling for Kimberly to win. And I don't think I'm a fan of the non-cumulative judging --  I've seen shows that have taken in previous successes and failures into account when judging final contestants. I think judging based on the success of the day allows for people who haven't all that successful to have one brilliant win and win it over people who have been more consistent and success.

 

So I'll enjoy the majority of the show since the show is really enjoyable but I can skip the finale since I think I'll always be disappointed.

[Frost]

God, the internet can be a horrible place.   Even though that stuff happened in 2013, it still makes my blood boil to read it.

[ichbin]

I knew about the affair, what I find strange about it is that it was apparently bigger news in the UK than the US. In the US it was "eh, so what", in the UK it seems more like "OMG!!!!!!!"

I don't think The American Baking Competition was much of a hit when it aired.  Plus Paul Hollywood didn't really have the notoriety here in the US that he has in the UK.  It's my guess that is the reason why it wasn't as big a deal here in the US as it was in the UK.

[Zahdii]

Sorry, was late to check on seeing if the Finale was up:

 

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365541481/

[adhoc]

I think Frances was as deserving a winner as any. (I had thought early on that Christine would win.)  So glad Ruby did not win, TBH--her self-deprecating attitude, even in this episode, did not endear her to me.  The thing is, IMHO, some of what she says--"I've never done this before, it's been a hard week, I'm just going to do my best, etc."--is designed to set everyone's expectations low (including her own), so that if she does poorly on a challenge, well that was to be expected. And if she does well, well, brilliant!  

 

As far as whose bakes were better each episode, I always try to keep in mind that they edit out lots of film footage. Maybe if we had seen more of the wedding cake challenge footage, we too would have thought that Frances clearly had it in the bag. 

 

In the last few seconds of the episode I loved the blue roan English Cocker Spaniel sniffing around in the background. I have  a blue roan ECS myself. :-)  Their noses are never far from the ground...

 

EDITED TO ADD: There was no episode 10. Was that just a recap show or something?

Edited November 10, 2015 by adhoc

[jenh526]

My mom didn't want Kimberley to win because in the semi-final she mixed in fruit with her hand. I guess I'm ok with Frances winning, although I think Kimberley was the most consistent overall. I was reading things about how cocky she was. Ha! They should watch some American competitions sometime. I actually liked Kimberley's wedding cake idea with the blue and silver and the different designs on each layer, even if the execution wasn't the best. And Frances' would've looked much better with a confetti swirl around the cake, but hers was pretty too and I liked the bees. Wasn't it a bit tilted on the top though? No one said anything about it. I didn't think Ruby's was bad, although it looked like she didn't have enough time to finish. At any rate, I would've really liked to have been at that picnic at the end.

Edited November 10, 2015 by jenh526

[LittleIggy]

I still can't believe Paul and Mary thought Ruby's "allotment cake" was all that! Ruby's pouting got to me. The girl in the season shown on PBS last year was younger and didn't act like that. I wanted Kimberly to win, but since she didn't, I'm glad France's won. BTW, I wish Paul had shown how to twist a pretzel!

I have Amazon Prime, so I'll check out Season 1!

[jenh526]

Frances' fully-realized wedding cake: http://francesquinn.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/wedding-cake.jpg

 

I guess they really didn't have enough time to complete them!

[hjmugillecuty]

All three cakes were slightly lopsided, but Frances' was more obvious because the confetti was only on one side.

My favorite part of during the deliberation (this is not exact):

Mary: I've got someone in mind too

Sue: Is it me?

Mary: No

Sue: Its never me! Every season!

Mary: It might be Mel

[SophiaD]

I didn't like the final challenge.  If you're going to have them do something crazy like a wedding cake, give them enough time to finish.

 

I was happy for Ruby that her picnic pie turned out so beautifully.   I think that if Kimberly had done a better job there, she might have won.  Or, if Ruby's layers hadn't been dry.  Frances seemed to slip through by "not losing."  All of her bakes looked good, though.

 

I thought all three of them really deserved to be there.  It's nice when you really like all three of the people in the finals.  I used to watch cooking shows on the cooking channel, or some of the crazy barbecuing show, and it seemed that at least half the time the one person I really didn't like won.

 

It's going to be awfully tempting to take a day off and binge-watch this show on Netflix. :)

[DHDancer]

Thought I'd share this link from Kimberley Wilson's website (where there are some truly scrummy recipes)  She has a page that links to all the contestants' websites.  Most useful!!!

 

http://www.butimhungrynow.com/#!bakers-dozen/c1n5l

[LydiaMoon1]

Congratuations to Frances, but knowing that Kimberly didn't win killed my desire to see the finale.  This baking competition is still miles above any of the American shows though, so there is always that.

[Lura]

DHDancer, thank you so much for including the link to the contestants' websites.  I've only had time to peek at a few, but I know I'll enjoy seeing the rest -- and maybe attempting one of their recipes!

 

Funny thing:  I was pulling for Becca until she was eliminated, and in the final threesome, I had my fingers crossed for Kimberly.  But when Frances' name was called as the winner, I was overjoyed!  Figure that one out if you can!  Frances impressed me all the way through, though, for her quiet creativity, her studious attitude, and her lack of drama (the latter being the only reason I shied away from Ruby).  I also admired Frances for sticking to her guns and using nature as her theme throughout.

 

Should we write to our PBS stations with requests to continue carrying this show?  I don't like this rumor that it might be canceled.  It really is one of the most outstanding cooking/baking shows we have available to us, IMHO.

 

Congratulations, Frances, and to Kimberly and Ruby -- great bakes!

Edited November 11, 2015 by Lura

[KLovestoShop]

From the beginning, I thought Kimberly was going to be the winner.  She was consistently good throughout the season.  Ruby and her silly attitude just bugged me the entire season and I didn't want her to win.  If Kimberly had a better picnic bake, she would have been the winner.  I thought all three wedding cakes looked very elementary and they really needed more time to make the cakes look nicer.  IMHO, unfortunately, Kimberly's cake really did not look good at all.  

 

Paul Hollywood is a very big star on UK television, and when he went off with his co-judge on the US version, it was front page news in London.  I read two London newspapers every day, and not one went by without some story about him and his paramour and how he's kicking his poor, sad wife to the curb in order to go off with the sexy Mexican (their term, not mine) dish of salsa.  

 

Perhaps they need a method of scoring, where bakers are given points for every event.  For instance, if you win the technical challenge, you get two points and if you're named Star Baker, you get 5 points.  That way, winning a challenge and being named SB will actually mean something.

 

Don't you love Mary Berry?  Just the name alone is too cute.

 

PBS better have more season available.  This show grows by word of mouth, and I know I've gotten at least 10 people to start watching at about week 5.  The season they just completed in the UK was very interesting, and not without controversy.  I know that in one season, a baker sabotaged another by pulling their dessert out of the freezer, totally ruining that baker's week.  IMHO, if that kind of thing happens, the baker who pulled the crap should be automatically thrown off.  

[Qoass]

Thanks for the info but I'm old fashioned:  I want to see this show on PBS, one show per week.  Just me, I know.

 

I saw Nigella Lawson make those marzipan bees for a chocolate honey cake years ago.

 

There was a promo during 11/9's Dancing with the Stars show for an American remake with Mary Berry as a judge but I wasn't paying much attention to the details.  I'm sure we'll hear more soon.