The Great British Bake Off: Where do the leftovers go? (2024)

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

Author: Georgie HollandPublished 29th Nov 2023

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! After hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith gave us a thrilling 2023 series, we are already counting down the days for next year's show.

But as we wait, 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...

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.

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

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 2023 below:

Matty - WINNER

Age: 28
From: Cambridgeshire
Occupation: PE and science teacher

Dan - FINALIST

Age: 42
From: Cheshire
Occupation: Civil engineer

Josh - FINALIST

Age: 27
From: Leicestershire
Occupation: Post-doctoral research associate

Tasha - ELMINATED

Age: 27
From: Bristol
Occupation: Participation officer

Cristy - ELIMINATED

Age: 33
From: East London
Occupation: PA

Saku - ELIMINATED

Age: 50
From: Hertfordshire
Occupation: Intelligence analyst

Dana - ELIMINATED

Age: 25
From: Essex
Occupation: Database administrator

Nicky - ELIMINATED

Age: 52
From: West Midlands
Occupation: Retired cabin crew member

Rowan - ELIMINATED

Age: 21
From: West Yorkshire
Occupation: Student

Abbi - ELIMINATED

Age: 27
From: Cumbria
Occupation: Veg grower and delivery driver

Keith - ELIMINATED

Age: 60
From: Hampshire
Occupation: Chartered accountant

Amos - ELIMINATED

Age: 43
From: North London
Occupation: Deli and grocery manager

The Great British Bake Off will return to Channel 4 in 2024.

Now read:

Everything you need to know about Bake Off 2023

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

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The Great British Bake Off: Where do the leftovers go? (2024)

FAQs

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

Faenia Moore, chief home economist on the show, agreed, telling BBC Good Food the leftovers are added to the crew's lunch. “Everyone gets quite excited,” she stated.

What happens to all the leftover food on The Great British Bake Off? ›

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.

Who washes the dishes on Great British Bake Off? ›

So, who does wash them? According to Faenia, it was ― at least at the time of the BBC interview ― one woman named Iva Vcelak (though the runners helped to bring dishes to her two-sink system). “Lovely Iva does all the washing-up.

What do they do with all the cakes on Great British Bake Off? ›

“The crew will eat it,” she said. “They'd know the best ones, so they all descend on the bake.” “Then any leftovers go to the crew's lunch.

Do contestants on Bake Off get paid? ›

Do the contestants on The Great British Bake Off get paid? The answer to that is simply no - in fact, some are even left out of pocket for being on the show. Contestants have to pay for their own ingredients to practise at home, which can work out quite expensive.

Do they wash their clothes on Great British Bake Off? ›

Bakers on "The Great British Baking Show" wear the same clothes for multiple days of filming. Speaking to Insider, contestants described the experience as "stinky" and "very dirty." Some bakers bought duplicate outfits or tried to wash their clothes in a bathtub.

Where do the bakers stay during bake off? ›

Do They Stay at the House Where the Tent Is Located? No. The contestants stay at a nearby hotel during the weekends and travel to the tent via minibus during competition days before returning home during the week, Quinn told Cosmopolitan. The judges and hosts are put up in a hotel, though a different one.

What is the biggest great British Bake Off controversy? ›

#Bingate. Arguably one of the most controversial moments in the Bake Off tent ever; when Iain Watters ice cream melted after his fellow contestant Diana Beard removed his dessert from the freezer during the 2014 series.

Who stormed off Great British baking show? ›

Diana Beard stirred up a storm on series five when it appeared she had taken Iain Watters' Baked Alaska ice cream out of the freezer. A frustrated Iain threw his creation into the bin and even presented said disposal unit to the judges when it was time to bring his bake up to the front of the tent.

Why is British Bake Off in a tent? ›

Why is that? The idea, first floated by executive producer Anne Beattie, was to give the show an aesthetic. What Beattie was going for was a “village fete” theme and create a place where baked goods, jams and pickles could be sold, according to Mashed.

What do winners of Great British baking get? ›

There will be no prize money for the winning baker. Instead, the reigning champion will simply be handed flowers and a cake stand.

Do they eat all the food on Great British baking show? ›

She 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. 'Then any leftovers go to the crew's lunch.

Do they use recipes on the Great British baking show? ›

The bakers have to write their own recipes for the signature and showstopper rounds. Although the bakers don't have time to prepare for the technical rounds, they get plenty of notice to develop recipes for the other two challenges. "You're given a brief for two challenges — the signature challenge and the showstopper.

Who is the richest Bake Off contestant? ›

Nadiya Hussain

Nadiya won back in 2015 and has since gone on to host her own TV shows, has a monthly column in The Times and even created Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday cake. With an expected net worth of over ÂŁ3 million, she has released six books since winning The Great British Bake Off.

How much does Prue get paid for Bake Off? ›

How much does Prue Leith get paid for The Great British Bake Off? Dame Prue keeps her salary hidden, however, when she first joined in 2017, her contract reported suggested ÂŁ200,000 a season.

Do Bake Off contestants wear their own clothes? ›

The Great British Bake Off is usually filmed over the course of two days per episode, because of this, producers are very strict on having contestants wear the exact same clothes to avoid any mishaps with continuity and to make it easier to edit together.

What do they do with all the extra food on baking shows? ›

Food on a cooking show like Top Chef, etc. is typically cooked and served in a very short time frame, so it is often left to waste. Many of the food items that are used on these shows are either thrown away or given to charity.

Why is Great British Bake Off in a tent? ›

The goal was to have viewers and bakers alike feel as though they were immersed in a village fête — similar to a farmer's market but with games and tea — where all around them an assortment of jams and baked goodies were being sold and indulged in.

What happens to the food from Bake Squad? ›

Johnson said that truthfully, the food that's baked or cooked on these reality shows often gets thrown away. “We can't donate any of them, and that is a bummer,” she noted. “There are really strict rules in place, for a good reason, when it comes to food donation.”

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