Great British Bake Off winner crowned

Peter Sawkins has been crowned the youngest ever winner of The Great British Bake Off. The 20-year-old accounting and finance student from Edinburgh also became the programme’s first winner from Scotland.

He saw off competition from Laura Adlington and Dave Friday in Tuesday’s episode of the Channel 4 amateur baking contest.

After being named as the winner, he said: “I can’t quite believe that I made it on the show, I can’t quite believe that the show happened.

“This is going to be a huge chapter of my life, and what a way for it to end.”

Judge Prue Leith praised his efforts in the competition after he was presented with the Bake Off trophy.

“I feel as if he’s my grandson or something, because he’s such a nice guy and he’s so eager to learn,” she said.

“You can’t not like him.”

Since filming took place during the summer, Peter has returned to university and has been unable to tell any of his housemates.

He took home the trophy after Laura’s poor performance in the first two rounds of the final took her out of contention.

Judge Paul Hollywood said the competition was “as close to a draw that I’ve ever seen”.

Leith agreed it was “so close” between Peter, who was the youngest ever finalist on the programme, and Dave, 30, a security guard from Hampshire.

The final saw the trio tasked with making custard slices, walnut whirls and a multi-layered showstopper dessert.

Peter took inspiration from the Scottish pudding Cranachan when making his custard slices, using raspberries, oats and whisky to flavour it.

Leith said they “looked incredible”, adding that he had made a “really lovely custard slice”, while Hollywood complimented their flavour.

Dave also won praise for his coffee and caramel-flavoured custard slices, with Hollywood praising his “beautiful” pastry.

However, Laura’s final began with a disastrous first round after her custard failed to set and her slices failed to hold their shape.

The 31-year-old digital manager from Kent told the judges she was “embarrassed” to serve her slices to them, adding they looked as though they had been dropped on the floor.

Laura also finished bottom in the walnut whirl challenge, which was completed in very hot conditions, after she messed up her timings and failed to have all the components properly cooled in time for the tasting.

Dave excelled in the technical challenge, finishing in first place ahead of Peter.

The three contestants were tasked with creating a multi-layered dessert which reflected on their time on the show in the final showstopper challenge.

Laura decided to recreate some of her previous triumphs in a dessert which featured components including Chelsea buns, macarons and carrot and walnut cake.

Leith praised her efforts, saying there is “nothing wrong with your baking”.

However, it was not enough to bring her back into contention.

Dave sought to redeem his failings in previous weeks by having a second go at some of the bakes he was criticised for in previous weeks, including brownies, chocolate babka and choux buns.

The judges gave mixed reviews of his attempt to right the wrongs of previous weeks.

Peter’s dessert featured components including a Victoria sandwich, choux buns and Battenberg biscuits and was labelled a “good effort” by Leith.

The showstopper round was watched by the entire crew for the 11th series of the programme, who formed a “bubble” in Down Hall Hotel near Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, throughout the duration of filming, after being tested for the virus and self-isolating.

Production of the series initially had to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, however filming of the programme finished around the end of August.

Published: 25/11/2020 by Radio NewsHub