Bake Off— Bake On
Channel 4 ︎ London
Mid 2022 I read a harrowing anonymous article about a single mother. In the face of the cost of living crisis, she couldn't afford to heat food she'd bought for her child, which later made him sick.
At the time the cost of living crisis was still something being brushed off - it wouldn't happen to us, surely not. But for many it was already biting.
With the Bake Off brief in hand, it suddenly seemed ridiculous that millions of people going hungry would then watch huge quantities of food splash across their screens, often as everything soggily fell to bits, and we do nothing.
As the nation's favourite food show it was only right to address what was happening to the very audience watching it.
It inspired Bake On - which launches during Bake Off tonight. We've brought back some of the nation's favourite bakers from past seasons to create a range of budget-friendly recipes and kitchen hacks. There's new recipes each week matching the theme of the episodes, so just about anyone can bake along with the series 🍰
You can go and check them out on the @channel4 and @gbbo Instagram / TikTok feeds.
It is one of the most heartwarming projects I've ever worked on. I'm a big fan of the show, and seeing the old bakers do their bit was brilliant. It embodies the Buddhist values of generosity and compassion I do my best to practice every day. And it was a lot of fun too.
No, it won't solve everything, but I hope it will raise awareness, and in its own little way help keep life that bit sweeter.
Film
TikTok