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baking with words on it
baking with words on it
Original photo by Sophia Chlipala
UVA | Culture > Entertainment

British Bake Off: “It’s Just Baking”

Sophia Chlipala Student Contributor, University of Virginia
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UVA chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

The Impact of Baking

On Friday, October 31st, an episode of The Great British Bake Off premiered the 15th-year semi-final, and there were tears in everyone’s eyes, especially Tom, who had just barely made it through to the final. The semi-final celebrating patisserie was layered with emotion. Stress, frustration, pain, surprise, satisfaction, relief, sadness? What are the feelings that can encompass what it is like to be baking in the tent? I will never know, I can only observe, and when, in this most recent episode, Tom is very emotional after getting through to the final at the expense of a friend being sent home, he says, “It’s just baking”, but is it? 

Baking is the number one hobby people enjoy, including me. But why? I do it because it de-stresses me, but, as said by most contestants on The British Bake Off, the stress is definitely on. So what motivates all of the bakers who put in the time and great effort into competing to be the best amateur bakers in all of Great Britain? Is it just to bake, or is there more to it? 

Tasha Stones, a contestant from series 14, felt that it was more. She says, “It’s the weirdest feeling, because you put [in] all this time and this energy, and at the end of the day it’s biscuit or it’s cake or something that you eat — but it means so much.” 

Putting things into perspective is always a good habit when overwhelmed, but I agree with Tasha. I also think that Tom was just surprised that this much emotion could come from baking. But I think leaning into that emotion, being incredibly frustrated or overjoyed, or whatever you are feeling in the moments of making something, is baked into it, and you can taste the effort no matter what. And then, you can feel the satisfaction yourself. A contestant in series 7 put it sweetly:  

“When you bake, you always bake for a reason. You’re giving it to people, so you make it the best you can. You make it with love” (Val Stones).  

Baking has made an impact in my life as well. Even if I won’t get to go on Bake Off, I have baked my entire life, either to get my mind off of certain things or to make someone feel special on their birthday, or just to make the small moments in life feel more meaningful. I have done it from scratch. Baking had given certain points in my life a purpose, while creating confidence in me that I didn’t know could carry me throughout my life. I think it gives some of these contestants that, too. 

Sandro Farmhouse, a contestant on the 13th series, said, “I thought this would never really happen to a boy like me … But it’s bigger than me. Being able to get here shows other young boys and young girls from the same background that they can also do it.”

Baking and being in the Bake Off competition didn’t just mean baking better than other people; it became proof of his skill, worth, and confidence, and a beacon of hope to others that they can do anything they want to.

It’s Not Just Baking

It’s not just baking. Baking is effort, intention, flavors, details, thought, skill, confidence, and love. It’s making something taste like nostalgia when you get your grandmother’s recipes right after she passes. It’s listening to people when they say they have an allergy and making something totally special for them that they can enjoy and be a part of. Baking is acceptance and community. It isn’t just pouring and mixing; it’s glue that holds families, communities, and cultures together. What are we without food? Dead, or worse: without food and baking, we are without flavor and comfort, warmth and understanding.

To be loved is to be known, and what is more intimate than knowing exactly what people like to eat when they allow themselves to indulge and take a moment for their loved ones or just themselves? 

This competition is not just about baking; it is about perfecting the art of giving. I have watched every episode of The Great British Bake Off multiple times, and every group of bakers that have come through have not just learned to bake, but also how to give all of themselves to making the perfect cake, bread, or macaroon so that they can be given to people who enjoy them together.  

Bake so you can prove to yourself that you can do anything, bake so you can create perfect flavors, to bring people together, or just bake so you have a place to put your emotions: in each piece of cake, layer of pastry, or in a chocolate beehive like Tom made perfectly (even if it wasn’t chocolate week).

Sophia Chlipala

UVA '28

Sophia Chlipala is from Breckenridge, Colorado. A second-year student hoping to enroll into the Batten School of Public Policy while also studying Media Studies with a concentration in film. She is the Events Director of VMAG, a student publication that specializes in showcasing art, culture, and fashion through creative writing, photography, and features. As a director, she works on the operational side of the publication, facilitating social media, fundraising, and hosting a launch party every semester to celebrate the magazine's achievements.
She has enjoyed creative writing her entire life, while making pottery, hiking through the Rocky Mountains, baking breads and cakes, and reading anything with a female heroin. She also enjoys obsessing over her Instagram theme and making short movies of her adventures in the mountains while sipping on every flavor combination of matcha she can think of.
Sophia hopes to become an Environmental Justice journalist/ TikTok travel influencer, where she can influence people to care about environmental justice while traveling around, showing people why our planet is worth saving.