Bake Off finalist says he ‘hates baking cakes’

A finalist from The Great British Bake Off said taking part in the series was “not a walk in the park” as he recalled his experience of the show.

Aaron Mountford-Myles, from Stoke-on-Trent, was a runner-up in the 16th series of the popular programme, losing to winner Jasmin Mitchell in November’s final.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, he said since the Channel 4 series had ended, more people would ask him to make cakes, but the baker added he “hates” making cakes.

“I’ve met so many new people,” he said. “People in the streets want to talk and chat, which has been so lovely.”

He added: “The Bake Off audience is so diverse and absolutely amazing.”

Mr Mountford-Myles first applied to take part in Bake Off about eight years ago and again in 2019 before his successful bid this year.

The idea initially came from a colleague, who praised the homemade tarts he would bring into work.

Mr Mountford-Myles said it had been the best experience of his life, describing it as a “mix of emotions” which included the stress of writing recipes alongside the joy of being in the famous tent.

“The highs far outweigh all the preparation and the stress,” he added. “It’s not an easy thing to do.

“I encourage anybody to try, but you have to be prepared and know that it’s not just a walk in the park.

“You don’t just go in and you bake something, there’s a lot of time and a lot of prep before you’re actually in the tent.”

Mr Mountford-Myles, who is studying for an MA in analytics, said the feedback he had received from judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith changed the way he handled criticism.

“There were times I was in the tent and I’d receive feedback which I didn’t necessarily agree with because I had my own preferences,” he said.

“But I was still able to take that and apply it, which is something I don’t think I understood or had the opportunity to utilise before.”

Asked what it had been been like after the show aired, he said: “Since then, it’s been largely the same in terms of I still have to get up and go to work every day but more people keep asking me for cakes now than they did before.

“As I’ve said a thousand times, I hate making cakes. It is just not a food that I like.”

Looking towards Christmas, the baker said he would be making a triple chocolate tart for his cousin Grace and might recreate his trifle from the show.

He also did not rule out future media appearances, adding he would “kill” to be on BBC reality series The Traitors.