insideKENT Magazine Issue 26 - May 2014 | Page 58

BAKING Get Your Bake On! cont. Having grown up on Wallasey on the Wirral, near Liverpool, it certainly wasn't always Paul's intention to pursue a career in baking, despite the wishes of his baker father. However, his natural talent for the task took hold, and after much hard work and a true dedication to the field, today he stands as a master baker and a TV celebrity chef truly deserved of his international recognition. From setting up his own artisan bakery, working as a head chef at the UK's most exclusive hotels, and producing best-selling books and columns – to the phenomenal success of such TV shows as The Great British Bake Off and Pies and Puds – it seems for Mr Hollywood, when you're following your passion, achieving really is a piece of cake. Tell us a bit about your own journey into baking. Was it always your ambition to follow in your baker father's footsteps? I had no intention of following in my father's footsteps; I was in arts school and he pulled me out and offered me money to get my haircut and join the industry, which I did. However in hindsight, , I am glad I did as I had a talent for it. I was good at it. I was brought up in and around bakeries and my father has always been a baker, so I suppose it was the natural thing for me to do – but I didn't look for it; it just happened organically , which is probably the best way. When it comes to your baking, you travelled extensively to discover ancient baking techniques before setting up your own artisan bread company. Is there one place or technique that still sticks in your mind today? I lived in Cyprus for six years, so it played a large part in my life and had a huge impact on me. From the Cyprian style of baking and the way in which they bake, to the place, weather, and the people – it is such a nice place to go. Cyprus is probably the place that has truly influenced my baking, as from there on in, I did change and adapt my recipes to bring in such styles. Of course, we need to mention your role in the highly successful BBC2 show, The Great British Bake Off. Did you anticipate such a recipe for success? No, I did not. It has been a slow grower, initially attracting 3.6 million viewers in the first series, right up to 9.4 million in the most recent fourth series. The Great British Bake Off has gone from strength to strength, but it's the baking stars of the show that make people watch and come back. The contestants all go through the mill; they're wrung out to dry and the ones that hang in there and do their best in the final are the champions. We've had some fantastic winners over the last four years, and long may they reign. Season five will air this year on BBC1. What are the top three factors you look for when it comes to judging the amateur bakers? Taste, texture and appearance are the three basic measures that I use with everything. If you keep to this criteria, you will always end up with a winner – and a worthy one too. Your first live UK tour, Pau