Get in the mood for The Great British Bake Off with seven tantalising facts you need to know

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 05/09/2017

With The Great British Bake Off now back on our screens, Central England Co-operative has come up with some cake-tastic facts about the Channel 4 show and offered some hints and tips about how fans can emulate the stars of the show at home.

Here are 7 facts you might not know about the Great British Bake Off:

1. The Great British Bake Off is filmed over approximately 10 weeks through April and June. Filming can take up to 16 hours per day with a crew of about 60 members and only takes place at weekends to allow contestants to return to work.
2. Contestants normally have 12 to 20 ingredients per bake, but it varies - one finalist, Frances Quinn, had 124 for her cake in the final one year.
3. Those that take part have to pay for all of their own ingredients right up until they reach the final – then they are supplied by the show.
4. Bakes always get eaten afterwards, a 'baker's basket' goes to the contestants' lunchroom and then the crew eat the rest.
5. Last year the bakers used 1,600 eggs, 130kg of flour, and 150kg of sugar between them.
6. Each day before filming starts, ovens are checked for temperature and a Victoria sponge is baked in each one to check it is working properly.
7. The show is now copied by over 20 countries across the globe including Poland, Turkey, Thailand, Brazil and the USA.

Central England Co-operative customers inspired by the likes of Paul Hollywood to head into the kitchen and get baking can get a helping hand by nipping into their nearest store.

Bakers with an artistic flare can indulge themselves by picking up all manner of decorating accessories including silver pearls, sugar stars and jelly diamonds from as little as 99p.

Parents with youngsters can also get in on the act by picking up special Disney themed cupcake kits with a choice of Princess or Star Wars for just £1.

Lovers of Paul Hollywood will also be in for a treat as they can emulate their hero in the kitchen by picking up some of his range including Belgian Chocolate Muffin Mix or Tomato and Thyme Bloomer Bread for just £1.99.

Anyone who wants to eat some cake but not bake it can also head into stores and pick up a range of extravagant cakes for celebrations and every day occasions priced from £1.89 to £10.

Anyone struggling for inspiration as they try and copy the contestants can find some by visiting their website to view a long list of baking themed recipes at http://www.centralengland.coop/food-and-drink/recipes

More information on the great deals on offer at Central England Co-operative during the Great British Bake Off is available at www.centralengland.coop/mycoopdeals

Notes to editor

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property investment. Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2017.

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop