Great British Bake Off’s Rowan Claughton shared his long-held love of baking – served with a side of humour – on the popular Channel 4 show. Now a food content creator and writer, the 22-year-old who lives in Boston Spa, has partnered with Yorkshire Sculpture Park. He says: ‘Bringing you a summer of cake imagined by me and culminating in an afternoon tea event on Yorkshire Day, this partnership was written in the stars after being a lifelong visitor to the park.’
Tell us a little about what you have been up to recently.
I’ve baked like I’ve never baked before. I thought practising for Bake Off would have been the peak of chaos in my kitchen, but when it’s your job and your hobby you find yourself tethered to the oven all day. I’m not complaining, though. The end result does sweeten the chaos somewhat. Even less glamorously, I’ve been sending a lot of emails. If you’re a freelancer, you’ll understand the constant desire to secure work for the coming months. Thankfully, It seems to be paying off, although my friend does call me the king of the cold email!
Why did you want to be involved in the partnership with YSP?
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park has been a weekend destination for my family and I since I can remember, and I’ve maintained this affinity to the park over the years. I’m only in the first phase of my career post Bake Off, and to mark it with such a meaningful collaboration with YSP, where I get to share my cake creation with the patrons of the park, seemed fitting. I was once the person eating the cake, and now I’m creating it too.
What are you looking forward to about the Yorkshire Day event?
I’m really excited to try something new and share the day with those who choose to spend it with me. I’m honoured that people would come and see me chat and spread my passion and knowledge for baking. It’s also nice to be hosting the event in familiar surroundings and make me more comfortable as I tick off another ‘first’, this time public speaking.
What memories stand out for you and your Bake Off experience?
I remember on the first day of filming, before we started to bake, hearing Alison Hammond walk down to the tent as we waited at our benches. You could hear, rather than see her initially, because her laugh entered the room first. It’s my favourite thing about her and it completely put me at ease. She’s the human embodiment of an anti-anxiety.
First dish/bake you learned to cook?
We’re going back in time now, but jam tarts really were my jam. My parents would prop me on a stool and teach me the basics of pastry, sometimes even letting me rub the butter into the flour. My favourite part, however, was dolloping the different jams into the pastry shells which lined a worn Yorkshire pudding tin. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters, so this really was the peak of fun for me.
Most vivid childhood food memory?
I remember, one evening, being given a plate of bean pie. To set the scene, I was watching a kid’s TV show about school children living like Victorians and sat on my lap was a concoction of baked beans, kidney beans, and more cannellini beans, bound together by ketchup and topped with mashed potato. I looked back up at the school children, clad in Victorian garb, and felt an instant connection with them as they spooned gruel into their mouths. I vowed never to eat beans again.
Most memorable meal out?
There was a restaurant on Horsforth high street called Café Marinetti. It was imperfect and comforting, clad with faux marble tables and paper napkins poking out of wine glasses. I seem to remember there was a spiral staircase leading the ground floor to the toilets, which was very exciting for a kid who’d only known the creaky stairs of a modest semi-detached in Wortley. We often took the trip over to Horsforth, and one time we introduced the family to our place. My late uncle brought a camera, so we still have the grainy pictures of me devouring a margarita pizza somewhere.
Favourite ingredient?
For something sweet, vanilla bean paste. The little flecks of vanilla seeds look irresistible in buttercream and sponge cake, and I tend to spoon it into most bakes because it adds an extra je ne sais quoi that a standard vanilla extract doesn’t quite achieve. For savoury, it has to be a jar of minced garlic in vinegar. It sounds like the lazier option to using an actual garlic clove, but the vinegar almost matures the garlic flavour, and it becomes more of an umami addition to your cooking.
Your go-to snack?
I absolutely love bread. It’s my life source, my friend, and my foe. If there’s fresh bread in my house, I will gravitate to it like a fish to water. Focaccia, topped with flaky salt, will always be my favourite, closely followed by a bagel.
Your dream dinner guest?
Joanna Lumley, darling. It’s hard to write about her without my internal monologue adopting her distinct tone, and to sit across from her, eating something posh and sipping Bolly would send that monologue into a spiral. I just find her fascinating, and her experience unrivalled. I’d like to ask her about her life and career, as does every Purdy and Patsy fanatic, and discuss her philanthropic work. But most of all, I’d want to show her my Absolutely Fabulous inspired pies I made in my final week of Bake Off.
What’s your guilty food pleasure?
A mountain of crispy chips, with salt visible from a mile away.
Who are your Yorkshire food and drink heroes?
James Martin. I admire the longevity of his TV and print career, especially as I’m trying to break more into the food writing scene myself. I also think the people behind Bluebird Bakery in York and beyond are gods. Their sourdough is immense.
A place you love to eat?
I like Ambiente Tapas in York and Leeds. Their small plates are beyond delicious, and I highly recommend the Zanahoria con hummus and prawn gambas. It’s also high up on my list because the house white is not only bearable, but delicious.
A career highlight?
Aside from working with the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, one of my highlights has to be developing my food writing. I’ve developed, written and produced recipes for many food and drink brands now, and I was given the opportunity to provide a recipe for a national PR campaign. It’s also rewarding because I get to use my very expensive English degree for something I love to do – talk about food!
What’s next?
I want to write. I love putting words on a page and telling a story with them, whether that be about food or writing recipes. In the distant future, though, I’d like to write a TV show. It’s a huge veer away from my current career trajectory, but I’ve always had ideas spiralling in my head, waiting to be imagined. I just never have. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind baking on the telly again – that was fun!
Rowan’s favourite bake
I love to bake cakes, and when I do, I really go for it. I want as many layers to pack as much flavour as possible. I love to load a lemon cake up with curd, buttercream and lemon caramel, but what I really like to do is make them taller each time. Take, for example, my 21st birthday cake. Layers upon layers of sponge, creams, curds, jams and mousses. It was ridiculously extravagant. And I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever made.
