loveFOOD meets... Paul Hollywood
The Great British Bake Off judge talks about his inspirations, upcoming tour and what he does to relax.
When he was younger, Paul Hollywood had doubts about following his father's footsteps into the world of baking. But he has since gone on to become one of the most well-known TV chefs in the UK, alongside fellow judge Mary Berry, thanks to hit BBC show The Great British Bake Off.
The new tour
Now there's Get Your Bake On, Hollywood's first live one-man show, which will be a hands-on baking event during which audience members will be called to the stage to undertake a baking challenge.
He'll also be telling stories about his early career, his time as head baker for various exclusive hotels, and what it's really like in The Great British Bake Off tent.
"The premise of my show is to show off the recipes of my life – back from when I was a kid, right through my professional career, to dishes that I cook now. And at the end of each show, four people will come up on stage and I’ll set them a baking challenge to attempt in a set amount of time. The winner will be picked by the audience. There will also be a roving mic so members of the audience can throw questions at me.”
So if you intend on going to see the show, you'd be wise to get some practice in!
"The whole idea of the tour is to pass on my knowledge, what I’ve learnt over the years, to people who are struggling or have problems with their baking.
“I really enjoyed doing demonstrations for the BBC Good Food show, so I’m not unfamiliar with the format. This was my chance to do something on my own though, and it’s like a kind of rock ‘n’ roll tour."
Passing on knowledge
Hollywood's desire to teach others his baking skills stems from his own background. His parents owned a baking business, and Hollywood's father persuaded him to ditch his path as a trained sculptor and join them in the kitchen.
“Mum looked after the pastry side, the apple pies, the biscuits," he explains. "My dad looked after the yeast side. So with the two of them as my parents, I became a hybrid."
Inspirations and youthful aspirations
Nowadays Hollywood includes Tom Kerridge and Michel Roux Junior (“quite frankly, a God”) among his list of heroes. But as a younger man, he consulted old cookbooks for help rather than head chefs.
“Family was my inspiration throughout my whole career, and so one of my problems was that when I moved into these big flash restaurants to work, I was head of the tree. I was the head baker and there was no one higher than me who I could ask for advice."
Escaping the heat
What does Hollywood get up to when he isn't baking? “I really enjoy walking the dog. He’s a Labrador called Rufus – I named him after [comedian] Rufus Hound, who’s a friend of mine. That’s my relaxation – walking Rufus or going out for a ride on my motorbike. It’s a sports bike though, I hate Harleys.”
He also says that he and Mary Berry do genuinely get on off-screen: “Working with Mary is such a laugh. I do get the giggles a lot. Mary is lovely. I see a lot of her outside work, and am very fond of her and her whole family.”
For more information and tickets for Paul Hollywood's new tour, visit paulhollywood.com
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