Great British Bake Off 2021: Bristol engineer among new line-up of bakers

The lineup for this year's Great British Bake Off has been announced. Credit: Channel 4

Aprons at the ready!

The Great British Bake Off is back.

Now in its 12th year, the show will return to Channel 4 on 21st September with 12 brand new bakers competing to win the hearts of the nation with their culinary skills.

This includes chief engineer Giuseppe, 45, from Bristol.

Giuseppe, 45, is a chief engineer from Bristol. Credit: Channel 4

Originally from Italy, Giuseppe now lives in Bristol with his wife and their three young sons.

His love for baking comes from his father, a professional chef who did all the cooking at home as Giuseppe was growing up, including making a cake every Sunday.

Inspired by this Italian heritage, Giuseppe loves using Italian flavours in his bakes, while he also brings his engineer’s precision to the results.

A self-confessed food snob, he is determined to feed his children homemade confectionary - rather than anything that has been mass-produced.

When he is not baking, Giuseppe loves indulging his passion for design and architecture, and with his wife has renovated their family home. He also loves gardening.

Due to the current Covid guidelines, Giuseppe and the 11 other contestants will be filmed in a bubble similar to last year.

Hosts Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding as well as judges, Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, will also be returning.

Bake Off judge Prue Leith.

Praising the contestants culinary skills, judge Prue said: “I was surprised that they could do so many beautiful, amazing bakes with substitute ingredients.

“The great French chef Fernand Point, who started the nouvelle cuisine revolution after the war, his motto was, ‘the secret of great cuisine is butter, butter and more butter’.

"That is sort of ingrained in me. To cook without butter would seem to me impossible.

The other contestants this year include: 

  • Amanda 56, Met Police detective from London. 

  • Crystelle, 26, a client relationship manager, of London

  • George, 34, a Shared Lives coordinator, from London

  • Freya, 19, a student from North Yorkshire

  • Rochica, 27, an HR business partner from Birmingham

  • Jürgen, 56, an IT Professional from Sussex

  • Jairzeno, 51, a head of finance from London

  • Tom, 28, a software developer from Kent

  • Lizzie, 28, a car production operative from Liverpool

  • Chigs, 40, a sales manager from Leicestershire

  • Maggie, 70, a retired midwife from Dorset

Last year, Peter Sawkins was crowned the youngest winner at just 20-years-old. Who will steal his crown?

Peter Sawkins (far left) won last year's Bake Off. Credit: PA

The new series will broadcast on 21st September on Channel 4 at 8pm.