Andover’s Burbidge’s Bakery appeared on ITV’s Britain’s Best Bakery yesterday (Thursday 16th January) in an attempt to win their round of the competition.
Judges Mich Turner MBE and Peter Sidwell are back for the second series of the competition with 60 bakeries competing for the title of “Britain’s Best Bakery”.
During the first round, The Specialty Bake, judges Mich and Peter loved Steve and Beckie’s speciality the Chocolate Danish. Mich said they had achieved “technical excellence at all levels” and stated “it’s the best Danish Pastry I have ever tasted“.
Onto round two and “The Wildcard Challenge” where after debates on whether cream should be added (Steve won that one), the amount of gooseberries to be added (Steve again) and how to add the creamy top layer (Beckie’s turn), they delivered a Gooseberry Puff with Elderflower icing.
Peter said he loved the flavour whilst Mich said they had “delivered perfect pastry” and agreed on the flavour but felt more gooseberries were needed.
The final round was “The Baker’s Dozen” where the bakeries had two hours to create 13 of the judge’s choice but using their own local ingredients. Today’s choice was a savoury Palmier using meats and cheeses.
The Burbidge’s team went for a vegetarian option using Hampshire Watercress and a Hampshire Camembert cheese. However it went wrong for them when their Palmier’s stuck to the baking tray whilst cooking when they didn’t use silicon paper to line the tray.
Despite that, the judges said the pastry was light and flaky and Mich added that with the silicon paper they would have had great tasting and great looking Palmiers.
After the judging finished it was Dolche Pane from Devizes that was chosen to go through. However, Mich said that she would happily go to Burbidge’s daily for one of their Chocolate Danishes.
You can visit Burbidge’s on the Weyhill Road in Andover and try their Chocolate Danish Pastry for yourself along with their breads, cakes and savouries. They also have a website (www.burbidges.co.uk) and a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BurbidgesBakery)
You can watch the show again via ITV Player by clicking here until Thursday 13th February 2014.
