When it first hit Netflix in 2018, binge-watching The Nice British Bake Off (or Baking Present, because it’s recognized stateside) was an absolute salve for our Trump-era nerves. The calming vibe of the tent, soothing British accents, and endlessly charming contestants had been an immediate hit within the States, an entire 180 away from intense cooking exhibits like Hell’s Kitchen and Prime Chef. However the intervening years have introduced some Bake Off fatigue, due to repetitive baking challenges and more and more inane stunts from the present’s hosts. However now there’s a brand new, completely refreshing riff on the format that makes it completely price revisiting, if just for its forged of extraordinarily cute child contestants.
Added to Netflix on July 29, the generically titled Junior Baking Present is straightforward to overlook among the many platform’s sea of content material. For no matter purpose, the present doesn’t air as Junior Bake-Off in the US, and at first, I wasn’t positive whether or not or not it was truly a Bake Off spin-off. That confusion was instantly cleared up when the long-lasting tent appeared, although decide Paul Hollywood is nowhere to be discovered, a minimum of not anymore. Hollywood and his GBBO co-judge Mary Berry had been judges on the primary season of JBO, however have since been changed by former GBBO contestant Liam Charles and pastry chef Ravneet Gill. The format can be barely totally different, with simply two challenges — a technical that’s judged blind, and naturally, the show-stopper problem.
The one season of JBO accessible on Netflix at current is the sixth season, which aired within the UK in 2021. Within the first episode, the eight contestants are tasked with making a “sky’s the restrict fantasy bake” in simply two hours, and the outcomes are past spectacular. Among the makes an attempt are, in fact, a bit of messy, however there are many grown-ups amongst us who wouldn’t have the ability to make a cake impressed by our wildest goals in two freaking hours. These youngsters might not have the identical polish because the opponents on a present like MasterChef Junior, however they’re completely brimming with coronary heart.
As you watch by way of the present’s eight episodes, it’s unimaginable to select a favourite among the many contestants — you’re going to wish to root for each single child. There’s the supremely gifted Reece, a 14-year-old who’s able to making a surprising ombre-frosted cake, a feat I, a 34-year-old grownup, couldn’t accomplish given any period of time. Ten-year-old Fyn brings model to the tent together with his personalised sweatbands, whereas 14-year-old CeCe manages to navigate every problem with a supernaturally calm demeanor.
Admittedly, it may be a bit of anxiety-inducing to look at youngsters wrestle to make a caramel or get the cake batter excellent, however after they succeed, it’s a complete triumph. Watching these youngsters come collectively to assist one another in instances of baking disaster is sufficient to heat even the coldest, most cynical hearts. And there’s no denying that these contestants are very succesful bakers, at the same time as they wrestle with the time constraints and being tall sufficient to rigorously place their bakes into the freezer.
To make sure, JBO isn’t good. It appears a bit of ridiculous that the children are solely given two hours to finish their show-stopper bakes, a time constraint that will give even probably the most expert baker agita. There’s additionally a reasonably substantial age hole between the contestants — some are as outdated as 15, others as younger as 10 — which does appear a bit of unfair at instances. However general, although we’ve seen bakers make desserts and biscuits and breads numerous instances, the unpredictably artistic nature of a child’s mind makes these challenges one way or the other really feel recent once more.
Hardly ever are the grown-up GBBO contestants utterly joyful to get their garments utterly coated in blue meals coloring, or actually let their imaginations run wild in deeply kooky methods. Throughout the eight accessible episodes, Junior Bake-Off brings again the weather of pure whimsy and enjoyable which have been desperately missed in these previous couple of seasons of the Nice British Bake-Off. The present’s been on the air since 2011 within the U.Okay., and I’d be joyful to binge-watch all these episodes as quickly as Netflix makes them accessible.
