delicious UK – April 2018

14 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

people.

A SLICE OF MY LIFE

SOPHIE

FALDO

CREATIVE FORCE, FROM

TOPSophie loves the

artofbaking;her

next competition will

involve track cycling

inLA;she’sonafine

dining mission; Prue

Leithinspiresher;

novel ingredients

are a challenge

THE ART OF BAKING

I thinksomepeoplefindbakingtherapeuticbutforme

it’sallaboutthecreativity.WhenIwasyoungerIdid

a lot of salt-dough modelling and those skills translate

wellintosugar-craft.Ijustlovethebeauty of baking.

PASSIONATE ABOUT PATISSERIE

I started baking after I left my role as an Army officer in

the Royal Artillery. Initially I decorated cakes and gave

themtofamilyandfriendsaspresents.ThenIbought

William Curley’s bookPatisserieandthatwas massive

for me. It took things up several levels.

BACK IN GEAR

I’matrackcyclistbutdidn’tcompetein2017because

ofBakeOff.ThisyearI’llbeofftoLAinOctoberto

competeintheUCITrackCyclingWorldChampionships

–ifIgetuptofitness,thatis!I’llbeeatinglotsofprotein

becausethere’sabigemphasisongymworktobuild

power.Theplussideisthatifwegoonalongtraining

ride there’s always a cake stop somewhere... You’re

burningupabout1,700calories,so you’re entitled.

GASTRONOMIC EXCURSIONS

MyboyfriendDavidisachefandinourfreetimewe’re

graduallytickingoffthelonglistofrestaurantshe

wantstogoto–whenwehavethemoney.Onthelast

occasion we went to Social by Heinz Beck in the

WaldorfAstoria,Dubai.Itwas a cracking meal.

COOKING CHALLENGE

I likebeingexperimental.Icangotothemarketand

pickupaquince,apomegranateandacustardapple

andfindsomethingtomakewiththem(although

I struggled with the custard apple!).

UNDER CANVAS

I lovedbeingintheBakeOfftent.SandiandNoelwere

fantastic.Theyputusatoureaseandit’sclearthere’s

achemistrybetweenthem.I’mabigPrueLeithfan too.

She’s definitely not a pushover and I like that.

2017’s Great British Bake Of winner

reveals her fondness for patisserie,

competitive cycling – and Prue Leith

INTERVIEW: KERRY FOWLER. PHOTOS: ISTO

CK/GETTY IMAGES, SUZANNE JARVIS, REX