COOKING THE BOOKS
Who is Henry Bird? Bake Off 2019 star and student from Durham eliminated in week eight
THE Great British Bake Off contestant Henry Bird was crowned Star Baker in Festival Week but found himself booted off the series just one week later.
Here is what you need to know about the Bake Off 2019 amateur who finally got a Paul Hollywood handshake!
Who is The Great British Bake Off 2019 contestant Henry?
Henry Bird was one of the youngest contestants in The Great British Bake Off 2019 at just 20 years old.
He is a student from Durham, who has loved baking since the age of 12, when the Bake Off tent pitched up in his local park.
The Bake Off contestant tested his creations on his family, friends and teachers growing up but now brings his experiments to students at Durham University.
Henry is currently studying English Literature at the university and is known for his elegant culinary skills.
He posts his creative bakes on Instagram .
What has happened to Henry in Bake Off so far?
- Week One, Cakes - Henry came top in the Technical Challenge with his layered angel cakes but only just averted disaster in his Showstopper when his delicate royal icing house broke.
- Week Two, Biscuits - While he was dressed to impress in a tie, Henry bit off more than he could chew with his Coffee, Cardamom and Hazelnut biscuit bars. And he also failed to wow the judges with his Chapel Organ biscuit sculpture despite it's "great" flavour.
- Week Three, Bread - His Chicken and Pesto tear and share loaf and herb garden scored bread didn’t wow the crowd in Bread Week but he was the winner of the Soft Baps and burger technical challenge.
- Week Four, Dairy – Henry started strong with Paul praising his Spiced Apple yogurt cake covered in apple crisps and cinnamon streudel but things went wrong when it came to the Indian Milk Sweets Showstopper. Henry's attempt to get creative ended with him serving melted ice cream that was a real dud.
- Week Five, The Roaring Twenties - The judges weren't loving Henry's Lemon and Lime custard tarts with raspberry curd topping but he had better luck with his White Russian inspired cake complete with hazelnut praline filling and coffee buttercream and he was third in the Technical.
- Week Six, Dessert Week - Henry's Towering Meringue Cake was the best Signature dish receiving the most praise from the judges. His Bonfire Bombe Showstopper was at first called "simple and elegant" but then called "disappointing".
- Week Seven, Festival Week - Henry was named Star Baker for the first time after getting the coveted Hollywood handshake. Paul praised his Signature festive buns stating: "The flavours good, the bake’s good, the technique’s good and the colour’s good.” High praise indeed! He also came third in the Technical Challenge before impressing again with his Lemon and Lime Sarawak layer cake held together with raspberry and mint jam.
- Week Eight, Pastry – Henry started well with an inventive savoury Tarte Tatin but he ended up getting the boot from the show after he failed to impress in the Technical and made an unimpressive chandelier pie tower Showstopper.
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What has Henry said about The Great British Bake Off 2019?
The student has admired Bake Off from a distance since series two and had been eager to get inside.
He enthused: “I have wanted to get into the tent since series two.
"They filmed it at the end of my road, so I used to see Paul Hollywood when I walked past the tent to go to school in the mornings, so I really got into it.
"To be inside the actual tent was totally wonderful.”
Of his first day of filming, he added: “I told Paul that I remembered him filming at Valentine’s for series two and we had a chat about that and shared our memories of that time.
“So he knew I had come full circle and was now in the tent, and that was pretty special.”
Latest on The Great British Bake Off
When is The Great British Bake Off next on?
The Great British Bake Off is back on Tuesday, October 22, 2019.
We've now reached the semi-final stage - and it's Patisserie Week.
The final takes place a week later on October 29.
You can catch the semi-final and final action on Channel 4 at 8pm.
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