Music-inspired bakes? Now that's what I call "taste".
A Belfast-based baker known for creating culinary delights that take inspiration from his favourite musicians is among the newest crop of hopefuls entering The Great British Bake Off tent this year.
A self-proclaimed "Yeastie Boy", Iain Ross has made a name for himself with his music-inspired bakes, turning iconic album covers by the likes of Fontaines D.C., Nirvana and more into delectable desserts.
From a Wu Tang Clan inspired bagel with activated charcoal and sourdough loaves adorned with his favourite album covers, to an elaborate heart-shaped box in homage to Nirvana's In Utero, with a pâte sucrée with an almond financier tart, Ross's creations span everything from the rustic, homemade treats to elevated restaurant-worthy marvels.
These foodie remixes have won him a devoted fanbase of close to one million followers across TikTok and Instagram and how he's destined for the ice cold stare of Paul Hollywood and co in the Channel 4 hit series.
Speaking to BBC producers, the 29-year-old software engineer said he had "no intention" of ever signing up for the show, but folded like a buttery croissant under some encouragement from this girlfriend.
"When me and my girlfriend Dervla watch every year, she says at the end of every episode that I need to apply. This past year she wouldn't take no for an answer, so I finally caved and applied. Every step of the way I kept it a secret from everyone apart from Dervla, I didn’t think I’d make it to the following stage and I didn’t want to let anyone down."
When he finally got the call to be on the show, he was in "sheer disbelief" and though he was being pranked at first.
"I got a call a few minutes after being told and I thought they were going to tell me they made a mistake and I wasn’t actually on the show! I was in the office at work and had to go out to the foyer to take the call and speak in code, everyone who was walking past heading to the toilet looked very concerned and confused."
When asked about his strengths and weaknesses as a baker, Ross said: "I feel as though I'm a pretty creative baker, and I love to tell a story with my bakes. I’ve been told by a lot of people that my style is very unique, and I know that’s what people say when they don’t want to say something looks bad, but I’ll take it anyway!
"Anything that requires something to look cool or fun is perfect for me, and I love to take risks and have a bit of a laugh with my bakes. On the other hand, anything that requires precision, good time management, and having multiple plates spinning at once is definitely where I fall short. My brain just doesn’t comprehend that sort of stuff, I’m a very simple wee fella."
As for what it was like baking under time pressure and in front of the cameras, Ross said:
"I have a little bit of experience being in front of a camera with my social media pages, but nothing on this scale. It was kinda nerve-wracking having so many cameras on me at first, but after the first bake, I barely noticed them. Honestly, you don't really have time to worry about the cameras with how much is always happening while you’re baking, sometimes I genuinely forgot we were being filmed during the bakes."
He joins 11 other hopefuls in the big white Bake Off tent, where he'll flex his baking muscles in front of judges Hollywood and Prue Leith and hosts Allison Hammond and Noel Fielding.
The newest series kicks off on 2 September and starts with a bang, throwing the 12 bakers into Cake Week.
In the first signature of the series, the bakers are challenged to produce a perfect Swiss Roll complete with a challenging inlay design. Next, the gang are faced with their first technical: Fondant Fancies. The only issue is, the bakers will need to figure out the flavours and recipe themselves. Finally, it's time to buckle up with a landscape cake showstopper.
