Have you been watching The Great British Bake Off this year? Fondly termed #GBBO on social media.
With previous seasons, though I felt it seemed like it might be a good show, I never actually bothered with it beforehand, but this year they lured me in with the gateway drug that is Noel Fielding.
I adored Noel Fielding in The Mighty Boosh (and in his The IT Crowd performances too) and therefore as soon as I noted that he was one of the presenters this year, I was sold. After all I do like to bake myself and do also enjoy 'some' cooking shows, so it was worth a punt.
The Great British Bake Off has been a really fun and interesting watch and I've even picked up some baking tips along the way. I still can't make good bread mind you - that skill continues to ellude me, despite some fevered renewed attempts directly after 'bread week' on the show. I did however watch on smugly at the contestants gaffs during 'pizza week', with pizza being my favourite food I have mastered that one.
So this gift guide is all about baking, and specifically baking related gifts for your foodie friends or baking wannabees.
Scroll down for the 10 best baking gifts out there on the marketplace right now ...
1. Wilko's Retro Kitchen Scales
I can personally vouch for these, I've had them for years, they work well, have that high quality feel to them and look fabulous in my kitchen, a wonderful gift at just £10 only. You can get this same style from lots of other shops though ... and in other colours too. Mine is duck egg blue.
This £19.99 Kilner jar gadget below promises butter in 10 minutes - impressive. That's me sold. Of course you'll need to know 'how to make butter'.
Is it really baking without a traditional mixing bowl? I've been admiring the traditional mixing bowls on The Great British Bake Off, but this £22 Mason Cash mixing bowl shown below and available at John Lewis is lovely. It feels traditional but also modern at the same time.
Obviously from the image you can see that they offer a matching range of other cookware to go with the main mixing bowl. I'm particularly admiring the jug and smaller bowl.
John Lewis also sell the standard beige coloured traditional mixing bowls you see on Bake Off.
This is the sort of tray you could fill with your own home made bread (if you're able to make gorgeous fluffy bread that is, I can't for some reason), and gift it to the recipient, then they get to keep the tray for their own baking. If you can't make bread (I'm not bitter), fill it with cakes or biscuits!
Oh yes, it's from H&M, from the homeware department I didn't know they have. This tray is also available in 'box shape' and in different wood hues.
I love this! You can interchange the letters to stamp whatever the hell you want onto cookie dough. Personally I think it would be cool to gift them the stamp along with some customised cookies. This stamp is only £7.95.
6. Robert Opie Retro Flour Shaker
Available in Tesco and a range of other places with Mc Dougalls retro flour shaker will sit proudly in any foodies kitchen. If you do a search, you'll also find a matching tin available on the Interweb.
Inspire a new generation of bakers with this deluxe 20 piece baking kit, it looks of pretty high quality, hence the £30 price tag. I like how it's a pretty shade of blue, rather than 'surely only girls bake' pink. Not that boys can't like pink too! #minefield
This set of four assorted cake stands from TK Maxx, shown below, is astoundably affordable at just £9.99.
Packaged together in a stack, they are the perfect affordable gift for someone who loves to entertain.
All bakers need an apron, as a flour and oil covered host is never a good look at the dinner table. Orla Kiely has a wonderful range of colourful aprons costing around £30 each, many of which are suitable for men as well as women. Modern and stylish, they make a great gift. If you want to spend a bit more, I also think this denim apron is pretty stylish.
Sara Miller offers a range of beautiful baking tins, amid other housewares also. A tin like this costs £12 and comes in a different patterns. She also sells stacked flamingo pattern tins and other beautifully illustrated kichenwares such as oven gloves and ceramics.
