This 'GBBO' change is probably the right call

In its new season, the show won't feature culturally themed challenges.                   [View on web]( [Great British Bake Off judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith discuss their expectations from contestants ahead of judging.]( Bake Off judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith's judging is the main constant amid a wave of changes to the show — for better or worse. | Channel 4 The Great British Bake Off has [a lot of problems](. There’s the ongoing elevation of Paul Hollywood’s approving handshake. There are increasingly elaborate bakes that feel like the show is hoping for [contestants to fail](. And of course, the show has never been great when it comes to appreciating bakes that don’t belong to a very narrow British tradition. Last season, there was the fiasco of [Mexican Week](, but even before that there was Paul insisting he was an expert on babka, [Japan Week](, and every single time the judges whined about spice. This year, the show is attempting to learn its lesson; in an [interview with the Guardian](, executive producer Kieran Smith announced that this season would have no national theme weeks. “We didn’t want to offend anyone but the world has changed and the joke fell flat. We’re not doing any national themes this year.” (Why he refers to a week where contestants are asked to show their expertise in another country’s baking styles as a “joke,” we’ll never know.) This is probably a good idea. But it reveals a key problem with the GBBO format that may never be solved. Throughout the show’s 13 seasons, the one constant has been the judges’ panel. Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry’s, and then Prue Leith’s, are the palates the bakers must impress. Which means what is deemed successful is inherently limited. While on Top Chef, guest judges provide context on different cuisines, which influences how Tom, Gail, and Padma (soon to be [replaced by Kristen Kish]() assess the contestants’ cooking, on GBBO there is no Mexican chef brought on to inform the judges of what makes a good tortilla; no chef studied Japanese cuisine to say which challenges might be interesting and representative of Japanese baking; and there’s no one to tell Paul and Prue that maybe their palates aren’t attuned to certain spices — and that a contestant’s [mix of ginger and chile]( is actually spot on. So yes, the judges are not well equipped to lead international theme weeks, but the bigger problem is that the show seems to think the only two options are to watch Paul say “naan bread” or not have other cuisines represented at all. Smith tells the Guardian, “We’re doing all the regular weeks: Cakes, Biscuits, Bread, Patisserie, Chocolate, plus Party Cakes is a new theme.” And while bakes other than shortbread and lemon pudding may show up in these challenges, it’s clear the show views British baking as “regular” and everything else as deserving of a theme. The solution, to me, would be to get more experts on GBBO. But of course, the show is built on routine — the same judges, the same tent, the same three kinds of challenges week after week. That’s what made it everyone’s comfort show. So now, there’s just the hope that Paul and Prue have learned that [peanuts and fruit actually do go together](. I’m not holding my breath. — Jaya Saxena, correspondent More Links: - Maybe Paul and Prue need to get on TikTok, where they can see why “swicy” (sweet and spicy) food [is all the rage](. - RIP Jimmy Buffett; please read about the time I had an existential crisis at [Margaritaville Times Square](. - Bryan Washington wants to know what the [perfect banh mi]( looks like. - For some more interesting bakes, and other recipes from your favorite restaurants, [preorder the Eater cookbook](. If you like this email, please forward it to a friend. If you aren't signed up for this newsletter, you can [do so right here](.  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=today). View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 11, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.