Freya Cox: ‘I’m excited to see what new dynamics are with Nigella Lawson as a judge on new Great British Bake Off series’
The Scarborough vegan baker Freya Cox is ‘excited’ to watch her idol Nigella Lawson as a judge on the new series of the Great British Bake Off.
Freya Cox, 24, competed on The Great British Bake Off in 2021 as the first vegan baker on the show and a year later published her first recipe book ‘Simply Vegan Baking’.
The Scarborough-born baker has since launched her plant-based business Freyas, collaborated with venues such as Castle Howard and started working as a programme journalist for BBC Radio York and BBC Radio Sheffield.
Since the announcement that Nigella Lawson will be replacing Prue Leith as a judge on the new series of The Great British Bake Off, Freya has been ‘excited’ to watch it.
“I’m definitely hoping to watch it, especially to see how the new dynamics are with Nigella. I think it’ll be really refreshing,” Freya said.
“I’m really excited that she’s the new judge because I’ve always looked up to Nigella, she’s been a huge idol and inspiration for me.
“She’s going to do absolutely brilliantly [on the show]. I respect her thoughts and opinions and I think she’s going to bring a really fun element to the show.
“Nigella will complement it really well and I think people are really lucky to be able to meet her and take her advice, because her recipes are incredible.”
Freya had adapted some of Nigella’s recipes in her first book and her book was featured in Nigella’s Cookbook Corner.
“In my first book there was a recipe inspired by her and now in the second book, there is a new recipe inspired by her Chocolate Guinness Cake,” she said.
“It’s a vegan-adapted version of hers. She featured my first cookbook in her Cookbook Corner, so I’m really hoping to send her a copy of the new book and I’d love to hear her thoughts.”
Freya’s advice for the next series of Bake Off contestants is to ‘stay as calm as they possibly can’.
“I think that’s something I did not do too well on the show,” she said.
“I got really wrapped up in the pressure and probably forgot that at the end of the day it is just cake.
“I would always say - and people did give me this advice - to try and enjoy every moment they have while they’re on the show because it’s such an incredible experience and it goes far too quickly.
“Also, don’t feel like you have to overcomplicate things; stay true to what you really want, don’t feel like you have to outdo other people by creating different things, accept flavour combinations that you really like.”
One of the best outcomes of the Channel 4 baking competition for Freya was forging friendships with the other contestants.
“Going on the Bake Off was the best experience of my life,” she said.
“Along the way I’ve met so many incredible people who were inspired by my story of going on the Bake Off to do plant-based bakes.
“I’m still really good friends with the people from the show like Lizzie who I lived with for a while and we try to catch up as often as possible.”
Freya is currently in the process of publishing her second book ‘Bake My Day’.
“Since I published the first book back in 2022, my biggest goal has been releasing a second book,” she said.
“The response I had from the first book was incredible and I had so many lovely people messaging me, people that I’ve met in person who said how it’s turned into their go-to recipe book, which is so lovely.
“They’re asking for a second book and it’s been almost four years in the making. I needed time to collect my ideas, thoughts and bring the vision to life and I’m just so excited for the world to be able to see it.”