Did you know that winners of The Great British Bake Off (GBBO) do not receive any monetary prize? Instead, they leave the tent with a special cake stand (the show's equivalent of a trophy) and a bouquet of flowers. 1 So, what makes the show so successful and popular among both participants and audiences?
Part of the answer lies in what GBBO represents. Over the years, it has become a unifying television programme across the UK, celebrating talented amateur bakers by allowing them to showcase their skills and, for some, launch professional careers in the baking industry.
🏆 List of The Great British Bake Off Winners (2010–2026)
With the confirmed premiere of the GBBO 2026 in September this year, it'll be great to do a recap of the past seasons' winners before we crown the Best Amateur Baker for the 17th season.
💡Winners by Year
Here are the winners by year, where they emerge champion out of three finalists in the final episode of each season.
| Series | Winner | Age at win | From | Occupation at time of filming | Baking style / signature moment | Since the show | Notable fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2010) | Edd Kimber | 25 | Bradford, England | Debt collector for a bank | Precise patisserie-leaning home baking; brands himself 'The Boy Who Bakes' | Cookbooks incl. The Boy Who Bakes, Say It With Cake, Patisserie Made Simple and the award-winning One Tin Bakes; resident baker on The Alan Titchmarsh Show; food writing and festival appearances | First ever Bake Off winner; also staged at Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir |
| 2 (2011) | Jo Wheatley | 41 | Essex, England | Mother of three / home baker | Homely classic British; won on mini Victoria sponges, white chocolate and raspberry pistachio meringues and mini banoffee pies | Books A Passion for Baking and Home Baking; runs a home cookery school; now a grandmother living in Lisbon; blogs at Jo's Blue Aga | Baked up to 10 times a week before applying; encouraged to enter by her three sons |
| 3 (2012) | John Whaite | 23 | Chorley, Lancashire, England | Law student at the University of Manchester | Bold flavour concepts; won with a 'Heaven and Hell' chiffon cake | Le Cordon Bleu certifications, cookery school, books and homeware; TV work incl. Lorraine and Sunday Brunch | 2021 Strictly Come Dancing finalist in the show's first male same-sex partnership, with Johannes Radebe |
| 4 (2013) | Frances Quinn | 31 | Leicestershire, England | Clothes/fashion designer | Design-led storytelling bakes; a rainbow picnic pie and a three-tier wedding cake in the final | Book Quinntessential Baking; hosts YouTube series Baking Playlist; private clients have included Quentin Blake, Jools Holland and Wimbledon | Holds the world record for the largest Jaffa Cake |
| 5 (2014) | Nancy Birtwhistle | 60 | Lincolnshire, England | Retired GP practice manager | Meticulous no-fuss traditionalist; final showstopper was a miniature Moulin Rouge | Five lifestyle books spanning baking, cleaning and gardening; large online following; recipe demos and judging | Oldest ever Bake Off winner; keen dog trainer who has entered Crufts |
| 6 (2015) | Nadiya Hussain | 30 | Luton, England | Full-time mother | Flavour-forward fusion of British baking with Bangladeshi spicing | TV series incl. The Chronicles of Nadiya and Nadiya's British Food Adventure; many cookbooks, children's books and three novels; documentary Nadiya: Anxiety and Me | Baked the Queen's 90th birthday cake; spoke publicly in 2025 about a 'brutal' BBC exit |
| 7 (2016) | Candice Brown | 31 | Bedfordshire, England | PE teacher | Theatrical retro-glamour bakes | Quit teaching to bake full-time; worked in Tom Kerridge's kitchen; took on a pub lease; TV work | Competed on Dancing On Ice in 2018 |
| 8 (2017) | Sophie Faldo | 33 | Surrey, England | Former Army officer retraining as a stunt performer | Technically ambitious patisserie | Set up a cake company | Her win was accidentally revealed by Prue Leith on social media hours before broadcast; CV also includes ballerina, surveillance consultant, ski-touring instructor and British Rowing Championships bronze medallist |
| 9 (2018) | Rahul Mandal | 30 | Rotherham, England | Research engineer | Anxious perfectionist with Indian-inflected flavours | Still an engineering researcher at the University of Sheffield's Nuclear AMRC alongside TV work and press recipes | A glass jar exploded on his bench in the heatwave final and he was given extra time |
| 10 (2019) | David Atherton | 36 | Whitby / London, England | International health adviser | Health-conscious veg-forward baking | Guardian food-for-fitness column; My First Cookbook (2020); volunteered as a COVID vaccinator | Only winner never to take Star Baker; originally joined the series as a reserve contestant |
| 11 (2020) | Peter Sawkins | 20 | Edinburgh, Scotland | Accountancy and finance student | Neat technically assured Scottish baking | First book Peter Bakes (October 2021); finished his degree after the show | Youngest ever Bake Off winner; grew up watching the show |
| 12 (2021) | Giuseppe Dell'Anno | 45 | Bristol, England (Italian-born) | Engineer | Classical Italian patisserie | Giuseppe's Italian Bakes (October 2022) and further books and TV work | First Italian winner; followed in the footsteps of his pro-chef father and kept his participation secret from his children |
| 13 (2022) | Syabira Yusoff | 32 | London, England (Malaysian) | Cardiovascular research assistant | Unexpected flavour pairings and Malaysian ingredients | Cookbook and recipe development championing Malaysian-British baking | Only took up baking in 2017 - five years before winning |
| 14 (2023) | Matty Edgell | 28 | Yorkshire, England | PE teacher | Rustic confident home baking | Shares budget-friendly recipes on TikTok and Instagram | Married partner Lara after the show and baked his own three-tier wedding cake |
| 15 (2024) | Georgie Grasso | 34 | Wales | Paediatric nurse | Cook-from-scratch, buy-local ethos; savoury as much as sweet | Posting recipes prolifically on Instagram | First Welsh winner |
| 16 (2025) | Jasmine Mitchell | 23 | London, England (grew up in Edinburgh) | Medical student | Remarkable consistency; five Star Bakers and four technical wins | Won in November 2025 | Most decorated contestant in the show's history (5 Star Bakers, 4 technical wins, 2 Hollywood handshakes); has spoken openly about living with alopecia since age 12 |
What's striking about the sixteen names on the trophy is how little they have in common. The age gap alone spans four decades: Peter Sawkins was a twenty-year-old accountancy student in 2020, still two years off finishing his degree, while Nancy Birtwhistle won in 2014 at sixty, a retired grandmother from Lincolnshire. What happens afterwards is just as uneven.
For some, the tent is a career change: Edd Kimber walked out of a bank's debt-collection department and never went back, Candice Brown left teaching for a pub lease, and Nadiya Hussain went from full-time mother to one of British television's most recognisable cooks.
For others it's a very good hobby that stayed a hobby. Rahul Mandal is the clearest case — seven years on from his 2018 win, he is still an engineering researcher at Sheffield's Nuclear AMRC, fitting recipes around the day job. Roughly half the winners have made baking their living; the rest went back to nursing, medicine, engineering and teaching, which is arguably the most Bake Off outcome of all. The prize, after all, is a cake stand.
👥Where Are They Now?
Most of the winners have made many media appearances in food-related shows through hosting and even judging, writing baking books, as well as creating baking content on social media. In other words, they've become media personalities in their own right. 2
🌟Career Highlights of Notable Winners
We'll highlight five notable GBBO winners who have won the hearts of the judges and viewers.
Edd Kimber
First on our list is Edd Kimber, who became the first-ever GBBO winner. Fondly known as The Boy Who Bakes, Kimber is a former debt-collector turned full-time baker who now juggles different roles as a food writer, baking teacher, and TV personality. He is the proud author of many cookbooks, and his latest cookbook in 2026 is Chocolate Baking: The Ultimate Guide to Cakes, Cookies, Desserts & Pastries.
Additionally, he writes for regular magazine, newspaper columns, as well as on his Substack. 3
Nadiya Hussain
Next, we have Nadiya Hussain, who is widely recognised as the most successful GBBO winner so far. She won the show's sixth season in 2015, where the final episode garnered huge viewing and resonance among the UK audience.
Already a fan favourite before the final, she won the judges’ hearts with her final showstopper, My Big Fat British Wedding Cake, which clinched victory and celebrated her British and Asian identities.
After her win, Hussain became a household name through her hosting at the BBC as well as her successful publishing career, venturing into cooking, memoirs, and even children's books.
She baked a cake for Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday, and was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2020 New Year Honours for her services to broadcasting and the culinary arts. 4
Dr Rahul Mandal
A notable past winner is Dr Rahul Mandal, who won the ninth season in 2018. Despite winning the competition, he is one of the few who remained as a research scientist while writing cookbooks and teaching baking.
Having grown up in Kolkata and moved to Britain at the age of 23, Mandal believes that baking is the best combination of science and the arts — balancing physics, engineering, and chemistry with creativity, flavour, and elegance. 5
🧁Signature Recipes from GBBO Winners
Now, let's explore these delicious bakes from different winners of the show.
🥣 Classic Victoria Sponge
Everyone loves a British teatime classic; here's an easy Victoria Sponge recipe inspired by Edd Kimber:
Serving:
8-10 people
Prep Time:
25 mins
Baking Time:
25-30 mins
For the cake
- 200 g unsalted butter (softened)
- 200 g caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of salt
For the filling
- 150 g strawberry or raspberry jam
- 200 ml double cream
- 100 g mascarpone cheese
- 1 tablespoon of icing sugar
- 100 g fresh berries
Decoration
- Icing sugar (optional)
| Step | Instruction |
|---|---|
| 1 | Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 190°C conventional. Grease and line two 20 cm round cake tins. |
| 2 | Beat the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. |
| 3 | Add the eggs gradually, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the vanilla bean paste. |
| 4 | Fold in the self-raising flour and salt. Add the milk and mix gently until the batter reaches a smooth consistency. |
| 5 | Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and level the surfaces. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. |
| 6 | Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. |
| 7 | Whip the double cream, mascarpone and icing sugar together until thick and spreadable. |
| 8 | Spread the jam over one sponge layer, then add the cream mixture and fresh berries. Place the second sponge on top. |
| 9 | Dust with icing sugar, slice and serve. Store chilled for up to 3 days. |
Note: This recipe is inspired by Edd Kimber’s Victoria Sponge Recipe, adapted with original ingredients and a modern filling, from Lovefood.com. 6
🥣 Lime & Coconut Drizzle Cake
Another quintessential tea-time staple, the lemon drizzle cake carries a simple but irresistible charm—and famously helped secure Nadiya Hussain’s win on The Great British Bake Off.
Serving:
10-12 slices
Prep Time:
20 minutes
BakingTime:
40-45 minutes
For the cake
- 200 g unsalted butter, softened
- 180 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 40 g desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Finely grated zest of 3 limes
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons of natural yoghurt
For the drizzle
- 80 g caster sugar
- Juice of 3 limes
Decoration
- 120 g icing sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons of lime juice
- Extra lime zest
- Toasted coconut flakes (optional)
| Step | Instruction |
|---|---|
| 1 | Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 190°C conventional. Grease and line a 20 cm loaf tin with baking paper. |
| 2 | Beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. |
| 3 | Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, lime zest and lime juice. |
| 4 | Fold in the flour, baking powder and desiccated coconut. Add the yoghurt and mix gently until the batter is smooth. |
| 5 | Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. |
| 6 | While the cake is still warm, prick the surface with a skewer. Mix the lime juice and caster sugar together, then pour over the cake to soak in. |
| 7 | Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the tin. |
| 8 | Mix the icing sugar with lime juice to create a thick glaze. Drizzle over the cake and decorate with lime zest and toasted coconut if desired. |
| 9 | Slice and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. |
Note: This cake recipe is inspired by Nadiya Hussain’s Lime Drizzle Cake, adapted with original ingredients and method from The Times.com. 7
🥣 Chocolate Orange Fudge Brownies
If you prefer lighter and chocolatey teatime or picnic snacks, you'll have to try out this recipe, inspired by Rahul Mandal's Chocolate Orange Brownies.
Serving:
16 brownies
Prep Time:
20mins
BakingTime:
30-35mins
- 180 g unsalted butter
- 180 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly chopped
- 200 g caster sugar
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 80 g icing sugar
- 35 g cocoa powder
- 80 g icing sugar
- 2–3 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- Extra orange zest for garnish
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
- 120 g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon of fine salt
- 100 g dark chocolate chunks or chips
| Step | Instruction |
|---|---|
| 1 | Preheat the oven to 170°C fan / 180°C conventional. Grease and line a 20 cm square baking tin with baking paper. |
| 2 | Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water until smooth. Allow to cool slightly. |
| 3 | Whisk the caster sugar, light brown sugar and eggs until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and orange zest. |
| 4 | Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until fully combined. |
| 5 | Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Fold gently, then mix in the dark chocolate chunks. |
| 6 | Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes until the edges are set and the centre remains slightly fudgy. |
| 7 | Allow the brownies to cool completely in the tin before removing and slicing. Chill for 1–2 hours for a denser texture if preferred. |
| 8 | Mix icing sugar with orange juice to make a glaze. Drizzle over the brownies and add extra orange zest if desired. |
| 9 | Cut into 16 squares and serve at room temperature or slightly warmed. |
Note: This brownie recipe is inspired and adapted from Rahul's own baking blog: Bake with Rahul, where new recipes are added regularly. 8
👩🍳Impact of Winning GBBO
Former contestants may choose to remain in their original field or change their career path entirely. However, it's undeniable that winning and even participating in GBBO is a stepping stone in the culinary world.
💪 Career Opportunities
The first and foremost career opportunity that most winners will venture into is cookbook and publishing deals. Many bakers would love to publish their own recipes and build their personal brand as a reputable food author. Here are some examples:
| Winner | Year Won | Notable Cookbook(s) | Publishing Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edd Kimber | 2010 | The Boy Who Bakes, One Tin Bakes, Small Batch Bakes | One of GBBO’s most successful baking authors, with several bestselling cookbooks. |
| Joanne Wheatley | 2011 | A Passion for Baking, Home Baking | Published multiple baking books and became a regular food writer and demonstrator. |
| John Whaite | 2012 | John Whaite Bakes, Perfect Plates in Five Ingredients | Authored several cookbooks covering baking and everyday cooking. |
| Frances Quinn | 2013 | Quinntessential Baking | Published a cookbook showcasing her creative baking style and recipes. |
| Nancy Birtwhistle | 2014 | Sizzle & Drizzle, Clean & Green, Green Living Made Easy | Expanded beyond baking into bestselling sustainable living and home cooking books. |
| Nadiya Hussain | 2015 | Nadiya Bakes, Time to Eat, Bake Me a Story | One of the UK’s most prolific cookbook authors, with bestselling cookbooks, memoirs, and children’s books. |
| Rahul Mandal | 2018 | Showstopping Cakes | Published a cookbook inspired by the elegant cakes and pâtisserie that defined his GBBO journey. |
| Giuseppe Dell’Anno | 2021 | Giuseppe’s Italian Bakes | Successfully transitioned into food publishing, celebrating traditional Italian baking. |
The next career opportunity would include television and media work. This could be hosting or guest judging cooking shows, or even having their own standalone series. For example, Nadiya Hussain went on to become a leading host in shows like Nadiya’s Everyday Baking, Nadiya's Family Favourites, and Time to Eat. She was also the celebrity judge of GBBO's spin-off, Junior Bake Off in 2016. 9
We also cannot miss out on winners or even past contestants who start their own baking businesses and thrive in the hospitality and product development fields. Here are some examples:
| Winner | Year Won | Business / Venture | Venture Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candice Brown | 2016 | The Green Man Pub | Co-owned and operated a gastropub in Eversholt, Bedfordshire, after her GBBO success. She also launched a deli and took part in food-related collaborations. |
| John Whaite | 2012 | John Whaite’s Kitchen Cookery School | Founded his own cookery school, offering baking and cooking classes while continuing his TV and publishing career. |
| Sophie Faldo | 2017 | Sophie Faldo Couture Cakes | Established a bespoke cake business specialising in luxury wedding and celebration cakes. |
| Frances Quinn | 2013 | Recipe Development & Brand Collaborations | Worked as a food stylist and recipe developer, and collaborated with food brands on product campaigns and creative baking projects. |
Of course, past winners are also commonly seen at various public speaking events and festivals, given their newfound fame and credibility.
📸 Personal Growth and Public Recognition
Beyond fame and fortune, participating in and winning The Great British Bake Off is life-changing, especially in terms of the contestant's personal growth and outlook in life.
The nature of GBBO, which only allows amateur bakers to participate, is the show's greatest watching point until today. It allows amateurs to really push their baking skills to the limit, come out with creative GBBO recipes, while being judged professionally.
If baking is something that they previously viewed as a mere hobby, this competition is a turning point that can make them gain self-confidence and new skills. It is something that they can take pride in when they successfully go through each round of challenges, under time constraints and nerves.
With the win, the contestants naturally wear a new hat as role models to aspiring home bakers, who hope to make a name for themselves one day. Seeing the winners succeed and gain public recognition through the show is a testament that you don't have to be culinary trained to become a good baker, regardless of your age, ethnicity, and gender.
I'm never going to put boundaries on myself again. I'm never going to say I can't do it. I'm never going to say maybe. I'm never going to say I don't think I can. I can and I will.
Nadiya Hussain's remarks after winning
We hope you have found this article inspiring and insightful! May it inspire you to bake your hearts out and, who knows, join the competition and become the next GBBO winner!
References
- Cremona, P. (2022, May 17). What does the winner of The Great British Bake Off get? Radio Times. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/great-british-bake-off-prize/
- Bristow, A. (2025, September 4). The Great British Baking Show Winners List: Where Are They Now? Netflix Tudum. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/great-british-baking-show-winners-where-are-they-now-list
- The boy who bakes. (n.d.). The Boy Who Bakes. https://www.theboywhobakes.co.uk/
- Nadiya Hussain. (2026, April 17). https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/128075/nadiya-hussain
- ABOUT | bakewithrahul. (n.d.). Bakewithrahul. https://www.bakewithrahul.com/about
- Kimber, E. (n.d.). Edd Kimber’s Victoria sponge recipe. https://www.lovefood.com/recipes/60116/edd-kimbers-victoria-sponge-recipe
- Hussain, N. (2015, November 21). Nadiya Hussain’s lime drizzle cake. The Times. https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/england/london-travel/nadiya-hussains-lime-drizzle-cake-0svfq5sm6sw
- Mandal, R. (2025, September 12). Chocolate Orange brownies. bakewithrahul. https://www.bakewithrahul.com/post/chocolate-orange-brownies
- Hussain, N. (2025a, May 19). Junior Bake off. Nadiya Hussain. https://www.nadiyahussain.com/junior-bake-off/
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