Speculation builds over Great British Bake Off favourite Richard Burr
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Version 0 of 1. His light touch with pastry and flair for eclairs – always baked with a signature pencil perched behind his ear – have won over the hearts and tastebuds of the Great British Bake Off judges. But in the wake of Richard Burr’s culinary success, as one of three Bake Off finalists and the favourite to win on Wednesday, audiences have been asking – will his future now be in building or baking? Burr, who is the fourth generation to work in the family building business, was forced to defend his construction credentials earlier this week after his job was described in the Daily Mail as closer to that of “an investment banker than a jobbing brickie”. He was supported in a statement released by the Federation of Master Builders on Tuesday, where Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, confirmed Burr’s status as a “master builder”, adding: “The FMB is extremely proud that our member Richard Burr is challenging stereotypes about builders. Today’s modern builders are often multi-talented as demonstrated by Richard’s brilliant performance on TGBBO. “Unfortunately many people have a negative impression of what constitutes a builder … We need to rethink the stereotypical image of ‘mud and boots’ in the building industry and think instead of building professionals such as Richard Burr.” His wife, Sarah, also spoke out against the accusations that he never got his hands dirty, saying that Burr had rebuilt their formerly-derelict family home in Mill Hill himself. However, whether Burr will abandon the family construction firm to follow in the footsteps of former Bake Off finalists, such as last year’s runnerup, Ruby Tandoh, to pursue a new career in baking, still remains to be seen. Approached on Tuesday, his mother, Adrienne Burr, said she had no comment on the matter. Burr, 38, who also holds a first-class degree in biodiversity and conservation from London’s Birkbeck College, has been heralded as the favourite to win not least because he has been named star baker a record five times, particularly impressing Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood in doughnut week with his rhubarb and custard zeppole. While last year’s winner, Frances Quinn, has also named Burr as her contestant of choice, the north London builder faces tough competition from Nancy Birtwhistle, 60, and Luis Troyano, 43, who impressed the judges during bread week. The fifth series of the Great British Bake Off has seen record ratings since its move to BBC1, with an average of more than 9 million viewers tuning in each week. It has also had its fair share of controversy, with a claim of sabotage after one episode, labelled #BinGate on Twitter, in which contestant Iain Watters was eliminated after throwing his molten baked Alaska into the rubbish in a fit of rage after another contestant appeared to have removed it from the freezer. |