The Great British Bake-Off (GBBO) is a popular television show in the UK that has gained an international following.
It is a baking competition where amateur bakers from all over the country compete to become the best. The show has become a cultural phenomenon, inspiring people to bake and improve their skills in the kitchen. With the show’s popularity, it is surprising that many individuals and organizations want to host their own bake-off events.
This makes me wonder… Could we, college students in Segovia, pull something like this off?
Of course, we can! However, we will need more than a few tiny tweaks to apply it.
And unlike cable television producers, we don’t have millions of dollars at our disposal or a crew of writers and staff to organize every last step. As university students, we’re limited to a much smaller student budget and a busy schedule.
So, how would we go about this?
Hosting a bake-off event can be expensive, especially if you want to replicate the look and feel of the GBBO. However, with a little creativity, a university student can organize a fun and budget-friendly bake-off event.
Here are some tips on how to host a GBBO-inspired event on a student budget:
- Choose the scale of your bake-off, and accordingly, choose your contestants: Let that be your classmates, peers, etc.
- Choose a venue: Look for a free or low-cost space to host the event, such as a space in the university or the Creativity Center. Make sure the space has enough tables and chairs for participants and guests. Or, if you are up to it, host it in your home!
- Gather baking equipment: Ask participants to bring their equipment and supplies to save money. Alternatively, you could ask local businesses to donate baking supplies.
- Plan the competition: Decide on the format of the competition. Will it be a one-day event with several baking challenges or a series of challenges spread over a few weeks? Consider the challenges you want to include, such as bread, cakes, or pastry.
- Get volunteers: We could use all the help we could get! Enlist the help of volunteers to reduce the need for hiring staff. Volunteers could help set up the venue, register participants, and judge the competition.
- Recruit judges: Ask professors or local bakers to volunteer as judges for the competition, or if you have foodie friends, ask them! You could also have a people’s choice award where guests vote for their favorite bake.
- Promote the event:
- Get it on IE Connects and all the Segovia WhatsApp group chats.
- Use social media to promote the event and encourage people to participate or volunteer.
- Create a hashtag for the event to help generate buzz and encourage participants to share their bakes on social media.
- Create flyers and posters to put up around campus!
IE is filled with all sorts of people who could help with promotion. Reach out! Maybe someone from IE’s very own Stork could cover it.
- Organize! Ensure participants register in advance to determine how many people are interested and plan accordingly. Ensure that the venue is set up and ready to go. This includes having enough tables and chairs for participants and baking equipment and supplies. You could also consider having a few different baking stations set up to accommodate different types of bakes.
- Offer prizes: Prizes don’t have to be expensive. You could offer certificates, baking books, tools/equipment, or even a homemade cake as a prize.
Consider reaching out to local businesses for sponsorships!
- Make it fun: Play some music, decorate the space with bunting, and provide refreshments for participants and guests. Encourage participants to have fun and enjoy the experience!
So maybe, with some creativity and resourcefulness, university students can recreate the Great British Bake-Off on a student budget.
It would be a fun and exciting event for everyone involved, allowing participants to showcase their baking skills, learn from each other, and have fun.
So, Segovia, what do you say? Let’s get baking! Let’s create Great Segovia Bake-Off!
