Bakers Stage

Our Bakers Stage will feature some of the TV’s best bakers and pastry chefs including Howard Middleton and Karen Wright from Great British Bake Off.

First catching the public’s attention on series 4 of The Great British Bake Off, Howard Middleton went on to win their affection with his quirky style and love of unusual ingredients, not to mention his sheer bad luck, including being the victim of the infamous ‘Custardgate’.  Howard has gone on to demonstrate his creative approach at numerous food festivals and shows and by teaching at artisan food schools.  His engaging personality and sense of humour made him a popular guest panelist on Bake Off’s spin-off show, An Extra Slice, and he is a regular writer for the Great British Chefs website.  His first book, ‘Delicious Gluten-Free Baking’ was published in September 2015.  For its 2016 Christmas special, Howard made a memorable return to the Bake Off tent, where he even managed to get the last word on the final Bake Off on the BBC.

Howard now works with Bake With a Legend, where he teaches baking classes around the country, including at corporate events, commercial promotions and private parties, as well as online classes. He continues to entertain audiences as a public speaker, compere and broadcaster, and has recently teamed up again with Katie Johnson for their popular food-related podcast, ‘Shackbaggerly’.

Karen Wright was a contestant on The Great British Bake Off in 2018. Karen is remembered both for her extravagant showstopping bakes and her colourfull personality and wardrobe. After leaving the show at the halfway point Karen has been busy entertaining the public at food festivals on the television and on the radio.

Karen writes a column each week for her local newspaper, which is also shared further afield, she has also published a book; Meals on the Move a Campsite Cooking Journey which combines her love of travelling with her love of cooking. Karen is a member of the Caravan and Motorhome Club and works with them as a Club Ambassador, she is often featured in the club magazine.

Karen enjoys public speaking and loves to regale an audience with anecdotes about her life both before and after her time on ‘The Bake Off’ she will often combine a talk with a cooking demonstration too.

Karen still bakes, she particularly loves to make bread but will turn her hand to most things and she hosts occasional online baking workshops for the company Bake with a Legend.

Karen is an advocate for stepping up and out of the comfort zone, she likes to encourage everyone to do the same, to try new things and to seek out explore all the opportunities that come along!

Compère Vernon Harwood

Vernon HarwoodVernon’s ‘radio’ career began at the age of eight, playing disc-jockeys on an old Dansette record player at home.”The best piece of audio kit ever made” was, he admits “a chunky old turntable with a rubber mat and a stylus the size of Belgium – I still think they were the best shows I’ve ever done.” He joined the BBC as a radio reporter in the 1980s and lists amongst the highlights the opportunity to wear Elton John’s giant boots from the movie ‘Tommy’ and having to eat grilled alligator steaks at 7.30am, live on-air. Vernon is a history buff, a Beatles fan, he collects old wireless sets and can’t resist looking around second-hand book shops. He loves lemon meringue pie, hates surly shop assistants and his favourite record is Here, There and Everywhere by the Fab Four.