Essex Festival of Food and Drink director Anne Pocock caught up with Ruby Tandoh in Leigh on Sea to chat about what she's been up to since the Great British Bake Off and her forthcoming appearance at the 2014 Essex Festival of Food and Drink on July 20.What motivated you to apply for the Great British Bake Off?
I always throw myself head-long into projects and give everything I do my all and I had only begun baking about six months before I applied and I thought it was a real incentive to help me improve my baking skills.Describe Your Bake Off experience
After I submitted my initial application I had to attend various rounds before I was chosen. The whole experience was full on! I was continually preparing recipes, practising and perfecting before the actual filming of the Bake Off competitions took place.What are you looking forward to most about the Essex Food Festival?
It will be great to be back in my home county. I love food shows and the idea of seeing high quality local produce and meeting the producers. I love everything about food, I even get excited about going to the local supermarket!What is your favourite bread to bake and why?
I really love to make buns, breads and brioche because the dough is lovely to work with and I love to eat them too!What is your favourite cake to bake and why?
I really like dense and sticky cakes like gingerbread and carrot cake. I don't do fancy!Do you have any advice for the amateur bakers entering the Great Essex Baking Competition at the festival?
Don't be tempted to overcomplicate things. Keep it simple and really well executed.What are you making for us at the festival?
I will be putting my recipes together in the next few weeks, so you need to keep checking the festival website for updates.You have just finished writing a book about baking, tell us about it and when we can buy it?
It's called Crumb and it will be on sale in all good book shops from September 25. I wanted to create a book that I wished I had when I was in the Bake Off.
It is full of great baking recipes and photographs but where I think it is different from other baking books is that it illustrates the techniques and tips that will give the best results and also why the recipes are so good for you.
I have loved writing it and I hope everyone who buys it enjoys it tooRuby will be demonstrating on the Main Stage and at the Master Class Stage on Saturday, July 19. Visit the website for more details and to buy tickets
