It’s only fitting that the pirate of pastry should plunder fans from across the ocean. Dylan Bachelet, the breakout star of this year’s Great British Bake Off, has found fame on both sides of the Atlantic, and went viral when the New York Times dubbed him “the Captain Jack Sparrow of baking”.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” the 20-year-old from Buckinghamshire said. “The weirdest part was that it wasn’t in the food section, it was in the fashion pages … A lot of coverage has been about my appearance but people seem to like it, so that’s all good.”
Besides, Bachelet rather fancies the pirate lifestyle. “It would be a pretty sick life – on a boat with a bunch of your mates, just sailing around. If I could be the actual Jack Sparrow of baking, that would be wicked.”
The 15th series of Bake Off, which aired its grand final last week, was widely seen as a return to form, boosted by fresh challenges, the antics of co-host Alison Hammond and a characterful batch of bakers. The calorific franchise remains Channel 4’s top-rated programme, pulling in 7million viewers a week and attracting a devoted international fanbase on Netflix.
Bachelet was undoubtedly its star. He broke records by winning two star baker accolades, three technical challenges and three congratulatory handshakes from judge Paul Hollywood. “I’m sick of shaking your hand,” joked hard-to-please Hollywood, who called Bachelet “the flavour king”.
His adventurous recipes were inspired by his gap year travels and his family heritage (his mother is Indian, his father Japanese-Belgian). Bachelet boldly blended sweetness with spice in high-concept creations, including a cake recreation of an ancient Egyptian canopic jar, a tiramisu designed to resemble a block of concrete and a gravity-defying hanging cake, inspired by the crumbling plasterwork on houses in Murano, Italy.
He went into last Tuesday’s final as bookies’ favourite to become the contest’s joint youngest winner. Instead, Welsh paediatric nurse Georgie Grasso was crowned champion. “She totally deserved it,” he said. “Her cakes were awesome. Mine were poor.”
Culinary stardom still looks assured. He has already amassed an Instagram following of 126,000, three times bigger than those of his fellow finalists. Not bad, considering he hadn’t baked much previously. “I was inexperienced compared to the others,” he said.
“Before entering, I’d only baked 10 to 15 things that truly worked. Those were the photos that I sent off in my application. From that point, I was learning on the fly. As practice time got tighter towards the end, my bakes became less polished.”
Bachelet’s swashbuckling style – flowing locks and goatee beard, often teamed with a bandana or baker boy cap – have made him easily recognisable. “Walking around London last week, I was getting recognised every five minutes,” he said. “I’d go to the supermarket and get stopped in every aisle. People were wishing me luck for the final. Everyone I met was lovely. Although I have been sent a few creepy DMs.”
His newfound sex symbol status has taken Bachelet by surprise. “I’ve never been ogled before,” he said. “It’s not something I’d ever lean into. I won’t be starting an OnlyFans. My sister sent me TikTok clips of me blow-torching a meringue in slow motion.”
In one episode, his trademark chunky jewellery included a Palestine earring. “While we were filming this summer, the war was escalating,” he said. “Regardless of your political stance, everyone can agree it’s a serious issue. People in their thousands are dying but nothing proactive is being done in the international sphere. The earring wasn’t intended to divide people.”
Bachelet achieved four A*s at A-level and started a degree in biomedical engineering before dropping out to pursue his passion for cooking. “I was actually offered a job at Ottolenghi and couldn’t take it because I was about to go on Bake Off. But I got my new job after doing the show, so it all worked out.”
He is now chef de partie at The Five Fields in Chelsea, London, a Michelin-starred modern British restaurant. “It’s been a steep learning curve but it’s a great environment. The pressure is way higher in a professional kitchen than the tent. Bake Off was fun and you were in control. In the restaurant, get things wrong and you’re stuffed.”
His employers knew he’d been on Bake Off but not how well he fared. Colleagues followed his fortunes on-screen each week and professed themselves “proud and overwhelmed” by his success. “When people asked [how I had done], I said, ‘Sorry guys, I’ve signed an NDA’.”
Bachelet admits to stealing “a bunch of thermapens and a whisk” when he left the tent. What else did he take from the Bake Off experience? “It was life-changing. It brought me a lot of happiness and friends I’ll treasure for ever. We’re all seeing each other this weekend, which will be a nice reunion.”
His ultimate ambition? “My priority is learning more about food. Going to different kitchens and improving my ability until I’m satisfied. When I get to that point, I’d love to have my own restaurant, but that’s a while away.”
His US fanbase might beckon, too. “I’ve never actually been to the States, so it’s surreal they know about me over there … I’d love to go.”
