GIUSEPPE DELL'ANNO v2.qxp_Layout 2 25/11/2021 15:39 Page 1
GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF
All images courtesy of Channel 4
“There are no words, I am speechless for once. All I can think of is the reaction from my mum and dad,” said Giuseppe moments after collecting the trophy
The year of Giuseppe As The Great British Bake Off crowns its 2021 winner, Bristol and Italy celebrate their first ever champion. Millie Bruce-Watt catches up with the man himself, Giuseppe Dell’Anno
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fter 10 episodes, 30 challenges, and a heap of Hollywood Handshakes, Great British Bake Off crowned the winner of its twelfth series last week (23 November). Much to the delight of us Bristolians, it was our very own Giuseppe Dell’Anno that walked away with the famous cake stand trophy. The first Italian baker – and the first person from Bristol – to ever win the competition, Giuseppe was stunned to hear his name called in the final moments of the show, frozen in disbelief as runners-up Crystelle Pereira and Chigs Parmar celebrated his win. “There are no words, I am speechless for once,” he said moments after accepting the award. “All I can think of is the reaction from my mum and dad. The fact is that everything I have done to deserve this comes from his heritage – it’s the best thank you note I can possibly send him. He is going through a very bad time health-wise, so I think this is going to be a great boost.” Since the filming of the series took place between May and July 2021, the 45-year-old engineer was able to watch the final episode with his friends and family on a big screen at Gloucester Old Spot pub on Gloucester Road. Upon hearing the news of Giuseppe’s win, we couldn’t wait to catch up with him to chat all-things Bristol. Proud to be a local resident, we discovered more about his incredible Bake Off journey, his love for his heritage, his favourite local restaurants and, most importantly, what he’s planning to cook this Christmas. “There were people from the production team with me at the Gloucester Old Spot,” he told us. “Most of them had been in the bubble with me during the filming of the show and have become new 52 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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DECEMBER 2021
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friends. There is no doubt that, without their much needed confidence injections, I would have had a much harder time ploughing through my occasional crisis. So having them there, alongside my family, made what would have been an intense moment even more special.”
There is a quirky vibe in this city that makes it very special: I particularly like the combination of strong Bristolian pride with welcoming international openness that makes it, to my eyes, a unique place to live
“I have had so much support from Bristol and Italy. I have had lots of local people getting in touch and thanking me for putting Bristol on the map but, equally, Italians all over the UK, saying it’s great to be representing our culture in such a high profile show. It has been really heart warming.” When asked about where we could find Bristol’s best pizza and ice cream, Giuseppe had no problem directing us to his top spot. “In those rare occasions when we manage to go out as a family, I find that the environment, the flavour and the quality of Franco Manca are as close as you can get to a traditional Italian pizzeria. The kids love ice
