The Great British Bake Off is back on our screen for 2024, bringing us a host of technical challenges in the search for a new winner. The baking show has brought a gaggle of eager bakers into the infamous tent for this year. Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, who viewers have already praised as the ‘perfect addition’, are back to host the beloved show.
It's the ultimate comfort watch, and the perfect start to cosy season. Each series we feel soothed by the familiar rhythms of the show and the cheering antics in the tent, which is always pitched in a idyllic location. But where is Bake Off filmed?
Where is The Great British Bake Off filmed?
Although the tent is looking all-so-familiar, the location of the show has changed drastically over the years. It is now filmed on the grounds of Welford Park in Berkshire, with the famous white marquee pitched up alongside the beautiful Grade-I Listed Welford Park House.
The show has been filmed in many locations – including a youth hostel which saw Mary Berry catch bed bugs – before finding its home at Welford Park in 2014 until 2019. The show remained there until the pandemic hit, where they left to film in Down Hall Hotel in Essex over two years between 2020 and 2022, due to Covid restrictions.
Whilst filming at the Essex hotel and spa, contestants and producers would stay on-site in order to maintain their ‘Covid bubble’ and minimise the risk of outbreaks halting filming. But once protocols relaxed, the show was able to relocate its tent back to the stunning grounds of Welford Park.
The rural location is famous for far more than some impressive bakes. The Grade 1 listed building has been privately owned by the same family since 1619, once being the site of a monastery before becoming Henry VIII’s deer-hunting lodge.
Can you visit the Great British Bake Off tent?
The Bake Off tent itself is a temporary structure, meaning it’s only utilised during the filming of the series rather than standing all year round. And with Welford Park itself being privately owned, it’s not so easy for Bake Off fans to enter the estate.
However, never fear. If you fancy taking in the sights of Berkshire, the estate does host a number of events each year where doors are open to the general public.
So if you fancy a Bake Off day out, it could very well be on the cards!
Where was The Great British Bake Off series one filmed?
The launch series of The Great British Bake Off in 2010 was filmed across the UK, with contestants travelling around the country and the tent being relocated each week in line with the allocated theme for that week. Locations included the Cotswolds, Scone Palace in Perthshire, Sarre Windmill in Kent, Bakewell in Derbyshire, Mousehole in Cornwall and Fulham Palace in London.
Where else has The Great British Bake Off been filmed?
After the continual moving around for the first season, series two took place at Valentines Mansion in Redbridge. The third and fourth series (2012 - 2013) were filmed in Somerset at Harptree Court.
When is The Great British Bake Off filmed?
Although we use Bake Off as the perfect indicator that autumn is upon us, the sunnier vibes onscreen don't quite scream cosied up under the blankets with a cuppa. Rather than the rainy September days that many of us are facing, viewers watching new episodes can’t help but notice that the bakers on screen are basking in some glorious sunshine as they take on the Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith's challenges.
It’s clear that the show is not filmed and broadcast live. In fact, it’s actually prerecorded and filmed months before, between April and June. So when they're sweltering in the tent, you're likely witnessing a heatwave from earlier on in the year.
In past years, bakers have been left frustrated and fans disappointed by the technical and show-stopper creations being ruined during chocolate week because of the high temperatures outside. Chocolate week was even filmed on the hottest day of the year once, which led to melting dreams and sliding hopes of winning the series.
Is Bake Off filmed in one day?
Bake Off is filmed over 10 weeks (giving contestants lots of time to practise their bakes), and those lucky enough to find themselves in the tent are asked to make sure their schedules are clear for up to 21 days between those months.
It’s no easy feat when you’re battling to be star baker. The days are said to be extremely long, with filming taking up to 16 hours in one go.
Why is The Great British Bake Off filmed in a tent?
The idea, which was first floated by executive producer Anne Beattie, was to give the show an aesthetic. She wanted to go for a 'village fete' theme and create a place where baked goods, jams and pickles could be sold.
The judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith said that baking in a tent provides a whole new level of challenges, which lends itself to drama and chaos.
'The wasps come in and the rain mucks us and it gets freezing cold,' Prue told The Wrap. 'What television producers like is they like a bit of jeopardy. The reason they like it is because the audience likes it.'
Paul added, 'I mean, we’re British. We like a challenge. And I think ultimately, it tends to take you back to nature. If you’re camping, you’re in nature, aren’t you? You’re surrounded with beautiful scenery and you’ve got gorgeous views, you’re in the middle of a woods. You don’t want to be stuck in a brick house where it gets too hot. I mean, actually, the tent is a beautiful place to be aesthetically. It’s beautiful.'
Where is The Great British Bake Off: The Professionals filmed?
The Great British Bake Off: The Professionals is not filmed at Welford Park but at Firle Place in Lewes, Sussex. The estate has been the location for Bake Off: The Professionals since 2021, having previously been filmed at Welbeck Abbey in Nottingham.