Great British Bake-Off star teams up with Yorkshire Sculpture Park for culinary challenge

Rowan delighted GBBO audiences last summer when he competed with the “best of the best” amateur bakers in the popular Channel 4 series, hosted by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. And whilst Yorkshire-born Rowan didn’t win the competition along with the prized glass cake stand, his newfound fame has led to many other exciting opportunities.

As a life-long visitor and supporter of YSP, Rowan has now agreed to take part in a taste-bud tingling summer campaign with the 500-acre park and its amazing galleries and spaces, all of which are a registered charity and accredited museum. With no time for loafing about, Rowan has been secretly working with YSP to come up with a special bespoke cake that will be baked onsite and sold in the Park’s restaurants and cafes throughout the summer.

Rowan, whose motto in the famous tent was “Go Big or Go Home” has designed a Yorkshire-inspired tea and lemon sponge, with a touch of passionfruit curd that combines the very best of regional ingredients along with his own personal baking flair and passion for YSP.

He said: “I’m so excited to be working with Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It’s a real full circle feeling for me because I spent my childhood there with my family and on school trips, so to have the opportunity to create a cake for their cafes, as well as a special event is wonderful. I’m thrilled to be part of the work they do, and I’ve loved working with the team. It’s a really exciting partnership, not to mention it’s all things Yorkshire!”

Rowan’s Yorkshire Tea bake is a tea-infused sponge, complemented with a mouth-watering lemon buttercream and passionfruit curd finish. He explained: “We all wanted the bake to celebrate everything Yorkshire and there’s not much more Yorkshire than a cuppa tea! With the addition of lemon, I wanted to play on the phrase how do you take your tea? and really engage in the conversation of such a regional classic. The addition of passionfruit was simply because it’s delicious and it feels very ‘Rowan!”

“I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I have enjoyed creating it.” he added.

As well as his cake contribution, Rowan will host a special Afternoon Tea event at YSP on Thursday 1 August 2024 – Yorkshire Day, which will include his special tea sponge, as well as a demonstration and audience Q&A.

Lisa Haskins, YSP’s Catering and Hospitality Manager added, “It has been an absolutely joy to work with Rowan, his enthusiasm for everything is just infectious. The Yorkshire Tea bake will be on sale all summer at the YSP’s cafes and The Weston Restaurant, but if you want to experience the full flavour of Rowan as well as his baking, then I definitely recommend booking the exclusive afternoon tea!”

Every penny of profit from sales goes back to YSP. It costs around £13,000 a day to open YSP to the public, and as a registered charity and accredited museum, it relies on income from commercial activity such as ticketing, visitors enjoying food and drink at the Park and attending events. This income allows YSP to continue to create meaningful, enjoyable experiences for everyone in a truly unique environment.

www.ysp.org.uk. Bookings can be made by calling 01924 832508 or emailing [email protected].