Reality shows Top Chef and Great British Baking Show are both widely popular cooking series and that's possibly where the similarities end for the two. While Top Chef strives to produce some of the most competent professional chefs who can take over the kitchens of esteemed American diners or even start their own restaurants, GBBS remains an amateur contest, and yet is just as loved as Top Chef, if not more.
GBBS is a comfort watch and there are many things about its design that appeals to people who may not be proficient in cooking, but maybe want try their hand at baking one day. Top Chef, although swanky, sleek, and dramatic, lacks the earthiness of the GBBS and may just be too elaborate to qualify as an easy watch. There are certain things that Top Chef can borrow from GBBS.
10 A Home Economics Team
Every culinary show probably has teams of people who are committed to sorting the best of ingredients and equipment so nothing goes wrong during filming. But The Great British Baking Show is a lot more focused on making the experience a worthwhile one for the contestants and not just for the viewers. GBBS has a dedicated home economics team which mainly comprises food researchers and culinary veterans who are tasked with making things smoother for the contestants - something Top Chef desperately needs considering the possibilities for on-screen drama.
“We've got to make sure the contestants are happy. They can specify what brand of a product they want, we have to get it and then de-brand it for screen,” Georgia May, a home economist for the show said in an interview.
9 The Element Of Wholesomeness
Anyone who has ever watched even one episode of Top Chef and GBBS will know how the British cooking show is much more wholesome in tone than Top Chef, or any other American cooking show, for that matter. The main difference is how the shows are designed - American cooking shows are made like reality shows, replete with suspense and the element of tension.
GBBS doesn’t exactly forgo the element of competition but has managed to develop each episode as a comfort watch which also makes for good TV that naturally attracts many kinds of viewers and not just culinary enthusiasts.
8 An Amateur Angle
Top Chef sees professional chefs battle it out for a coveted title; most of them have worked in established kitchens and are equipped to deal with overwhelming time crunch even while whipping out superbly detailed gourmet dishes. GBBS, on the other hand, sees amateur chefs engaging in a baking contest, often relying on their own recipes.
Now, most of these chefs are experts but hold almost no professional experience, which makes them much more relatable to viewers, as compared to superbly skilled top-tier chefs.
7 Diversity In Judges Profile
The reason why the judges of GBBS have earned more adoration for the show than the judges of Top Chef is because the British culinary contest curated a line of really interesting names who are not just successful but also widely loved. Mary Berry, for instance, has been a culinary celebrity since the '70s and has published around 75 cookbooks.
Paul Hollywood is also a broadcaster besides being a chef and was a household name even before his stint on GBBS. And though Top Chef has featured judges like Anthony Bourdain and Wolfgang Puck, the show could use more mainstream names with a wider repertoire.
6 The Comedy Element
GBBS is usually hosted by a comedian which really perks things up and never lets the show fall into a lull. Comedian Noah Fielding is currently the host, and in the past names like Jo Brand and Matt Lucas were the comic hosts.
This is something Top Chef really needs to borrow to add some more texture to the format because despite its sleekness it has always been a straightforward cooking show and a touch of humor could really help its pace.
5 The Tent Is A Great Idea
GBBS is filmed in a tent that is usually set up in a really scenic British countryside, But here’s the catch, the tent isn’t just a cute or quaint set that’s visually appealing. Cooking in a tent is very different from cooking in a well-stocked professional kitchen, and this is what really tests the bakers.
Top Chef could use this hack to make the challenge more interesting since most professional chefs are used to cooking in well-equipped kitchens, but ideally should be able to produce a meal in unfamiliar or unusual circumstances, especially considering the fluctuation in temperatures which actually affects the desserts.
4 GBBS Contestants Actually Have Fun
Of course, the two shows are very different in their appeal and Top Chef has been designed as a cutthroat culinary challenge. But on GBBS, contestants actually have the space to try something that’s personal and explore recipes that have never been tried in patisseries before; they may be old family curations or even something new.
They basically have a lot of fun, whereas on Top Chef cheftestants often almost always treat the task as ‘work.' So the element of having a good time is just not factored into the premise of the show.
3 Needs To Be More Ingredient-Focused
Top Chef focuses on themed challenges whereas GBBS usually judges their contestants on how well they handle their ingredients. This is crucial because in Top Chef's elimination round, the contestants may even need to produce course-based meals and if the theme doesn’t sit right with them, their chances are very low.
But on GBBS, the technical challenge requires the bakers to recreate a number with specified ingredients and stick to one recipe. This ups the ante and it makes the competition more taut since every baker gets a fair and equal chance.
2 More Room For Adaptability
GBBS’s signature challenge requires contestants to work on tried-and-tested recipes which bring out their specialty and also helps the judges chalk out a lot of details about their culinary background. The showstopper challenge explores how ready the bakers are to face the professional world of baking.
As a format, this is definitely more thorough and gives the viewers an idea about each baker’s flaws and strengths since they get more room to adapt. Top Chef needs to redesign its rounds as contestant-centric and not industry or TV-centric for the show to maximize its appeal.
1 At Least One Collective Judging Round
It’s really surprising that a show that’s as rounded off as Top Chef never made room for collective judging rounds which can be highly engaging. It’s basically a round where all the dishes are lined up on a table and the judges do a blind test.
It’s actually a pivotal round in GBBS that helps the judges pick the most flawless recipes and the most stylized finish on a dessert. And a show like Top Chef where the stakes are obviously higher, a blind test to ascertain the merits of several renditions of one dish, seems like a pretty great idea.
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