Chigs Parmar Is 'Never Going to Doubt' His Ability to Do Anything After Great British Baking Show Success
Beth Walsh
As part of the 50 Food Faves package, PEOPLE named our top tastemakers — including Selena Gomez, Great British Baking Show's Chigs Parmar, and more — who made an impact on the culinary world with their cooking and creativity in 2022. Catch up with Parmar below, and for the full list, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
Chigs Parmar isn't the typical Great British Baking Show contestant.
The breakout star, 41, who competed on last season of the hit Netflix show, won two star baker titles, two coveted handshakes from judge Paul Hollywood — and the hearts of viewers who fell for his earnest charm. But the most surprising part of his run? Parmar, who made it to the final three, only learned how to bake during the Covid-19 lockdown.
"Going forward, I'm never going to doubt my ability to be able to do anything. If I want to do something, I'm just going to go for it," he says, adding that applying to the show was "one of the best decisions" of his life.
Thanks to his brother-in-law, who gave him a sourdough starter during lockdown, Parmar's first baking project was bread, followed by cookies and cupcakes, which he learned all by watching YouTube videos. His Instagram username, @latebloomeruk, is a nod to his fairly new hobby.
"There have been some monumental mess-ups on the way, but it's just practice and practice and practice. You just get better and better," he adds.
In addition to video tutorials, much of his baking education came from the other contestants in the iconic Great British tent. "You pick up bits and bobs from everybody. Everybody was so happy to share their knowledge," he says. He credits some stellar bakers from the season, including Jürgen Krauss, who Parmar calls his "baking Yoda," and winner Giuseppe Dell'Anno, who was "so precise in everything that he does."
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The Leicester, U.K.-native says that wholesome nature of the show is what sets it apart from countless other cut-throat competition series. "Everyone's so supportive...I think because there's no prize money involved, I think that competition element goes away from it," he says. "Everybody's there because they love to bake."
While on the show, Parmar underestimated his own natural baking abilities. "I said to myself, 'If I get past week one, I'm a winner,'" he recalls. "As I went through the weeks, I practiced less because I didn't think I'd get that far. And then as I was going through, I thought, 'Oh my God. I need to do better at this stuff.' And I was surprising myself every week."
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While he began to amp up his practices as his success on the show continued, Parmar says they were still never perfect.
"Every practice that I did, there was always an error. Nothing ever worked out. But for some reason when I got into the tent for real, things fell into place. I think I just learned from my mistakes," he says.
Despite his success, the breakout star says he's just an "average Joe guy" who still works a nine-to-five job as a sales manager at an insurance company — something that makes it all the more exciting when fans spot him at the grocery store.
"I think I underestimated how big the show was. It is huge. Just going to get some milk and bread, sometimes I'll get people coming up to me saying, 'Oh my God. It's Chigs. Can we have a selfie?' So it's been great," he says.
Parmar continues to bake despite his busy full-time schedule, striving to teach fans that it's never too late to learn.
"When people think of me and baking, I want people to think of the journey that I've been on, and know that it's possible for them to do it," he says, suggesting his soda bread (below) as an easy place to start. "Get a wooden spoon and try. If I can do it, anybody can do it."
Jen Causey
Dark Chocolate & Orange Soda Bread
3 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
5 oz. (70% cacao) dark chocolate, chopped
1⁄3 cup chopped candied orange peel
1 1⁄2 tsp. orange zest (from 1 orange)
1 3⁄4 cups whole buttermilk
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Using fingertips, rub cold butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse sand. Stir in chocolate, candied orange and orange zest.
3. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add buttermilk and vanilla bean paste. Stir using a wooden spoon until almost combined; use your hands to mix until all dry ingredients are moistened anda dough forms. (Dough will be sticky.)
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly until it comes together. (Do not over-knead.) Shape dough into a disk about 6 in. in diameter and 21⁄2 in. thick. Place dough on baking sheet. Cut a 1-in.-deep and 2-in.-long"X" across the top of loaf.
5. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Serves: 12
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
