Step inside a former Great British Bake Off winner’s kitchen

A fter 16 years spent in rented flats with less than lovely kitchens, Edd Kimber, winner of the first season of The Great British Bake Off, finally took on a renovation of his own: a mid-terrace house in east London. A probate sale, and untouched for over 40 years, it gave Edd, and his partner Mike, the opportunity to start from scratch.

After an inauspicious beginning (the boiler broke on the night they moved in) the couple, who are both TV renovation junkies, quickly decided that the pokey galley kitchen should be tackled first.

‘We did lots of research and we checked out some of our neighbours’ kitchens to see what was possible,’ says Edd. ‘But while many of them had opted for a back extension, we chose a side return, which was less expensive and meant we didn’t lose any precious outdoor space.’

A dated sunroom at the rear of the house was removed and replaced with a bright dining nook, while the central living room was knocked through, to make way for the main cooking space.‘Putting the kitchen in the middle and adding pocket doors to the snug at the front, gave us so much more flexibility,’ Edd explains.

‘The middle room in terraced houses can often be a redundant space so our architect, BAT Studio, suggested we put the main cooking part of the kitchen here, to make full use of it.’

A bespoke plywood kitchen from Uncommon Projects was at the top of Edd’s wish list. ‘I’ve been a fan for years. The quality of the materials is fantastic, and I appreciate the subtle Scandi-influenced designs.’

The kitchen layout was arranged to support Edd’s way of working, taking into account the requirement that the hob should not face a wall. ‘I spend many hours baking and filming here, and looking at a blank surface was not going to fly,’ he says.

Consequently, a central island now forms the focal point of the room, its terracotta base echoing a steel terracotta beam, bringing a flash of colour to the sleek design.