For The Great British Baking Show's Crystelle Pereira, Passion Means More Than Perfection

Crystelle Pereira, 26, was one of the three finalists in the latest season of beloved baking competition show, The Great British Bake Off (or The Great British Baking Show in the United States). Over 10 weeks, 12 amateur bakers from all over the United Kingdom gather in a large baking tent to duel it out. Each week (and episode) sees bakers produce three bakes according to pre-set themes: a signature, a technical challenge, and a showstopper. Across those weeks, fans fell in love with Pereira’s laughter, flavors, and love for her family. She’s made everything from chai mini rolls to pistachio cardamom and orange carrot cake to beautifully piped flower bouquet and wedding dress cakes.

The Bake Off final, which aired last Friday in the United States, and the Tuesday before that in the U.K., saw one of the most competitive fields yet: all three bakers went into the tent with two Star Baker accolades, namely the top prize for the baker that week. Giuseppe Dell’Anno, 45, brought classical Italian baking to the tent, while Chigs Parmar, 40, brought his finesse and patisserie-ready bakes. Parmar was also one of the newest people to baking — he had picked it up during the COVID-19 pandemic. And Pereira brought her unique and unusual flavor combinations and stellar piping skills, in addition to her intuition as someone who loves to cook.

We sat down with Pereira to chat about what happened to her focaccia in the final, the one spice she can’t live without, why she didn’t kiss Mr. Spatula, and what’s next.