Just roll with it...
Me: Will you be tuning into Bake Off, Chloë?
Chloë: Of course I will. I’m not one to hold a grudge.
We are, of course, referring to the latest series of The Great British Bake Off – which has now made its home in the colourful, advert and sponsorship-filled, bosom of Channel 4.
In contrast to Chloë, I do have a tendency to hold grudges. I’ve still not forgiven Mondelēz for ’rounding’ the famous block-shaped Cadbury Dairy Milk bars. (Apparently that move was to improve the ‘mouth feel’ of the chocolate – pfffffft.) And don’t even get me started on the fact that Nestlé ditched the foil and paper wrapping on Kit-Kats in favour of plastic. (It’s been 16 years, Gem. Let it go.)
But like all chocolate addicts, I grudgingly indulge in the above brands. And, grudgingly, I’ll give GBBO a whirl.
My back is already up, however, because I know the episodes will be shorter to make up for all the sponsorship idents and ad breaks. It’s like when manufacturers make products smaller but still charge you the same price for them. We still end up going along with it despite feeling a little bit cheated on value.
There’s also the line-up change. We’ve all substituted ingredients in recipes before. Even some of our favourite foodie brands have had to make changes along the way. Sometimes the end product turns out even better than expected – not always, mind.
I can just about cope with a lack of Mary Berry. Not to mention Mel and Sue. (Arrrrgh! This is really happening.) But, in the end, it will all come down to that key ingredient – the bakers. As long as the producers have found me somebody to love, the same way I fell in love with Selasi last year, we’ll be back in the old groove in no time. (And, yet again, I will feel a little bit dirty for being so fickle.)