Sir, As you observe the BBC has had limited success with its GBBO spoilers. The main event is only days away now, so we haven’t long to wait to see how audiences react, and whether viewing figures stack up.
What is more, the original Bake Off series spawned a good range of licensed merchandise and it’s in this area that the Channel 4 programme will have a lot to prove. From publishing to kitchen utensils, the GBBO brand has been an undoubted licensing success. What may have helped is the fact that the BBC team, at least in the key area of publishing, are no strangers to merchandise.
Ex-GBBO judges Sue and Mel have each scored a number of book successes, mostly outside the cookery sector. Paul Hollywood remains a constant, but Mary Berry has been, and still is, the ‘spin-off star’ when it comes to licensed merchandise. Over and above her many books there are a host of items, many dating from before GBBO, and some launched just this summer. Her new range of boxed cakes licensed through Finsbury Foods is moving fast off supermarket shelves. Does Pru Leith have the same appeal?
Kelvyn Gardner, MD, LIMA UK
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