Great British Bake Off: Winner Candice Brown reveals plan to open cakes and antique shop

Candice Brown said she plans to open a vintage shop selling cakes and antiques after winning the last series of The Great British Bake Off to be shown by the BBC.
Candice Brown. BBC/LoveCandice Brown. BBC/Love
Candice Brown. BBC/Love

The PE teacher from Bedford can finally retrieve the winner’s trophy she has kept hidden in an old chest since being crowned champion.

Ms Brown, 31, said: “If I can get my little vintage shop selling tea and cakes with random antiques that would be my ultimate dream.

“Let’s wait and see what will come my way but I will be grabbing it with both hands and running with it, that’s for sure. It would be crazy not to wouldn’t it?”

Aside from her baking prowess, brands are already lining up to offer the winner deals to promote her trademark bold lipstick shades.

Ms Brown has been forced to keep her win a secret from family and friends since the series completed shooting in the summer.

“I couldn’t talk about it and nothing had changed,” she said. “I have an antique chest upstairs, and that’s where I hid the trophy so only [boyfriend] Liam and [pug dog] Dennis could see it. I kept it well hidden, even though I would have liked to wear it round my neck all the time.”

Judge Mary Berry praised Candice for her “absolute humdinger of a showstopper.”

Ms Berry said the victory was “well deserved for her determination and passion, she really has excelled. For her wonderful flavours, and everything always looked gorgeous.”

Ms Brown admitted that she entered the competition lacking confidence in her abilities. “I have low self belief, even though my friends and family constantly build my confidence up.

“So it was a big moment in my life, probably the biggest so far.”

The Bake Off final is believed to have attracted more than 13m viewers to BBC1. The series is expected to return in 2018 on Channel 4. But only judge Paul Hollywood is making the transition from the current on-camera team.

Ms Brown, who beat jet engine engineer Andrew Smyth and garden designer Jane Beedle in the final, reflected: “My best moment was winning Star Baker three times. I still feel it was such an achievement to get in there and in the first week I really felt out of my depth.

“Biscuit week should have been my weakness, yet I pulled it off, and pastry week I really enjoyed.

“It got very emotional, and at one stage the tent was completely empty apart from me, Andrew and Jane just chatting.

“We had a bit of a hug and a Polaroid picture which I keep in my wallet. When we had to walk out, I could see my family out of the corner of my eye, and I forced myself not to cry.”