Bake Off’s Nadiya Hussain to take high road as she continues foodie adventure

BAKE Off champ Nadiya Hussain is planning a capital Christmas at Edinburgh’s festive food markets.

The Great British Bake Off star turned writer and presenter says she wants to explore Scotland and plans to start with some Christmas shopping.

Nadiya visited Perthshire as part of the British Food Adventure series, and says: “I said to my husband that next summer I want to spend a week in Scotland and really discover and enjoy it properly.

“I have only been maybe four or five times and it’s always been for something work related. What I really want to do is come to Edinburgh and do the Christmas markets, which I hear are amazing.”

Speaking before appearing at the BBC Good Food Show in Glasgow in October, she says family dinners remain her biggest inspiration.

She said: “For me, a lot of what I cook and write is about my family and their tastes, likes and dislikes. Something could be flavour of the month one day and not the next.

“I think if you don’t naturally like being in the kitchen, it can be a little bit daunting. But for me, it’s not about the techniques, it’s about cooking with simple ingredients and making things taste delicious. That’s what I love about cooking and I don’t think you need to worry about the trends and what people are eating, it’s about what you like and what you want to cook.

“I keep telling my husband that I’m really lucky and he tells me that it’s not luck and that I’m good at what I do – I can’t quite believe that myself. It’s an honour and it’s incredible to be able to cook alongside such good cooks and great chefs. I like being here and I like doing this and I hope I can do it for a very long time.”

Nadiya told No.1 magazine that cooks new to the kitchen should start with curries, adding: “I think a lot of people think curries are daunting but I think they’re a really good place to start because it’s everything in one pot, there’s no messing around.

“I think anything with one pot, like a stew or a curry, is a good starting point. And if you want to learn how to bake but you are nervous around an oven, start simple with something like a tiffin or a rocky road.”