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We talk tarts and hats with SA Bake Off's Jason

Cape Town – It was tart week on The Great SA Bake Off and everyone knows no-one wants a soggy bottom. 

After three intense challenges Jason Miller had to leave the tent when his tart baking skills failed to impress the judges.

The 24-year-old design student is the third baker to be sent packing from the tent. 

We had a quick chat with Jason about his experience on the show and found out about his flair for hats. 

How confident were you going into the challenges? What kind of pie baking experience did you have? 

On a scale of 1-10 I definitely think I was sitting at an 8. Certainly the most confident I’ve been since the start of the competition. In terms of tart baking experience is concerned I hadn’t actually had any experience with tarts before prepping for the show (apart from tasting all my gran’s tarts of course) and this is probably why I was crowned soggiest bottom out of the lot.

If you could do anything differently what would it be?

I think I definitely would’ve doubted myself less. In being one of the most inexperienced bakers in the tent, it was difficult to not be intimidated by the sheer brilliance of all the other bakers. It’s so hard not to get caught up in the pressure in the tent and often one forgets to have fun and so in retrospect I definitely would’ve smiled more, danced more and loved more.

Three men have left the competition so far, do you think the females are stronger this year? 

I think that while the ladies have shown a greater amount of experience thus far, it is extremely difficult to say at this point. Just as we began to get used to the ladies being on top, both Matthew and Hillary pulled out all the stops in tart week by producing some of the best bakes out of us all. In fact both of them have been fairing quite well against the ladies so don’t write us off just yet. I’m confident that they will represent us boys well in the weeks to come. Fingers crossed!

What have been some of your memorable moments on the show?

So many come to mind but I think the most memorable moment was entering the tent for the first time. Seeing the twinkle in everyone’s eye and the joy that was felt is definitely something I cannot put into words. Using a stand mixer for the first time was fantastic and how can I forget the warming draw. I hope Santa pulls through for me this year. Jokes aside though, possibly the greatest memory I will have of this entire experience is the bond between the bakers. On the first day we all shared a special moment together which left pretty much all of us in tears and from that moment we became an instant family. Up until that point I was so unsure and hesitant about being a part of the bake off but from the moment on I knew that I was in the right place and that it was my time. They all really have a special part in my heart. 

Who are you backing to win the competition?

Each contestant in the tent has their strengths and weaknesses so it would be difficult to answer that especially because every episode is so different. However, with that being said, the whole hearted passion that emanates from every inch of Nasreen’s body makes my heart so happy. Witnessing her ability to push the boundaries and the courage she has makes her my golden girl. I definitely think her determination and sheer love for baking is unprecedented and will definitely carry her to the end. 

We noticed you wore a hat during every challenge. Is it a good luck charm or do you just like hats?

What started as a love for fashion soon became more of a defence mechanism. Everyone has their insecurities and for me it’s my hair. I started losing my hair at a young age and wore hats to cover it up. My hats became an extension of my personality, each one representing a different part of me. They are like my best friend, like a little protective bubble and they help me push through and forget all the bad feelings I have toward myself. When I wear them I feel like the best version of myself. Like I can conquer the world in a Michael Jackson meets David Bowie meets Lady Gaga meets Freddy Mercury kind of way. I can be free and completely myself ‘cos "baby I was born this way". 

Is there one particular challenge that you were looking forward to?

Biscuit week for the win. I was definitely looking forward to the biscuit showstopper and being able to combine my passion for design and baking. I’m hoping to start a blog of sorts where I challenge myself to bake everything I set out to in the tent – so watch this space!

Tune in for more baking drama Tuesdays at 20:00 on BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174).

(Photos: BBC)

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