Hi !I am Paul Jagger,

I was asked to describe myself in 3 words recently and I said ‘ Husband, Dad and Baker”.  I am a completely self taught baker, and sugar craft cake decorator and sharing the love of baking and cake decorating gives me so much joy. I hope that you will be inspired by my blog and that it gets you all baking and improving on your cake decorating skills.

Baking is in my blood and my love of food and baking started when I was a child in the 1970’s where there was always home baking smells, and an opportunity to lick the spoon in the baking process. I carried on my love of baking when I was honoured to become a Coldstream Guard, a Queens’ Guard. However, the Army looks after you when it comes to food, but I did try to jazz up the food in the mess tin when out on exercise. ( I still cannot eat corned beef, Yuck). Travelling the world with the Coldstream Guards I got to eat from some great countries and live within different cultures.

My Baking became important when I became a Dad at 28 years of age, but then unfortunately my eldest boy  Daniel was diagnosed with Diabetes type 1 when he was 2 years of age. I  then adapted all my recipes for sugar-free, or reduced sugar so that he could have a treat every now and again. Home baking meant that I knew what ingredients were included. But of course he loved breads, pastries and pies, and he is so spoilt now that he won’t eat shop bought synthetic cakes. . Home Baking was also much cheaper , infinitely better tasting and had better quality ingredients incorporated. I still have baking  weekends and freezing bakes for my boys. As a Dad of 3 grown up boys now, they can eat lots!

Getting onto the Great British Bake Off 2015 was a great surprise, as I have watched the show from the very beginning. I put on my application form that I would like to help Men in particular see that Baking is not about gender stereotype, but about having a go and learning as you practice. I think it is really cool that the Bake Off  and cooking shows have got everyone baking, and I am always so touched by how much people enjoyed seeing me and the others in 2015. I reached the Quarterfinals, and now have a really good set of baking friends to ask advice from.

This blog is such a turning point in my life, as I am a serving Prison Governor and have always worked in a security conscious job . Being part of the social media world was something I was always wary of ,so I will only be talking about Baking here.I am not of the generation of bloggers, so this is new for me also. So in the words of the lovely Sue Perkins, “Ready Steady Bake!”.