‘Spicing up my bakes because that’s me’
She started baking for them: Saku with her family
“Sri Lanka is always in my heart. You know the saying ‘Kale maru unath, kotiyage pulli maru wenne nehe?’” laughs Sri Lankan-born Saku Chandrasekara, talking about how her heritage played a major role during her time on The Great British Bake Off.
One of the United Kingdom’s beloved televised cooking competitions, The Great British Bake Off, more commonly known as Bake Off, just finished its 14th season having bestowed the title of the UK’s Best Amateur Baker to Matty Edgell. Sri Lankans had an added reason to follow this year’s proceedings due to one of the most popular contestants, Intelligence Analyst Saku Chandrasekara. The Sunday Times was able to catch up with Saku via an online video call to talk about growing up in Sri Lanka, and her time on the show.
Saku recalls her childhood in Polgahawela as lovely and comfortable. An interesting tidbit that makes Saku stand out from other contestants is that she only started baking when her mother bought an oven after she had completed her GCE Ordinary Levels. Receiving her initial education at St Bernadette’s College in Polgahawela, Girls’ High School, in Kandy, for a brief period, and Holy Family Convent in Kurunegala, Saku went on to complete her Bachelor’s degree in agriculture with a specialisation in agricultural economics. Saku met her husband Chaminda on the bus they both took to their respective schools and following marriage, she moved to the UK along with her infant daughter when he decided to pursue a Master’s degree.
Saku started baking in earnest once her daughter Tharindi and son Binara started school and were given packed lunches that consisted of food similar to what she had seen in the supermarket, such as treats like cakes and granola bars. “I gave them a packed lunch. They didn’t go to school dinners so they were complaining that their lunch was kind of boring. Everybody was bringing all these bakes and things from the supermarket so when I got to the supermarket I looked at what treats were there and replicated them at home,” says Saku.
Saku Chandrasekara
It was only when the COVID-19 lockdowns were in place that she started baking to pass the time. Her family, neighbours, friends, and colleagues who had the good fortune to receive her excess bakes heaped compliments on Saku, encouraging her to apply for the competition. “They really encouraged me to apply and I thought if they have the confidence in me, I should give it a go,” she says. “I have watched Bake Off since series two. It’s very fascinating. I love the programme so I thought I would love to be part of that and then that’s how it happened.”
Bake Off gives passionate amateur bakers the chance to show off their talent to be named the UK’s Best Amateur Baker. Taking place over ten weeks, each weekly episode consists of three rounds of baking challenges with one baker earning the title of Star Baker and another saying their goodbyes.
The process of applying was a lengthy one, which included filling out many forms, phone interviews, and a few auditions. Once she got the news that she was selected to be a contestant, Saku got to work, coming up with ten weeks’ worth of recipes that had to be submitted before filming. This, of course, involved numerous hours of practice, made easier with the support of her family who helped with cleaning up – not an easy feat. “I’m still finding chocolate in places,” she laughs.
While she had to take her leave during Week Seven, Saku had already built a reputation for her flavour combinations, with both judges praising her creative choices, which of course included quite a bit of spice. “I am a Sri Lankan in my heart so I just wanted to incorporate all these Sri Lankan spices into my bakes because that’s me, isn’t it?”
If she had stayed on, the next week would have seen Saku highlight Sri Lanka a little more with her recipe for a spicy sausage roll that is a typical favourite back home. “My husband was very sad because he really wanted to show off the Sri Lankan sausage roll,” she says.
Though she had been a fan of the show for a long time, Saku felt the heat once inside the tent. She says the nerves reduced slightly with each week, but only marginally. “It didn’t get easier, but when we got used to the setting and the people, the nervousness went down a little – it eased off. Apart from that, every week was a huge challenge. I say the nervousness went down a little but every Saturday when we got to the tent, my heart was going ‘boom, boom, boom’.”
Saku was, of course, sad to leave behind the contestants and the very supportive crew as they had quickly grown to become a big, happy family. “It’s a lovely, lovely family, including the crew, the presenters and the bakers. It’s lovely. We got attached with the weeks passing by and it was really hard when somebody had to leave. It was hard and sad,” she recalls.
When not baking, Saku plays cricket with the ladies from the local cricket club. Initially only going there to watch her husband and son play, Saku, along with the rest of the wives, girlfriends, and daughters decided to give it a go as well. “We thought ‘why can’t we do it as well?’ It all starts during summertime. We have winter training as well where we go to the sports hall and do all that. It is just for fun and to get some exercise. I love playing cricket,” says an enthusiastic Saku.
Most contestants from Bake Off, go the route of television shows and cookbooks. While she says television shows and cookbooks – particularly Sri Lankan ones – are not completely out of the question, she wants to focus on her work as an Intelligence Analyst for the Herefordshire Council, a job she is very passionate about, having worked there for 16 years. “All options are open. I haven’t thought about it but at the moment I’m sticking to my job. I love my job as well. We will see what the future will bring us.”
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