Everyone should live with someone who bakes

With the Great British Bake Off coming to its nail biting finale last night, you might be finding a giant dessert-shaped hole in your heart. A baking housemate might just be the perfect way to fill it. A delicious pie (with no soggy bottom) can warm you in the winter, better than any onesie or duvet ever could. Everyone should live with a baker – it makes for a happier life.

All bakers are lovely

It’s literally impossible to be mean and a baker. It must be something about all that sugar which makes bakers sweet and sugary on the inside. There’s a reason everyone on GBBO is nice to each other. Baker housemates are always there for you at the end of a bad day with a cup of tea and a homemade biscuit. Imagine coming home to Candice or Selasi every day.

Delicious Smells

Student houses are famously gross. Carpets haven’t been shampooed since they were put in twenty years ago, and the smell of decade-old spilled jagermeister just can’t be covered up by a bit of Febreeze and a decent hoover. There’s a bit of black mould festering in the corners of the house – your landlord swears he’ll get it sorted soon – which lends a musty fragrance, no matter how many scented candles you light. Cue your baking housemate. Opening your front door suddenly means unleashing a heavenly smell of oreo brownies wafting out from the kitchen.

Watching Bake Off becomes an interactive experience

You watch Val struggling with her Yorkshire puddings, laughing along when she said she wouldn’t be allowed back into Yorkshire. The next day, you’ll wander into your kitchen to find dozens of perfectly formed Yorkshire puds. “I was inspired” says the baker. The week after there’s a chocolate tart. “I just fancied making one” she says. You’ve put on half a stone since you moved in together but you literally don’t even care.

Homemade Birthday Cakes

“I didn’t know what to get you” says the baker “So I made you a cake”. A three layer chocolate sponge. Covered in buttercream and chocolate icing. It tastes of home and love and happiness. A homemade sponge goes above and beyond your standard Sainsbury’s tray bake.

Amazing Kitchen Stuff

Living with a friendly baker means you’ll have a plethora of amazing kitchen equipment, free for you to borrow.  Giant electric mixers, scales, measuring spoons and fantastically sharp knives. You felt like a bit of fancy bread, haven’t got anything to cut into it with. No worries, your baker housemate has a bread knife for you. Fancy a poached egg? No problem, she’s got a gadget for that. Pop it in the microwave, and bingo!

Best House Dinners

Most student houses get together for a few roasts and a mock-Christmas dinner. Brie and cranberry filo pastry starters followed by a roasted chicken and veggies take things up a gear. Not to mention there’s always something on hand for dessert – didn’t get anything in? Your baker housemate throws some ingredients from the cupboard together and suddenly you’re munching on a delicious raspberry pud.

Learning New Stuff

If you spend every other day watching your housemate whisk up cookie dough cupcakes and pull flapjacks out of the oven, a few things are bound to rub off. You start thinking maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to just make some brownies instead of buying them, or bang out your own shortbread on a Wednesday afternoon. In between batches of apple crumble cupcakes, your housemate’s probably got time to offer you a few baking tips.