SOUTH SOMERSET NEWS: Val makes it through Round One of The Great British Bake Off

SOMERSET baker Val Stones has been told she will have to “pull her socks up” by legendary Mary Berry after narrowly avoiding elimination at the first hurdle of the new series of The Great British Bake Off.

Val, 66, who lives at Somerton, had an indifferent opening on the popular BBC show which started its new series tonight (Wednesday, August 24, 2016).

Twelve new amateur bakers started off in this seventh series of the hit TV show presented by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins with celebrity bakers Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood who have come up with 30 new challenges to test the bakers’ knowledge, skill and creativity.

The opening show saw the competition begin with cake week and after a couple of shaky rounds Val, who is a former headteacher of Chilthorne Domer Primary School near Yeovil, pulled through with a showstopper mirror glaze cake.

PHOTOS - TOP AND RIGHT: Val Stones.

But there were still question marks over her continued involvement in the show and there was a nervous wait for Val and fellow competitors before it was announced that Lee Blanfield, 67, would be leaving the show and its famous tent.

Mary Berry said that Val was very lucky to survive the first round and would have to improve. “Val will have to pull her socks up,” she said.

Val, who is married to Ian and is originally from Conisbrough near Doncaster, says she has been cooking since the age of six and can make the classics “with her eyes closed.”

She enjoys making traditional foods but also likes to scour the internet in search of new recipes to try.

Val still works two days a week in school as a substitute teacher, she says she tries to incorporate baking into her teaching in order to inspire the next generation of bakers

When she is not baking, Val enjoys exercising, and can frequently be found doing aerobics in her kitchen whilst she waits for her bread to prove.

Despite being the second oldest contestant in this year’s tent, Val has set up an Instagram page to show off her biscuits, breads and cakes.

Each week a baker will be eliminated from the contest until there is an overall winner.

PHOTO - ABOVE: Val Stones in action on The Great British Bake Off.

PHOTO - ABOVE: Val Stones (centre left) and her Bake Off colleagues.

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