BBC adds cooking show to the mix

The Great British Bake Off is now bound for Channel 4

The BBC has ordered a cookery competition show in the wake of its hit The Great British Bake Off moving to Channel 4.

The Big Family Cooking Challenge (working title, 12×60′), from UK prodco Voltage TV, is bound for BBC2 and will see family teams of amateurs battle it out for the chance to be crowned the nation’s best home cooks.

Inter-generational teams will attempt to turn ordinary dishes into extraordinary cuisine. Judges will visit family homes and whittle down the teams through a series of challenges based on everyday meals.

The show is already in pre-production and is due to air in summer 2017.

It was commissioned by BBC2 channel editor Patrick Holland and acting head of formats and features Donna Clark.

It will be executive produced for the BBC by commissioning executive Catherine Catton and Voltage CEO Sanjay Singhal and Kathleen Larkin.

Clark said: “I’m thrilled to be taking food competitions in a different direction. A passion for food starts in the family kitchen and this format will take us into homes up and down the country, where we’ll meet Britain’s most passionate and exciting families of cooks.”

Singhal says: “Our ambition is to create a feel-good show full of character and warmth with authentic home cooking at its heart.”

C4 nabbed rights to ratings smasher Bake Off last month after the BBC lost the show following disagreements over price with UK-based Love Productions.

The future of the show on BBC1 had been in doubt for some time, with Love and the pubcaster in talks about its future for almost 12 months.

However, C4 has only managed to secure one of the show’s original hosts, bakery expert Paul Hollywood, after Mary Berry and presenter duo Mel and Sue chose not to move.

C4 is set to air its first version in 2017 and has reportedly been negotiating with the BBC about dropping a one-year cooling off period following its move.