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At Caple, we’re no stranger to a celebrity kitchen makeover. In fact, we’ve created new hubs of the home for so many household names, from sporting superstars such as Dame Kelly Holmes to reality TV royalty like Made In Chelsea’s Tiffany’s Watson. So, we were delighted when we got together with Great British Bake Off (GBBO) finalist Alice Fevronia.
Here is someone who has successfully baked in the iconic GBBO tent, and spent actual time in the presence of judging legend Paul Hollywood. So, we were determined to rise to the challenge of creating a cooking theatre, which would be the perfect fit for such a baking queen. Read on to discover the Caple appliances and furniture Alice chose for her personal kitchen wonderland.
Great British Bake Off finalist Alice Fevronia has lost no time in experimenting with impressive new bakes in her stunning new Caple kitchen
The early years
Fans of GBBO series ten will remember Alice’s highly decorative layered cakes, and her intricate, delicate baking style. At the time, you may recall she was juggling her kitchen artistry with her job as a geography teacher. But Alice has been baking for as long as she can remember. “I started baking when I was very little,” Alice confirms. “In fact, my Grandma first got me interested in it. She would make so many different desserts and I was fascinated by the process – and loved eating them!”
A major spine operation during Alice’s teenage years ruled out any sporting activities for a while. However, that’s when her baking really took off as a hobby. “I was always quite artistic and enjoyed the creative side of cake making and decorating,” Alice explains. “Whenever it was someone’s birthday, I just saw it as an excuse to try out a new cake design! It became a nice way to spread a bit of joy; it’s always so lovely seeing other people enjoy something you’ve made.”
Before
Trust and reliability
Fast-forward a few years, and Alice knew she needed some expert kitchen makeover help to take her baking environment to the next level. “I spend the majority of my time in the kitchen, baking, filming and creating content. So, I wanted a space that was both beautiful, and functional,” she explains. “Because they offer such a wide choice of kitchens and appliances, Caple ticked all my boxes. They were also able to manage the whole project to ensure everything went smoothly.”
She adds: “Obviously, it’s really important for me to have reliable appliances that I can trust. Knowing Caple have won lots of awards for their products made them an easy choice. I also love that they are a family-run business. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful throughout the whole project; I fully trusted them to design and fit my dream kitchen makeover.
Alice chose Caple’s beautiful, in-frame style Halebury kitchen in Thyme and Sea Salt, accessorised with brushed satin handles. She partnered these with the stylish yet highly durable Mirage White Quartz work surface, from the Imperial Collection by Marble Building Products (MBP). Established for more than 30 years, MBP are one of the UK’s leading work surface and bespoke stonework manufacturers, known for their extensive choice and quality craftsmanship.
Alice’s dream kitchen makeover
Alice’s kitchen makeover oozes chic, timeless appeal. “My flat is Edwardian and, although it has been renovated to have a modern feel, many of the rooms still have some of the original features, so I wanted a classic kitchen in keeping with the rest of my home,” she explains. “I was pretty overwhelmed by the sheer choice of kitchens that Caple offers. But they helped me to choose the Halebury design, which is the perfect classic-contemporary mix. I absolutely love it!”
Choosing the colour scheme wasn’t easy for Alice, although she found herself gravitating towards photos of light, bright kitchens. “I really loved the two-tone look, and settled on greens as I liked those particular shades. Caple has so many beautiful colours. But I do a lot of filming and photography in my kitchen so the light green cabinetry just seemed to work best within the space.”
‘Ready, set, bake!’
For a professional baker like Alice, the right cooking appliances are key. For her kitchen makeover, Alice chose our high-performance Sense Premium Electric C2600SS pyrolytic oven to accommodate all her baking needs. She complemented this with our C858i bridgeable Induction Hob and our CM111SS Built-In Combination Microwave. The result? Many successful new bakes!
“I endured a whole year of lop-sided cakes in my old oven,” Alice reveals. “So I couldn’t have been happier when I baked four sponges at once in my new C2600 oven and they all baked evenly. There are so many options and settings, which means it can adjust to whatever I’m baking. There’s even a proving setting for bread. In fact, I’m really excited about the pizza setting, which uses heats the oven to 345°C to bake a traditional Italian pizza in under three minutes!”
So far Alice has baked a cake, some biscuits and some macarons in her new kitchen. So she has used the oven, the hob and the microwave. “It has all baked beautifully,” Alice says happily. “It’s so great being able to relax knowing the appliances are such great quality.”
On GBBO there was a crack team of cleaners who came in to tidy up the contestants’ work benches (and ovens) after each baking challenge. So, at home, Alice relies on her new oven’s pyrolytic self-cleaning function, which frees up more of her time to create recipes, teach baking and create content.
The finishing touches
The other Caple appliances chosen by Alice include our integrated WDi3301 Electronic Condenser Washer Dryer, our slimline 45cm Di482 Fully Integrated Dishwasher, and our Ri7306 Frost-Free In-Column Fridge Freezer.
Alice’s kitchen sink is the Shapwick ceramic farmhouse model, complete with Putney Bridge tap in antique brass to tie in with the rest of the classic kitchen furniture design. And, at the end of a long day’s baking, Alice can unwind with a perfectly chilled glass from her compact Wi3125 Undercounter Single Zone Wine Cabinet!
Getting to the final of The Great British Bake Off was a dream come true for Alice, who enjoys baking full-time, these days, in her new Caple kitchen.
“Baking is definitely my happy place,” Alice confirms. “It’s the perfect way to be creative, and is such a great activity to take your mind off things. In fact, I’ve barely left my new kitchen since it was finished. I’m either testing out new recipes, filming bake-alongs and content for Instagram, or working on my laptop. And now I have the perfect space to do it all. It’s been so well designed that everything feels a lot easier, and more organised now that I have so much storage for all my ingredients and equipment.”
Kitchen makeover expert advice
Alice’s home isn’t huge, and she asked Caple to help her maximise every inch of the available kitchen space. So, does she have any advice for anyone else planning a kitchen makeover? “Have a look at inspirational photos online,” she replies. “Get a feel for what style you like. Then spend time thinking about the amount of light the room gets and which colours will suit the space.
Work out what you like and don’t like about your current kitchen. Consider how you can solve those issues with a new one. And if in doubt, ask the professionals! Caple always had the answers to my questions, and gave lots of suggestions about what would work best. The plan I initially had in my head is very different to what I ended up with, thanks to their expertise and design skills.”
Alice concludes: “I’m just so grateful to everyone at Caple for designing and fitting my dream kitchen. I can’t describe the difference it has made to my enjoyment of baking, and the way it has transformed the feel of the whole flat. It has become such a lovely space to entertain and enjoy working in.”
