Baked And Uncensored With Oliver Coysh

What’s a childhood moment that still shapes how you see food today?

I remember making Christmas cake on the kitchen table with my mum in one of those giant Mason Cash bowls that, at age three, looked big enough to climb inside. The real highlight wasn’t the cake, it was being handed the spoon to lick at the end of mixing. That’s when I developed an early taste for raw cake batter. But the real magic was in the daily ritual of “feeding” the cake with cheap brandy months before Christmas even showed up. That boozy waft floating through the house built an anticipation to rival the cheap advent calendar chocolate. However, I still get a weird nostalgic thrill from that first, sickly sweet hit of chocolate on a fuzzy morning tongue. These days, I recreate the vibe with something sweet in bed alongside a cup of tea on weekends. This way it feels like Christmas all year round. Food plays a big part in the ceremony of occasions.

Did you always imagine yourself working in food, or was it a complete left turn from your original plan?

The plan was to be a world famous cinematographer. Red carpets, Oscars, fast cars, the works. Instead, after studying film and photography, I quickly realised I wasn't that talented, so ended up working in TV for about four years. One of the early gigs was as a researcher at Denham Productions in Plymouth, where I found myself surrounded by people who’d worked with Keith Floyd and Rick Stein. It was such a fun place to work. The team seemed more interested in pints at the pub than fine dining, they were my kind of people. This was where I got hooked on all things food, and telling stories through cooking, eating, and drinking. I guess I've now swapped film reels for cake tins.

When did you first get genuinely excited about baking? Was it a slow burn or a lightning bolt?

Baking was always in the background growing up, my mum and grandmother basically had a crumble on permanent rotation in the oven. But cakes are another beast entirely. They’re temperamental, occasionally cruel, and prone to collapse at the worst possible moment. But when a cake recipe works, it’s pure alchemy and I’m buzzing. When it goes wrong, I sulk and chuck all my toys out of the pram. I guess it's the joy of cake, it's certainly not boring.

Do you have a guilty pleasure food that would surprise people?

Where do I even begin, there are too many to list. One of the most embarrassing secrets is my love for chicken wings. I can sometimes be spotted at a suburban KFC drivethrough, gnawing hot wings with the passion of a raccoon in a bin. It’s not a proud look, wiping the grease from my chin with my lips all tingling from the heat. I also have a soft spot for a can of Coke, not the diet stuff, the real thing. My annual ritual is cracking open a can on Christmas morning, I can't stomach Champagne at that time of day. Coke is also my hangover cure.

What do you do outside of work that feeds your creativity or clears your head?

Nothing beats plunging into the wild waters of Devon at dawn. Sea, river, or lake, I’m not fussy. There’s something about the silence in nature, the first light breaking, and the slap of cold water on your skin that shocks your body awake in the best way. It’s like resetting your brain, a mise-en-place for the day ahead so my mind can get to work. 

What excites you most about the future of The Exploding Bakery?

It’s my playground. I get to dream up ideas, act like an overexcited child, and still somehow call it work. But the excitement really comes with the company's purpose. I honestly think we all have a chance to change our food system for the better, even if just a little at a time. If we can make cake with good ingredients, and create treats that are genuinely better for people and the planet, then we’re proving indulgence doesn’t have to be destructive. Simple. Well it's actually not that simple, but nobody wants to be bored hearing about worthy ingredients, it's all about having fun with positive changes.