How Dylan Bachelet Became the Flavor King

Dylan Bachelet was calling me from his apartment in London as his dog Miso, a shiba inu, happily yapped in the background. It was a Sunday evening and he had just finished work at midnight the day before. The chef, who is working at The Five Fields in Chelsea, is a veritable star. In the 15th season of The Great British Bake Off, the second-youngest contestant, age 20, won over legions of fans. There are over 32.3 million TikToks about him. People have called him the “Jack Sparrow of baking,” “a sweet treat,” “the flavor king,” and much more. (No, he’s not watching these TikToks. Yes, his sister is.)

It doesn’t matter that he didn’t win the final. Over 10 episodes, he made everything from Star Wars-inspired pastry structures to gochujang garlic buns — showing the depth of his talents, both in flavor and form. But though you might not have heard much about it on the show, Bachelet told me that most of his culinary inspiration is from his mother’s side, namely Indian Gujarati immigrants via Kenya.

For Bachelet, cooking and baking is about much more than the end result: it’s about everything that has come before. “When I made bread, my family said, ‘Your granddad would’ve loved this.’ It’s a reminder of how much love and legacy we carry through food.”