Syabira Yusof is the first Malaysian to win the beloved baking competition
Syabira Yusof was crowned the winner of The Great British Bake Off Season 13 with her creation of an orangutan rainforest cake for the final week's theme of sustainability. Edging out Sandro Farmhouse and Abdul Rehman Sharif, the two other finalists, Syabira, 32, makes history as the first Malaysia-born winner of the series.
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While Syabira is an avid baker, she is also a cardiovascular researcher at King’s College London. “I’m coming out as a new person after this competition,” she said. “We can do anything we want as long as we give all of our heart and work for it.”
The Great British Bake Off is a competition reality series where home bakers compete for the crown of UK's Best Amateur Baker. The Bafta-winning show has since become a global phenomenon, spawning spin-off shows in other countries.
According to The Great British Bake Off website, Syabira moved to the UK in 2013. She started baking in 2017 with a red velvet because it reminded her of the treats she shared with friends at home. She loves giving British classics a Malaysian twist, her favourite being chicken rendang cornish pastries.
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This is not the first time that a Malaysian had emerged from a televised cooking competition as the winner. Earlier this year, Ipoh-born Ping Coombes was crowned MasterChef Champion of Champions in the UK while Diana Chan won MasterChef Australia in 2017.