Toast and bakes with Hope at a Warm Welcome Space

We caught up with Hope Batchelor, a former MasterChef contestant, who bakes for and volunteers at a Warm Welcome Space in Newton Longville, near Milton Keynes.

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Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born and bred in Buckinghamshire and have been immersed in food for as long as I remember. Some of my earliest food memories were helping my gran prep Sunday lunch and other classic British dishes - even in the caravan when staying with them over summer.

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I’ve always loved both cooking and baking, however, it’s all thanks to my (now) husband, Laurence for really teaching me how to cook and increasing my love of trying new dishes. On our first date I walked into his flat to find him making a batch of sloe gin! Followed by another foodie date for our second date where we spent a lazy Sunday making some homemade pickles and chutneys.

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As much as I love cooking, baking is what calms me and feels most rewarding. I enjoy the fact that the result isn’t instant, that there’s a science behind it and it can help bring people together… after all, everyone loves a slice of cake! I love baking so much that I actually tried to get onto the Great British Bake Off and it was only when I didn’t get through the interview stages that I thought “well if they won’t have me… maybe MasterChef will!” Which they did!

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I made it to the Kick Out Week Semi Finals in 2024’s MasterChef and although I feel my time was cut short and I had so much more to give, I loved every moment and it gave me the motivation to make food my full-time job and passion.

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Which leads us to now. After one year of hard graft working on my socials and building a beautiful, kind and encouraging community, I’m a full-time food content creator. Developing recipes on my own social media pages (Toast with Hope on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) and helping encourage others to turn their hand to both baking and cooking.

What was the biggest lesson you learned from being involved with MasterChef?

The plan doesn’t always work out and if it doesn’t, try to make the best of what hand you’ve been dealt.

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Being in a cooking competition meant that even though I handled the situation and pushed forward (for those who haven’t seen the episode that knocked me out, I made choux buns that didn’t rise!), it wasn’t enough to take me through to the next round. But if we had been at a dinner party at home, they would have been a quirky characterful bun that still tasted amazing.

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If something isn’t working for you, don’t stress. You’ve got this. Think about what you could do to change that fail into a success.

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And at worst, have a backup pantry dish or batch of brownies and ice cream in the freezer - it will all work out.

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How did you discover the Warm Space at Newton Longville?

I live in a very small village and we have a village newsletter where I spotted an advert for it!

What do you do regularly for the Warm Space?

As I work from home, it can be so easy to get through a whole day with only seeing my husband, our dog, cats and flock of chickens (which, actually, doesn’t sound too bad, really) - however, I’m a chatty person and thrive off other people’s energy. As a food content creator, I also always have bakes I need to offload to people! So, visiting the warm space allows me to connect with my community, have a natter and share a (hopefully) delicious bake with them.

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I try and go down every week and drop a bake of some sort off. It’s a moment of the week that fills my cup and brings me such joy.

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What impact do you think the Warm Space has on the people who visit it?

I can see it every week… it’s contentment and acceptance. I tend to pop down when the gang are in the middle of their weekly bingo game. The room is full of friendly faces, some playing bingo, some having a moment to themselves with a cuppa, a book and a bake (be that one of mine, one from another person at the warm space or a good old shop-bought custard cream).

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It’s built a community, one that anyone can dip in and out of and allows people to connect.

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Why do you think people go to their local Warm Space?

I’d like to say it’s to try my bakes! But it’s definitely not that at all. The team that volunteers at our local warm space is incredible. They’re the reasons the space runs so well.

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There’s a chief bingo reader, always on hand to ensure a successful game. Two other volunteers are always in the kitchen making sure teas, coffees and the free lunch are flowing and no one is left thirsty or hungry! Someone else will always give me a run for my money by bringing her bakes along too - her flapjacks and rock cakes being a firm favourite of mine that I’ll always leave with!

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The gang that commits to the warm space each week are the heroes here. Yes, the community church provides a physical warmth, but the gang both volunteering and attending make it a warm space in how we all feel.

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Any quotes from guests or your followers on social media you’d like to share?

I’m so fortunate that my community (my bread buddies) are the most kind and encouraging people - they look forward to me sharing my weekly bakes for the warm space above any other content I share.

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Hearing that “warm space bakes are my favourite time of the week!” And “they must love seeing you come each week” in my TikTok comments fills my cup and makes me extremely proud to be able to do something for my community both online and in real life.

We hear you’re doing the Three Peaks challenge in August – tell us more. Why did you decide to do this?

Walking and hiking are my go-to forms of movement. It gives me headspace and it’s a time where I tend to get most of my creative ideas. So when my dad asked if I wanted to join him and his company with completing the challenge, I jumped at the chance.

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I’ll definitely be baking up some energy-boosting bakes to keep us all going and I’ll be opening a go fund me to raise money for the Warm Welcome charity!

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What are your ambitions for the future?

Connecting through food is something I love and I want to dive deeper and share ways we connect with as many people as possible. My ultimate dream? Creating a food love stories TV series. One where I can explore different ways different generations, cultures and walks of life find love and passion in small acts. Think Stacey Dooley meets Jamie Oliver! That, along with continuing to build my amazing community while dropping a brownie or two into the warm space every week!