Bake Off puts Birmingham's Balti Triangle in the spotlight

Birmingham's famous Balti Triangle has had a starring moment on The Great British Bake Off, after a contestant baked a "bostin Brummie balti" pie and Birmingham-born presenter Alison Hammond gave Ladypool Road a glowing mention.

Gabe Capes, an artist and drag performer based in the region, created the bake as a tribute to Birmingham's culinary heritage and the Balti Triangle in particular. The name plays on the local slang "bostin", meaning brilliant or excellent.

A balti in a pie

For the challenge, bakers had to make identical handheld savoury pies with crisp pastry and no soggy bottoms. Gabe turned the rich, spiced flavours of a Birmingham-style balti into individual pies designed to hold their shape.

"I am making a bostin Brummie balti pie. So it's going to sort of feel a bit like a pork pie," Gabe said during the episode.

Alison Hammond described the bake: "Gabe's encasing lamb flavoured with vibrant spices and a mango chutney in hot water crust pastry."

"Are we making a Brummie balti today?" she asked. "We are making a Brummie balti. Like a proper balti," Gabe replied.

"Ladypool Road, have you ever been there?"

When Alison asked where Gabe goes for a balti in Brum, she answered her own question before Gabe could: "Ladypool Road, have you ever been there?" The pair agreed how good it is for baltis.

Alison, who grew up in Kingstanding, then made an offer to viewers: "If you want to have a balti, come with me and Gabe [to the Balti Triangle]. You'll love it."

"We'll show you where it's at," said Gabe. "We'll show you where to go," Alison added.

Birmingham's gift to British food

The balti is widely credited as a Birmingham creation, developed by the city's Pakistani and Kashmiri communities in the 1970s. It is cooked quickly over a high flame and served sizzling in the thin steel bowl it is cooked in, traditionally eaten with naan bread rather than cutlery.

The Balti Triangle, centred on Ladypool Road and Stoney Lane in Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath, became famous for its restaurants serving the dish, and it remains a destination for food lovers from across the country.

Free publicity

The Great British Bake Off is one of the most watched programmes on British television, so a mention on the show is a welcome boost for the restaurants of Ladypool Road and for Birmingham's reputation as a food city.

For anyone inspired by the episode, Alison's advice is easy to follow: head to the Balti Triangle and order a proper balti.