Virginia Postrel, Columnist

'The Great British Bake Off' Can Win Any Culture War

A hit show proves that native and global cultures co-exist beautifully.

December 21, 2019 at 1:00 PM UTC

Virginia Postrel is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a visiting fellow at the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy at Chapman University and author, most recently, of “The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World.”

2015 winner Nadiya Hussain and friend.
Photographer: John Stillwell/WPA Pool/Getty Images

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It is a place where heritage and culture stand proud, enriched but not diluted by the traditions of immigrants. Some of its denizens roam the world, exploring foreign cultures; others stick close to home; neither invites scorn.

An island of confident identity in a fractured and contentious world, it celebrates cosmopolitan curiosity and deep-rooted traditions, local custom and diverse origins. It is a big tent—quite literally.