PICTURED: The Great British Bake Off has a new Essex home (closer to judge Paul Hollywood’s pad)

It appears that the only way is Essex for The Great British Bake Off.

The 11th series has commenced filming in the newly-located Bake Off tent in the grounds of Down Hall, a swanky hotel in England’s south-east.

Aerial shots of the structure show the famous tent erected on the lawns of the hotel – which is far closer to judge Paul Hollywood’s house than the former location of Welford Park in Berkshire.

Paul, 60, lives in a £1 million Grade II listed farmhouse in Kent, which is about an hour away from Downs Hall Hotel.

The new location sits between Bishop’s Stortford and Chelmsford in Essex, located north-east of London.

This shaves an extra hour off Paul’s commute to work, with previous setting Welford Park located near Newbury, in the North Wessex Downs, a two-hour schlep across London into Berkshire.

Series 11 of Bake Off 2020 has been in production for two weeks now, according to reports. 

Snaps from the grounds saw a private road blocked off for production crew – and the new cast of culinary hopefuls – only.

The main tent appears to be the same as ever, fenced off at the side and equipped with a series of baking stations for the contestants.

There are further smaller tents constructed around it, for Paul to consult with fellow judge Prue Leith as they discuss the bakers.

Also on set are portaloos, trailers for the judges and presenters – Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas –  and an area for cars to be parked. 

There were concerns that the Bake Off would not happen this year, thanks to the is set to return this year after much speculation, after shooting was delayed by three months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The popular Channel 4 show had been scheduled to go into production back in April, before the pandemic, and subsequent lockdown, scuppered all plans.

However, Sky Studios CEO Gary Davey brought all hopes for the show’s return back to life on Wednesday, when he revealed that filming is ‘going very well’.

Further, the company’s chief commercial officer Jane Millichip is quoted by Deadline as saying at a virtual Broadcasting Press Guild lunch: ‘It’s all happening in deep secret, somewhere in darkest deepest Britain in the shires.’

The show’s judges Paul Hollywood, 54, Prue Leith, 80, Noel Fielding, 47, as well as new presenter Matt Lucas, 46, are reported to have gone into quarantine in the run-up to filming, to allow for close interaction on the set.

While it had been feared that the show’s return would be delayed until 2021, Millichip assured: ‘You will have your Victoria sponge this year.’

At the start of the month, hopes for the show’s return this autumn appeared to be all but bashed, when bosses warned that the 2020 series could be axed. 

In a statement, bosses of Love Productions insisted they were ‘working hard’ to deliver a new series this year, as fans feared the show would not be ready for its usual return in late August.

It comes following reports that this year’s series will not feature older contestants due to concerns they could fall ill during filming, despite the show being known for its diverse range of bakers.

The Great British Bake Off – which has traditionally been shot in Welford Park, Berkshire – is usually scheduled to begin in late August on Channel 4, but bosses are yet to begin promotions for a new series. 

A representative for Love Productions told MailOnline: ‘We are working hard to deliver Bake Off to the audience this year, the priority is the safety of everyone involved in the production of the series.’ 

Last month, it was reported that the new series of Bake Off may not feature older contestants for the first time in its history.

This year’s series will only feature younger bakers who are considered less vulnerable to the pandemic, according to the Sun. 

A source said: ‘There’s a real sense of urgency to get the next series of Bake Off in the can, considering it’s one of Channel 4’s biggest draws.

‘That means the nation’s baking grans and grandads have been deemed too high risk. Bake Off’s wizened contestants are often the heart of the show.

‘Val, who would ‘listen’ to cakes to work out if they were done, and rapping septuagenarian Flo became favourites.’ 

Sources have also claimed that the famous ‘Paul Hollywood handshake’ will also be banned, due to social distancing guidelines. 

All the cast and crew on this year’s show will have to quarantine together because judge Prue Leith has reportedly been refused insurance. 

Comedian Matt Lucas will join the hosting team this year alongside Noel Fielding after Sandi Toksvig stood down earlier this year.