Frances Quinn crowned winner of Great British Bake Off 2013

Frances Quinn has been named the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2013.

The clothes designer from Leicestershire beat off strong competition in an all-female final from Kimberley Wilson, 30, and Ruby Tandoh, 21, to be crowned winner.

Known for her decorative and conceptual bakes, the 31-year-old has dealt with criticism from the judges throughout the series that her cooking had “more style over substance”.

However, the 31-year-old showed she had listened to criticism in the final, producing a flavoursome trout and vegetable rainbow pie and a three-tier wedding cake with layers of ginger and rhubarb, lemon and raspberries, and apricot and pistachio.

Judge Paul Hollywood praised Frances for her flavours and defined layers in her rainbow pie, adding she was just “ten minutes from perfection”.

Paul called Frances “a deserving winner”, adding on the show: “When it came to the showstopper she just beat the other two guys hands down.

"She not only gave us the style, she gave us the substance too and that cake actually, each layer, superb."

Berry added: "Frances has many qualities, she has attention to detail, she's got excellent flavours, her baking improved as each week went by, we're very proud of her."

Frances said she was "in complete and utter shock" when she found out she had won.

"I don't think I could speak for a little while. It was complete and utter shock. It was so close, such a close final. I think it was the wedding cake at the end that really did swing it," she said.

Despite coming last in the technical challenge, when her pretzels were deemed to look too much like bread rolls, Frances baked consistently in the final.

Kimberley, who was the bookies’ favourite to win the show, fell at the crucial “soggy bottom” hurdle when her chicken and ham pie collapsed at the base when the judges tried to cut into it.

While Ruby, the youngest contestant at just 21, allowed the pressure to get to her too much, leaving Paul and Mary disappointed with her under-decorated wedding cake.

Following her win, Frances revealed she has been approached by publishers to produce a coffee table book.

She said: “The baking market is completely saturated so I don't want to do a book that's anything like one that's already out there. I'd like to create a book that's got all my rough sketches and ideas.”

She added she was not sure yet whether she would leave her full-time job as a clothes designer in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. “Work has been so, so supportive. I'm not going to say yea or nay to anything at the moment. I've got a mortgage to pay.”

The 31-year-old said it had been hard to hide her win from colleagues and friends. “I've been back at work and trying to keep a poker face,” she said.

“I remember watching the Wimbledon final the following week and getting so emotional... and thinking at least Andy Murray doesn't have to hide his trophy under his bed for the next three months.

"I'm looking forward to being able to celebrate with my incredibly close family and friends."

Frances' most notable bakes in the competition have included match-like breadsticks served in a handmade matchbox, canapés in the shape of mini-vegetables, and a “soap” twist on the classic French opera cake flavoured with lemon and lavender.

She will also be remembered for her music sheet-inspired petit four, for which she won star baker in week seven, including “bass cleff” palmiers and “French framboise” cream horns.