Bake Off: The Professionals 2021: Who are this year’s contestants?

Bake Off: The Professionals is kicking off once more, as the best patisserie chefs in the country do battle for the crown.

Judges Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden get the very, very tough job of judging the yummy creations the professionals whip up in the kitchen and offering up their sometimes savage, but always honest, thoughts.

Great British Bake Off alum Liam Charles and comedian Tom Allen reprise their roles as hosts of the chaos.

Last year’s competition was won by duo Laurian and Thibault, of the Cocorico Patisserie in Cardiff, who pulled out all the stops to impress the judges.

But who will sail to victory this year?

Who are the contestants on Bake Off: The Professionals 2021 heat one?

Alex and Stacey: The College of West Anglia

Alex and Stacey have worked together as lecturers at The College of West Anglia, Norfolk, for 10 years, and are hoping to use this knowledge to secure them the title.

Team Captain Alex previously trained at the college himself before going on to work in pubs and hotel kitchens around the world – including a brief stint in Australia. 

Stacey has been a keen baker since she was just four-years-old. She joined The College of West Anglia 10 years ago and now runs the pastry section for students.

Sherrazade and Merryn: The Bristol Loaf

Sherrazade and Merryn work alongside each other at artisan bakery The Bristol Loaf, where they whip up pastries, cakes and breads daily, fresh for their customers.

Sherrazade, the team captain, worked in a string of restaurants and hotels across France before heading to the UK three years ago to expand her knowledge, where she met pal and colleague Merryn – who turned her back on studying psychology for life in the kitchens.

After completing her training, she moved to the UK and spent eight years working as a pastry chef at the swanky Harvey Nichols, before joining forces with Sherrazade at The Bristol Loaf.

Geanina and George: Prestige Patisserie

Husband-and-wife team Geanina and George run their own award-winning patisserie in Tottenham, London, with the pair having years of experience between them.

Team Captain Geanina initially trained in Romania when she was 14, and has been in the industry for more than 20 years, with engineer husband George helping to put a unique spin on their bakes thanks to his science background.

We can expect some seriously wild tools from these two…

Jamie and Andrea: St Ermin’s Hotel

Team Captain Jamie is representing London’s 4* St. Ermin’s Hotel, alongside colleague and teammate Andrea.

Jamie is currently the Head Pastry Chef at the hotel, and was previously a finalist for the Young Chef of the Year title, having honed his craft at Rhodes W1, Searcys at the Gherkin and Jason Atherton’s Social Eating House. He has been working at St. Ermin’s Hotel for four years, with Andrea joining him in the kitchen the following year.

Andrea trained in France and travelled around the world to get as much experience as possible, before rocking up to London in 2018. Will the pair be able to go all the way or will they crumble under the pressure?

Kevin and Maria-Vittoria: The Lanesborough

Team Captain Kevin has already had a taste of success, and was one of the team members winning two silver medals at the Culinary World Cup, on behalf of native South Africa. He has also worked in some of the best establishments in the world, and was previously  Senior Chocolatier for Lindt before arriving in London and joining the swanky The Lanesborough as Head Pastry Chef.

Maria-Vittoria moved to The Lanesborough in 2019, and was approached by colleague Kevin to take part beside her – having previously honed her craft in Italy.

Michael and Andrew: Gin and Bake

Team Captain Michael and colleague Andrew are hoping to take the Bake Off title back to Cardiff for a second year running – and we can’t wait to see the stops they pull out.

Michael isn’t a complete Bake Off: The Professionals newbie, as he fell short of making into the final six three years ago – but he’s hoping that Andrew will be his lucky charm this time around.

The fact that they combine alcohol and cake is already a total plus for us.

Bake Off: The Professionals kicks off on May 25, at 8pm, on Channel 4.

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