Bake Off : The Professionals Press Pack (Series 11)

Bake Off: The Professionals is back for an eleventh series with a fresh batch of pastry chefs ready to enter the oven of competition to see which ones rise to the occasion. 

Once again, former Great British Bake Off contestant and Junior Bake Off judge Liam Charles and comedian, actress and writer Ellie Taylor will be on presenting duties, asking all the key questions as they secretly count down the hours and minutes until they get to eat the chef’s creations.

And returning for their eleventh series are judges Benoit Blin, and Cherish Finden, formerly Executive Pastry Chef of the Pan Pacific London Hotel, ready to cast an expert eye, and several thousand expert tastebuds, over the works of culinary genius produced by the 12 teams taking part this year.

The talented twosomes hoping to bake, decorate, sculpt and build their way to success this year represent all sorts of establishments spread across the full breadth of the industry.   From hotels and restaurants to bakeries, patisseries, cafes and large-scale catering operations.  The teams are:  The Stafford, The Beacon, Valentina & Aurora, Levy, Simon & Oli, Edwardian Hotels, Francesca & Alejandro, Scotiq, Lexington Catering, Liba, Sutton Hotel Collection and The Cellar Door. 

The series, filmed in the spectacular Firle Place in Sussex, features some truly jaw-dropping challenges.  Themes include a Childhood Toy Showpiece, a Shakespearean Showpiece, Biscuit Modern Landmark, Childhood Hobby Showpiece, Victorian Britain Showpiece, Biscuit Ancient Wonder, A World of Candy, Circus of Horrors Pinata, Summer Holidays Floating Showpiece and finally the Masquerade Ball!

The chefs will also be subjected to the usual array of diverse challenges designed to test the range of their skills. From classics like Paris Brest, Battenbergs, Cream Buns, Citrus Tarts and Bakewell Slice, to savoury Mille Feuille dishes, Afternoon Tea Time Treats and Ile Flottante,

The chefs will be immersed in every facet of pastry work. Their improvisational skills will also be tested with a range of secret challenges, including one set by a very special guest judge Will Torrent, Senior Development Chef at Waitrose in Episode 7.

EPISODE 1:

The search for the best patisserie team in Britain is back tonight, as Ellie Taylor and Liam Charles welcome elite pastry chefs from top hotels, restaurants, chocolate shops and catering kitchens from across the UK. 

Across two intense days, they will face testing challenges, set by world class pâtisserie experts, Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden. 

First up, the now iconic secret challenge. This year, it’s the classic Paris Brest – but with a twist. With no recipe to guide them and a vast array of ingredients to choose from, the teams must trust their pastry instincts, skill, and teamwork to take this French classic and elevate it to something exceptional…all in just two and a half hours. 

For the next challenge - the teams must go back to their childhoods and create spectacular showpieces inspired by childhood toys, each concealing crumble and custard themed desserts elevated to new heights, far from their humble origins. 

Which teams will rise to the occasion, earning themselves a place in the next round, and which team will crumble and be sent home? 

THE FINAL:

And in a completely new challenge for the spectacular final, the remaining teams are throwing every ounce of passion, skill and patisserie prowess into one monumental twelve-hour Masquerade Ball Banquet themed challenge – where only absolute brilliance will be enough to claim this title.  

Judges Cherish and Benoit demand the teams hit the ground running in the longest challenge ever set, as they produce two desserts for a brutal halfway judging. 

After six relentless hours, one team will be sent home on the spot – leaving just two to go head-to-head for the coveted trophy as they work to complete a further three desserts and their banquets, producing five desserts in total…45 of each… over 200 stunning creations in total.  

At the end of this epic patisserie battle, only one team can be crowned winner of Bake Off: The Professionals.