Bake Off: The Professionals - General Discussion

[TVbitch]

Anyone watching this season. There is a couple very talented teams and they've changed up the format a bit. Enjoying it! 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I watched the very first season (which feels like ages ago). When I saw that S3 had started, I decided to start watching again but I told myself that if I suddenly remembered why I stopped watching this show, I didn't have to finish the season). So far, I'm enjoying it, especially right now when there aren't any current bake off shows airing.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ugh, one of my hugest complaints on cooking shows is when people are ignorant about fairly common ingredients. I've seen judges on various baking shows exclaim about how original unicorn cakes or using yuzu are when they've been mainstream for years, and it's really annoying that people are so clueless about things that are exceedingly popular and common. I mean, seriously, if it's already been on pinterest for like five years, you should know about it. This week it was Andrew and Ian saying that matcha is not a common ingredient and it's an acquired taste.

Matcha has been a huge trend in baking for several years now. There are bakeries and dessert shops that specialize in matcha (yes, outside of Asia).  Most of the gelato and ice cream shops near me have matcha flavored ice cream/gelato.

It's not like it's 1950 and you live in some podunk small town without the internet or television. It's 2020. Matcha has been all over instagram for years. I've seen matcha desserts at the grocery store bakery next to cupcakes and cake pops.

I am not a super foodie person who follows food trends and even I know that matcha is everywhere. If you're a baking professional, you should know this before I do. And no, matcha is not an acquired taste. If you don't like it, you can keep using it in the hopes that you'll end up liking it but in general it's not an acquired taste.

[TVbitch]

On 6/11/2020 at 6:39 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ugh, one of my hugest complaints on cooking shows is when people are ignorant about fairly common ingredients. I've seen judges on various baking shows exclaim about how original unicorn cakes or using yuzu are when they've been mainstream for years, and it's really annoying that people are so clueless about things that are exceedingly popular and common. I mean, seriously, if it's already been on pinterest for like five years, you should know about it.

Ha! I was sure you were ranting about the gianduja, and I was going to feel dumb, cuz I had never heard of it! But yeah, matcha is so commonplace at this point that it didn't even occur to me you would be ranting about that! It's been all over the cookery shows for years. 

The gianduja was a new one on me. But then as they went on about it, I was like, um, is that Nutella?! At least now I don't think Nutella invented it. 

Everybody kind of stuffed up this episode. The judges rightly let them have it. I am glad stolid Domenico was not eliminated. He cracks me up. I wonder if these first three episodes were filmed in one week. The chefs looked quite weary.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I was just finally getting a feel for these teams and now we're getting new ones!

On 6/12/2020 at 7:37 AM, TVbitch said:

Everybody kind of stuffed up this episode. The judges rightly let them have it.

I agree. This round was not about who was the best. It was about who fucked up the least. Everyone made pretty big mistakes.

[oldCJ]

Methylcellulose is a laxative. They use a laxative to make their meringue?! Remind me not to eat at their restaurant!

[TVbitch]

Finally finished the season. Either the quality of the teams is not what it used to be, or they need to give them more time, cuz there were so many unfinished or sloppy bakes this year. I watch to see the wonderful creations, not too see people crying cuz they are unable to do their best in the alotted time! Still, an enjoyable show. I like the judges, but the hosts not so much. I still don't know what Liam is doing there! : D 

 

[khyber]

The correct team went home.

[TVbitch]

Forgot there was already a thread for this. (Started by me, no less!). : D But in my defense, the search function for Primetimer is truly abysmal! 

Anyway, looks like they have a good crop of teams this year. Some of those desserts looked downright scrumptious!

 

[Spunkygal]

Not a fan of the two hosts but I like the judges and the bakes do look scrummy! I can’t remember any of the bakers’ names except Julien and Elise but one team represents St. Ermin’s Hotel. I don’t think the SEH team will win but I am kind of rooting for them with fond nostalgia. We stayed at that hotel on my first trip to London in 1996 and thoroughly enjoyed it (and enjoyed their fab afternoon tea!) 

[jpgr]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

Not a fan of the two hosts but I like the judges and the bakes do look scrummy!  

I don't mind the hosts but I am not a fan of the judges! Cherish especially bugs me but they both try to be so over the top in their reactions, they seem like caricatures.

[khyber]

I cringe every time one of the teams picks up a large show piece to move to the display table. I expect disaster. 

[Spunkygal]

On 6/10/2021 at 9:30 AM, khyber said:

I cringe every time one of the teams picks up a large show piece to move to the display table. I expect disaster. 

If this were on FN, there would definitely be a disaster. That channel requires that kind of BS!

It was definitely St. Ermin’s time to go. Not only was their robot showstopper not very artistic, but the candy didn’t sound very tasty. In the first round, I can’t imagine grapefruit and chocolate pairing well. I adore grapefruit but don’t think I’d like it with chocolate. We have an amazing local chocolatier so guess I’ll take one for the team and see if she offers that pairing! 😉

[TVbitch]

I can't believe they got a fun theme like heroes and villains and nobody really did much with it! I was flummoxed by grapefruit and chocolate too, but citrus and chocolate is paired a lot, so who knows? 

[Spunkygal]

I like the new “batch” of bakers (pun intended) but especially George and Geanina who are so cute together and so in love! And on a shallow note, Kieran is a cutie. Tom and Liam are definitely not growing on me and really continue to be more annoying than Noel and Matt on GBBO. Wow, the challenge in round 2 of episode 5 was a toughie. I love eclairs and am usually pretty traditional when it comes to custard fillings but would happily eat any of those. Benoit’s facial expressions are hilarious. Did I mention that Tom and Liam are annoying? 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Spunkygal

[TVbitch]

Ugh, Tom and Liam. Their ungodly inane bits are not funny, not clever, not remotely entertaining, not anything but a stupid waste of time that takes away from the bakers. At least Tom can sometimes be quick-witted when he's just chatting off the cuff with the bakers. Liam adds absolutely nothing to the show, AND seems awkward doing it! I can't remember if they always only had two groups of bakers. I thought they used to have three. Seems like a short season, but maybe that's a COVID thing. 

I was cracking up at those gigantic "carrots" that looked like fish. Has that team never seen a carrot before?!

I think finals week will be pretty competitive

[Spunkygal]

43 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Ugh, Tom and Liam. Their ungodly inane bits are not funny, not clever, not remotely entertaining, not anything but a stupid waste of time that takes away from the bakers. At least Tom can sometimes be quick-witted when he's just chatting off the cuff with the bakers. Liam adds absolutely nothing to the show, AND seems awkward doing it! I can't remember if they always only had two groups of bakers. I thought they used to have three. Seems like a short season, but maybe that's a COVID thing. 

I was cracking up at those gigantic "carrots" that looked like fish. Has that team never seen a carrot before?!

I think finals week will be pretty competitive

I agree and meant to add that I have been a lifelong lover of British humor and don’t think that my irritation at Tom and Liam is because I don’t “get” humor from across the pond. In fact, my local PBS station was the very first in the US to air Monty Python’s Flying Circus in 1974. (Very groundbreaking for north Texas at that time!) My sister and I were glued to the show every Sunday night and giggled our butts off. No one else in my school was watching it so we felt like we had discovered comedy gold! 

After Benoit said that the carrots looked like fish, I then saw my neighbors’ koi fish on that table! Ha! That team made their own mold but other teams used ready-made molds. And did no one add a green stem? I don’t recall one. Really, professionals should be able to execute a carrot! But ooh la la, the flavors! Yum!

[Spunkygal]

I hate, HATE being scared so the popping up to purposely scare people pissed me off. Hmm, I can’t remember, have I mentioned how annoying Tom and Liam are? 😒 The right team went home. That truffle with no creamy filling, only powdery ingredients, sounded terrible. I continue to adore George and Geanina. The brothers are a strong, talented team. Can’t wait to see the 6 final teams. 

[khyber]

The sugar elephant was impressive.

[TVbitch]

That married team is the only one that seems to be having a good time! 

[jpgr]

6 hours ago, TVbitch said:

That married team is the only one that seems to be having a good time! 

I love them so much! I was really worried about them, but pleased they ended up with third place this week.

[Spunkygal]

Duck and lavender in a brioche? Am I misremembering this? What a horrendous combination. IMO, brioche is perfect on its own. It needs no flavor addition. Just enjoy its buttery goodness. Don’t laugh but the couple of times a year that I grill burgers, I buy a package of Walmart’s brioche buns! They’re always so fresh and I very lightly toast the insides to create a protective barrier so the mustard and mayo don’t seep into the delicate bun and disintegrate it. I will never buy a regular hamburger bun again. 

I would eat the heck out of that puff pastry thing that was also in round 1–whatever it is called. I continue to get a kick out of George and Geanina. They are so supportive of each other and just so dang cute. I hope they win. 

[jpgr]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

Duck and lavender in a brioche? Am I misremembering this? What a horrendous combination. IMO, brioche is perfect on its own. It needs no flavor addition. Just enjoy its buttery goodness. 

I would eat the heck out of that puff pastry thing that was also in round 1–whatever it is called. I continue to get a kick out of George and Geanina. They are so supportive of each other and just so dang cute. I hope they win. 

Brioche is perfect on its own, but you can't serve it to Benoit and Cherish!

Pithiviers do look delicious, although I would prefer a filling other than almond. I thought it was interesting that the voiceover said that doing rough-puff was a better option given the timing. If I were competing, I think I'd be afraid not to do full puff.

[jpgr]

Impressed with how well Gin & Bake is doing, I really didn't think they would last long in the finals. Thrilled that Geanina and George got 2nd this week!

[jpgr]

Noooooooooooo! I'm so sad, but it was probably the right choice. I will miss hearing Geanina calling him "Georgie" and their always-positive attitudes.

[Spunkygal]

No, no, no, no, no! 😢 The wrong team went home! I’m going to pout the rest of the day.

I enjoyed both rounds and especially enjoyed the teddy bear picnic theme. I have never heard that song before. But they were too harsh on George (the real teddy bear) and Geanina. That guy team should have gone. I’m rooting for Julien and Elise or Kevin and Marie Vittoria now. If G & G ever do have children, I can imagine they will be the most loving parents. 🥰 They are darling. 

[TVbitch]

I wanted to eat a lot of those petit fours. 

I did not know "Teddy Bear Picnic" was a thing, either. Usually at this stage they do the one where they splash stuff all over the table as an edible artwork. 

[Spunkygal]

I won’t spoil the finale for those who haven’t watched yet. But I was surprised at who won. Everything that all 3 teams made in both rounds looked delectable. I especially loved the hats in the first round. So clever! I enjoyed the videos with their loved ones and must say that Julien’s wife and kids are so gorgeous! I would love to have seen what “my teddy bear couple” George and Geanina would have done. At one point, Kevin had to practically kick dumbassTom out of the way so he could continue working. Grrr, for the millionth time, I can’t stand those co-hosts. Congrats to the winner but I thought it would be one of the other two teams. Thanks again to @TVbitch for telling me about this show! Can’t wait to see when Masterchef The Professionals will be available! 

[TVbitch]

WARNING: Finale Spoilers ahead!!!

Wow some of those desserts and cakes looked delish. So pretty. And the hats were fun. Julian's rose looked so real. Not sure how I feel about the winners. I've never been a big fan of the croquembouche and it seems simple up against those meticulously layered cakes. Cherish seemed to imply the decision was because one of their other items was the best thing on the day, but Benoit said they took into account the whole competition, so I was like, well which is it?!  

The family messages were sweet. It really doesn't matter how old you are or what your have accomplished, when a parent tells you they are proud of you, grown adults can't help but tear up like they are a 9-year old who just brought home a good report card. I always find it very touching. 

Tom and Liam. I guess it's our price to pay for enjoying the rest of the series, @Spunkygal. The first couple seasons of this show did not have them, then I believe they went to just Tom, then added Liam. You might want to check out earlier season if you like the show. Give me a shout if you need a source. 

Yes, Masterchef Professionals coming up in the fall! I think Celebrity Masterchef in next, although no start date yet. I have to watch cuz Patrick, the judge of Great British Sewing Be is going to be on and I LOVE HIM. 

[Spunkygal]

I’m not familiar with her, but Stacey Solomon will replace Tom Allen as a host on the next season. Liam will, unfortunately, still be there as well as judges Cherish and Benoit.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/bake-off-stacey-solomon-newsupdate/

[TVbitch]

Noooooooooo!!!! Liam is insufferable. ....I will still watch, of course. 

Did you know Masterchef UK is running right now, @Spunkygal?

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, TVbitch said:

Noooooooooo!!!! Liam is insufferable. ....I will still watch, of course. 

Did you know Masterchef UK is running right now, @Spunkygal?

No, I didn’t know! My source for British shows was banned from a platform beginning with the letter R for copyright infringement or something like that. I loved that poster. He posted Escape to the Country, all the Masterchefs, The Repair Shop and other great shows. I died inside when he was yanked off the platform. 😥

[AngieBee1]

I didn't think I could love Benoit with facial hair but I am here for it. Miss Tom Allen dreadfully.

So far I am not loving the contestants. I suspect as weeks go on, I will. 

[Spunkygal]

I’ve only watched episode 1, but I do not miss Tom one bit. Liam is not as irritating without Tom. The new co-host is ok. I can live with them…..so far! Tom and Liam together made me want to stab my eardrums. 

I love the French guys, David and Cydrick. I think I’m going to like the winning team but I still don’t know everyone’s name yet.  The right team went home. Glad to have the show back!

[oldCJ]

When Stacey took a real drink of the liquid chocolate I was cackling. And her teeth after.

I do not miss Tom. Liam is becoming much more natural at this. His rapport with his new cohost is fun- especially his voiceover when she said “some strawberry thing” and then it cut to his description “this particular some strawberry thing”. 

[Spunkygal]

I’m thinking that I Shan and JoJo will be in the finals. And maybe the team that arrived late due to illness. I’ve already forgotten who is going through from the first group! Benoit’s facial expressions are always funny but he especially cracked me up this recent episode. I’m still so happy that Tom is gone. 

[TVbitch]

I've caught up! There are a couple strong teams. I do like that they don't get to practice the first bake. And I love the judges, but they've never quite gotten the hosts right for this show, and I guess I just have to accept it. The new female host makes me feel like I could just fly to the UK, wander into a cookery show, and start chatting to the contestants in a not particularly amusing, knowledgeable or charming way and still make a bundle as a presenter! 😄 

Edited July 3, 2022 by TVbitch

[Spunkygal]

Last week was a fun episode! The right team went home. Loved I Shan and Jojo’s edible bubbles and David and Cydrick’s games. Can’t believe it’s on to semi finals! 

[TVbitch]

I was glad the girls made it through. Yeah, it seemed to go fast. Luckily I found a new old baking show to watch called Britain's Best Bakery. It's delightful! 

[Spunkygal]

4 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I was glad the girls made it through. Yeah, it seemed to go fast. Luckily I found a new old baking show to watch called Britain's Best Bakery. It's delightful! 

Is this show found on 

Spoiler

Discord?

[TVbitch]

Not sure I agree with them sparing the girls again in the semis. Word of Dinosaurs with no dinosaurs seemed pretty lazy to me, AND their macarons were raw! Even more disturbingly, there seems to still be incongruency in the way even professional pastry chefs pronounce macarons!

I did laugh at Cherish and Benoit both having to beat on that chocolate dinosaur to get it to break open. And at the "dinosaur feet" that looked like teddy bear feet. 

[Spunkygal]

Although I wasn’t really blown away by any of the showpiece entries, I think Nathan and Kevin deserved the win. Their treats looked great and the design was effective. I Shan and JoJo came up short yet again. Their horse sculpture was impressive but the treats didn’t wow the judges. And I don’t know what happened to Jemima and Zack. She was snippy with him then cut herself. That sheep sculpture was odd. I think maybe I held a bit of a grudge against them because they missed the very first competition then sailed through to the final. 

Although Liam and Stacey aren’t the best hosts, they were a much more palatable team than Liam and Tom, so there’s that! I hope Benoit and Cherish are back next season.

[TVbitch]

Yeah, I found the finale disappointing, as no one produced an amazing showpiece. The girls really didn't deserve to go through in the semis, and they did not rise to the challenge of getting yet another chance. They even stated that they didn't do a full practice of their bake. Jemima and Zack missed an entire day early on and I just never warmed to them. Nathan and Kevin came the closest to finale standard with their nearly perfect first challenge. They were the best throughout and deserved the win. And it seems like they are pretty funny, charming guys. I wish we could have seen more of their interactions and interviews and less of the hosts!

[oldCJ]

On 7/21/2022 at 4:30 PM, TVbitch said:

Not sure I agree with them sparing the girls again in the semis. Word of Dinosaurs with no dinosaurs seemed pretty lazy to me,

I Shan and JoJo’s dinosaur-less Land of Dinosaurs was far more appropriate for the challenge than Jemima and Zach’s fire-breathing dinosaurs. Did they legitimately think dinosaurs breathed smoke and fire or did they mistake the challenge for Land of Dragons?

From the start, this season was Nathan and Kevin’s to lose. I like that they got along so well unlike some of the other teams whose constant bickering was exhausting to watch. Nathan’s interactions with Stacey were a lot of fun.

[Cetacean]

Wow, for being professionals they seem to have some issues that I did not expect. 

Tom and Liam can just go away, they are a waste of space and air.  I don't know why the GBBO fols think we need some sort of comic relief - an neither of them are the least bit funny. 

I have only seen the first couple and will watch more tonight.  Not sure what "Heat A" means, though.  Any ideas?

Judges are OK but not feeling it with Cherish.

[TVbitch]

I've grown to love Cherish. Tom is gone now. What season are you on?   

[Cetacean]

1 hour ago, TVbitch said:

I've grown to love Cherish. Tom is gone now. What season are you on?   

I'm not entirely sure. It just dropped on Netflix on Wednesday.  I think it was filmed in 2022 as the pandemic waned from what they have said.  Tom and Liam are hosts.

[Rammchick]

12 hours ago, Cetacean said:

I'm not entirely sure. It just dropped on Netflix on Wednesday.  I think it was filmed in 2022 as the pandemic waned from what they have said.  Tom and Liam are hosts.

Actually filmed in 2021 (they just mentioned it in the finale), which I thought was curious, given what seems to be a complete lack of pandemic safety precautions.

As you said, Cetacean, I also don't understand why this franchise feels the need to have such inane hosts.  I've come to love Noel Fielding on the Mother Ship, but they've yet to duplicate the gentle and unobtrusive humor and warmth of Mel and Sue. 

ETA -- They announced the winner as The Winner of 2021, which suggests it was filmed before 21.  That makes it even more curious.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Rammchick

[Spunkygal]

On 2/2/2023 at 8:22 PM, Cetacean said:

I'm not entirely sure. It just dropped on Netflix on Wednesday.  I think it was filmed in 2022 as the pandemic waned from what they have said.  Tom and Liam are hosts.

Can you please name a couple of the bakers so I can determine if I’ve seen the season you’re watching? I don’t have Netflix. Thanks!

[somethingwicked]

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Can you please name a couple of the bakers so I can determine if I’ve seen the season you’re watching? I don’t have Netflix. Thanks!

Netflix lists it as Season 6. When the announcement was made, they referred to the "2021 winner", which is also the year listed on Netflix. The Wikipedia Season 6 details line up with this season.