The final three are some of the country's top pastry chefs
Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals is back, and the final was a closely fought contest. The 9th series of the show started airing in June, with 12 pairs of pastry chefs fighting it out to be crowned winners. It was then whittled down to three pairs, with the winners crowned in a nail-biting final.
Read on for everything you need to know about Bake Off: The Professionals… but if you don’t want to know who’s won, look away!
Who presents Bake Off: The Professionals 2024?
Bake Off: The Professionals first aired on the BBC, as Bake Off: Crème de la Crème, back in 2016. It moved to Channel 4 to join its sister show, The Great British Bake Off, when the BBC failed to renew the series.
Bake Off: The Professionals 2024, sees teams of professional pastry chefs competing in a series of high-end patisserie tasks to impress the judges, much like The Great British Bake Off. There are also two hosts and, just like Bake Off, these have changed over the years.
The first host of Bake Off: The Professionals, was Tom Kerridge, but he only did the first series. Angus Deyton hosted series 2 and the relaunch on Channel 4 was when the two-host format came in, with Tom Allen and former Bake Off contestant, Liam Charles took over.
Since then, Liam has remained as a host. He was joined by Stacey Solomon in 2022, with comedian Ellie Taylor taking over form her in 2023.
Who are the judges on Bake Off: The Professionals 2024?
Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden are the judges on Bake Off: The Professionals and have been since the first series. Initially there was a third judge, Claire Clark, but she left after the first series.
Benoit Blin was born and raised in France, where he trained to become a pastry chef. He has been Raymond Blanc’s head pastry chef at Le Manior aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, since 1995. His book, Bake with Benoit Blin, will be released in August 2024.
Cherish Finden was born in Singapore, where she trained to become a pastry chef. She moved to the UK and as well as being a judge on Bake Off: The Professionals, she worked as the executive pastry chef at The Pan Pacific, London. She also opened her own patisserie, Shiok, in 2023.
The cast of Bake Off: The Professionals 2024
12 pairs of chefs started in the competition this year, with a couple eliminated each week until the final three remained. Petra and Ajay, from Michelin starred restaurant, Adam’s, in Birmingham, were sadly eliminated in the semi-final. The finalists of Bake Off: The Professionals 2024 were:
Bharat and John, from Soko Patisserie – The pair met 5 years ago when Bharat mentored John to the Chocolate Masters final. Bharat was a final in the 2018 series of Bake Off: The Professionals, but this time he’s aiming for the top prize.
Gerol and Michael, from The Royal Air Force Club – Gerol changed careers from marketing to baking, in her 30’s, while Michael has over 28 years of pastry experience.
Tanuj and Narayan from InterContinental London – The O2 – Tanuj moved to the UK age 10. He worked at The Savoy before joining InterContinental. Meanwhile, Narayan worked in 5-star restaurants in Dubai before coming to the UK.
When is the final of Bake Off: The Professionals 2024?
The final of Bake Off: The Professionals aired on Monday, July 8th at 8pm on Channel 4 and is available on demand if you've missed it.
Who won Bake Off: The Professionals 2024?
After a nail-biting final, Tanuj and Narayan, from The Intercontinental London - The O2, were crowned the winners of Bake Off: The Professionals. Their well-deserved victory was a closely fought contest, however, Tanuj and Narayan have been consistently brilliant throughout the show.
When will The Great British Bake Off return?
There is no word yet on when the 2024 series of Bake Off will air, but it usually begins around August time, so watch this space!
Where is Bake Off: The Professionals filmed?
Since 2021 the series has filmed at Firle Place in Lewes, Sussex. Prior to this, the show filmed at Welbeck Abbey, Nottingham.