The 2024 edition of Netflix's Blue Ribbon Baking Championship brings together a cast of state fair bakers vying to win the ultimate prize.
10 contestants of the Blue Ribbon Baking Championship will go head to head in a series of bake-offs and challenges to receive a blue ribbon prize and the grand prize of $100,000.
The competition is hosted by Jason Biggs (American Pie) and its pool of judges includes Sandra Lee, Bill Yosses, and Bryan Ford.
Blue Ribbon Baking Championship premiered on Netflix on August 9.
Every Main Cast Member of Blue Ribbon Baking Championship
Host
Jason Biggs
Instagram: @biggsjason
American Pie alum Jason Biggs serves as the host of Netflix's Blue Ribbon Baking Championship.
Speaking with the New York Post, the actor talked about joining the series, noting that American Pie helped him land the hosting gig of the new competition series:
"This opportunity came along, and I thought it was a great idea. Of course, there’s the obvious connection to baking from my early career."
Biggs also reflected on his involvement in the series, pointing out that "there's a lot of fun" throughout his experience:
"I think there’s a lot of fun to be had with that. I certainly had fun winking at the camera sometimes, and having some of those jokes in my back pocket... I also thought it was really cool that we brought 10 incredible amateur bakers from around the country to come in... It’s fascinating to see how much talent there is around the country."
Biggs is best known for portraying Jim in the American Pie movies. The actor also starred in Outmatched, The Subject, and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.
Judges
Sandra Lee
Instagram: @sandraleeonline
Sandra Lee, a cookbook author and TV personality, is the co-host and judge of Blue Ribbon Baking Championship.
Lee is no stranger to the world of baking since she won a blue ribbon at the Los Angeles County Fair in 1992. As a TV personality, she appeared in Food Network shows like Semi-Homemade Cooking and Sandra's Money Saving Meals.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Lee explained what makes Blue Ribbon Baking Championship unique from other baking shows, pointing out factors such as camaraderie and a sense of family among contestants:
"The camaraderie and sense of family among the contestants. They lifted each other up. Many of the bakers would actually leave their station and go help the other one. I don’t think the world sees who we really are as Americans. They hear the politics and they hear the kerfuffle in the news. I think that it’s going to be kind of amazing for viewers from other countries to get to watch us and to get to see what our fairs look like and our lifestyle and how kind people are."
She also revealed that they filmed in real-time:
"And — unlike other competitive shows — we shoot in real time. There was no stop and pick up the next day. We were shooting an 18-hour day. There was no cool off time or swap outs."
Bill Yosses
Instagram: @bill_yosses
Bill Yosses is a former White House Pastry Chef from 2007 to 2014 who brings his talent and expertise to Netflix's latest baking show.
Aside from being a judge in Blue Ribbon Baking Championship, Yosses also played a part in picking the winner of Hulu's Baker's Dozen.
He is the co-author of Dessert for Dummies and The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion. Yosses is also the owner of Perfect Pie, a pastry company in New York.
Bryan Ford
Instagram: @artisanbryan
Bryan Ford is an award-winning artisan bread baker who joins the series as one of the judges.
He is the author of New World Sourdough and the host of Magnolia Network's Baked in Tradition and The Artisan's Kitchen.
Ford also has a podcast titled The Flaky Biscuit Podcast with his wife, Bridget Kenna.
Contestants
Eileen Gannon
Instagram: @bakewithileen
Eileen Gannon has won over 600 food contests at the Iowa State Fair and national food competitions across the state. She is ready to make a name for herself in Netflix's newest competition series.
She is also the proud owner of her business, Sunday Night Foods, a Des Moines-based premium chocolate dessert sauce company.
In Episode 1, Eileen admitted that the Blue Ribbon Baking Championship is the biggest stage she ever competed on.
Larry Kaiser
Long Island New York native Larry is out to prove that he belongs at the top of the pinnacle of baking in Blue Ribbon Baking Championship.
As a farmer who holds many accolades in the world of baking, Larry says in Episode 1 that he doesn't need to prove to anybody who he is, implying that he is confident about his chances.
He is the owner of the 1760 Homestead Farm in Riverhead, New York.
Speaking with Northforker, Larry reflected on his goals upon joining the competition, noting that he wants to represent the "farming community of the Eastern end of Long Island:"
"One is to draw attention to the farm here and what we do. Because the goal here is to preserve some of the North Fork history. Tying into that, I wanted to represent the farming community of the eastern end of Long Island. I think I accomplished those two things good and for that simple reason, when you watch the show and you see what I make, you will totally understand where my creativity came from."
Catherine Cheng
Instagram: @itscatcheng
Catherine Cheng is an expert baker who won the annual Queens Agricultural Fair at the Queens County Farm which catapulted her chances of joining Netflix's new baking series.
Cat, who is a former music teacher, said in Episode 1 that she left her teaching career to pursue baking full-time, admitting that she "totally fell head over heels in love with baking."
Lois Szymanski Spruytte
Instagram: @loisbaker722
Lois Szymanski Spruytte, who hails from Richmond, Michigan, is part of the top 10 bakers of the Blue Ribbon Baking Championship.
The 63-year-old nut company owner is a risk taker who will do anything in her power to win it all in the baking series.
Felicia Castillo
Instagram: @justonebitecupcakes
Felicia Castillo enters the competition as a determined baker who is willing to give her all so that she can earn the grand prize and be proclaimed the best of the best.
The Rancho Cucamonga, California native believes that she is one of the best bakers, but she is taken by surprise by how well her peers compete.
Felicia owns a cupcake bakery, Just One Bite Cupcakes, and is thrilled with the unwavering support of her family for her passion.
Nathan Chandler
Instagram: @confectionsbakeryidaho
Nathan Chandler is an Idaho native and the owner of Confections Bakery in Pocatello. His unique eye for design combined with his different touch in irresistible flavors made him one of the standouts of the competition.
He is also the former winner of the Idaho State Fair, which led to his involvement in the Netflix baking series.
He also has experience in competing in televised competitions since he was a former contestant in Food Network's Christmas Cookie Challenge in 2019.
Speaking with Idaho State Journal, Nathan reflected on his journey in the series, describing it as a "very intimidating situation:"
"It’s a very intimidating situation walking into. It was very clear that everybody that was there knew what they were doing. The one thing that I would say I enjoyed the most out of that situation is everyone was so nice, I don’t want to say it wasn’t a competition because there was $100,000 on the line. Everybody was there to compete, but everybody just was very helpful to one another."
Jeff Bartolozzi
Instagram: @mr.bartolozzi
Jeff Bartolozzi is an attorney and a baker who earned a blue ribbon at the 2019 Ohio State Fair. Outside of baking, the Cleveland native is part of a business law firm called Barnes & Thornburg.
In an interview with AXIOS, Jeff pointed out that being a contestant in the Blue Ribbon Baking Championship was "way more stressful than some of the cases [he] worked on:"
"This baking show was way more stressful than some of the cases I've worked on … I didn't have a meltdown, I guess, but there were definitely moments when you're in the process."
Jennifer Stoker
Instagram: @jennabel_5108
Jennifer Stoker is an aerospace engineer, a proud "boy mom," a Zumba instructor, and a State Fair baking champion.
At times, Stoker uses her engineering knowledge to her advantage during the competition, such as making sure that the donut does not fall off the stick during the first challenge.
Kim Thompson
Instagram: @kimmykakesrva
Kim Thompson, also known as Kimmy Kakes, joins her fellow state fair winners to test their baking skills in the Blue Ribbon Baking Championship.
Her specialty is making pound cakes and her best one yet is a cake topped with Jamaican rum sauce called "Welcome To Jam Rock."
Kim was the first-prize winner of the State Fair of Virginia in back-to-back years (2021 and 2022).
Ron Bronitsky
Ron Bronitsky, 73, is a retired pulmonologist who is now using his free time to bake all kinds of desserts.
He is also a singer and theater performer and he won several blue ribbons at the New Mexico State Fair.
Speaking with ABQ Journal, Ron admitted that joining the competition is perhaps "the most insane, craziest thing [he] ever done:"
"It's the most insane, craziest thing I've ever done. There were cameras everywhere. This is a multi-million dollar extravaganza. ... It was taking place in a state fair setting. So in the background, there were all these carnival rides, and there was very long days."
All episodes of Blue Ribbon Baking Championship are now streaming on Netflix.
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