Bake Off: The Professionals

Lore & Background

The first series was presented by Tom Kerridge and Claudia Winkleman, and judged by Benoit Blin, Cherish Finden, and Claire Clark. Fifteen teams competed in heats, with Squires Kitchen Cookery School winning the final. The second series, presented by Angus Deayton, saw Claire Clark leave as a judge, replaced by Michel Roux Jr., and the Military Chefs won. On Channel 4, the series was presented by Tom Allen and Liam Charles, with Stacey Solomon joining as co-presenter alongside Liam Charles in 2022 (not replacing Tom Allen, who continued from series 3 onward), and Ellie Taylor replacing Solomon from 2023.

Reader's Guide

Bake Off: The Professionals distinguishes itself from its parent show by focusing on high-end professional pastry chefs from hotels, restaurants, and other organisations. The competition's format evolved over series, shifting from teams of three to teams of two from the third series onward. Early reviews were largely negative, with critics comparing it unfavourably to The Great British Bake Off. Despite this, the series has continued for multiple series, with winners including teams from London hotels, Cardiff patisseries, and military chefs. The show's significance lies in its spotlight on professional pastry skills and its adaptation from BBC to Channel 4.

Did You Know?

• The first series was filmed at Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire.
• The second series was won by a team of military chefs led by Liam Grime.
• From the third series onward, teams consisted of two pastry chefs instead of three.
• The show was originally titled Bake Off: Crème de la Crème on the BBC.

Origins & Network Journey

Bake Off: The Professionals began life under a different name—Bake Off: Crème de la Crème—on the BBC, with its inaugural episode airing on BBC Two on 29 March 2016. As a spin-off of The Great British Bake Off, it elevated the stakes by replacing amateur home bakers with teams of professional pastry chefs drawn from high-end hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and even the armed forces. The show's first two seasons ran on the BBC, but when the network chose not to renew the programme, it was picked up by Channel 4. There, the title was simplified to Bake Off: The Professionals, aligning it more closely with the parent show's branding. The move to Channel 4 also brought structural changes: team sizes shrank from three to two, and the competition format was restructured with additional rounds including a quarterfinal. Despite the network switch, the show retained its core identity as a showcase for Britain's finest professional pastry talent.

Format & Competition Structure

The competition is built around two signature challenges per heat. The Miniature Challenge demands each team produce 108 pastries—three types, 36 each—within a three-hour window, with every piece marked out of 30 for a maximum of 90 points. Uniformity and professional finish are paramount. The Showpiece Challenge asks teams to reinvent a well-known British dessert into a fine-dining display, with each of the three judges holding 50 points for a total of 150 available. Occasionally, the miniature round is swapped for a secret recipe challenge, where bakers receive no advance notice and are handed a recipe only the day before baking. The overall structure has shifted over time: Series 1 began with 15 teams of three, Series 2 with 10 teams of three, and from Series 3 onward, 12 teams of two, with the addition of a quarterfinal round before the semifinal and final.

Presenters & Judging Panel

The show has cycled through several presenters, reflecting its journey across networks. Tom Kerridge hosted the BBC's first series, followed by Angus Deayton for the second. When the programme moved to Channel 4, comedian Tom Allen and former Great British Bake Off competitor Liam Charles took the helm. In 2022, Stacey Solomon replaced Allen, and from 2023 the presenting duo became Charles and comedian Ellie Taylor. On the judging side, continuity has been a hallmark: Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden have served as judges across all four series. Claire Clark joined them for the first BBC series but did not return for the second. The consistency of Blin and Finden provides a stable evaluative voice even as the presenting team and network landscape shift around them.

Champions & Notable Teams

The winners of each series reflect the show's commitment to showcasing diverse professional backgrounds. Series 1 was claimed by the Squires Kitchen Cookery School team from Surrey, captained by Mark Tilling alongside former pupils Helen Vass and Samantha Rain. Series 2 saw the Military Chefs triumph, with RAF chef Liam Grime leading a team that included Ian Mark and Chris Morrell, defeating Cocorico Patisserie of Cardiff. In Series 3, Emmanuel Bonneau and returning contestant Sam Leatherby from London Hilton on Park Lane took the title, edging out pairs from Resorts World Birmingham and Sweet Art Lab. Series 4 was won by Thibault Marchand and Erica Sangiorgi of Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel, who beat teams from Pennyhill Park Hotel and South Place Hotel. In 2021, Andrew Minto and Michael Coggan from Gin and Bake in Cardiff lifted the trophy.