Admit it. Food competitions are one of the top sports watching activities on television.

With the pandemic and countless people are staying home, more television viewers transfixed and tuned in to Food Network’s competitions that pit one chef versus another.

Over the years, Food Network presented several competition shows, including Iron Chef, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Chopped.

Now in its seventh season, Spring Baking Championship is back with another competition vying for the top prize of $25,000 and a feature in Food Network Magazine.

Eleven bakers compete for over 10 episodes for bragging rights on the show. They’ll be judged by Food Network personalities Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and the new addition of Kardea Brown. Ali Khan (Cheap Eats) takes over this year as the host.

Each episode breaks down into two rounds. The pre-heat first-round winner gains an advantage towards the main heat second-round bake-off. In each episode, Khan presents challenges or off-the-wall ingredients to utilize in their baking recipes. Oftentimes, the host will interrupt their baking with a “curveball” that may change the competition. In the end, the three judges taste each baking dish and determine who gets eliminated at the end of each episode.

For the premiere episode, the bakers are welcomed to the Spring Baking Tent to kick off the season by whipping up tasty farm stand-inspired breakfast treats. Their main heat tests their dessert challenge to celebrate spring’s happy, dancing cows.

Other episodic challenges this season include proposal-plate desserts that celebrate springtime romance; baking treats to enjoy around a campfire; and classic summertime treat by making it a springtime delight featuring, ice cream, and fruit.

Spring Baking Championship has its season premiere tomorrow night at 9/8c on the Food Network and discover+. New episodes air Mondays thereafter.

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LRM Online’s Gig Patta spoke with six of the eleven contestants ahead of the season premiere tomorrow night. They talked about the excitement of being on the show, the challenges, handling the stress, and developing lifelong friendships.

Watch the exclusive interviews below (in no specific order) below. Let us know what you think.

Don’t forget to tune in on Mondays! Yum!

Jahmal Dailey (Brooklyn, New York) has been living in Bushwick for the past six years and has been an aspiring pastry chef since the age of eight. Prior to the pandemic, he worked at The Mark Hotel in Manhattan, and since the lockdown began, he has been focused on perfecting his own line of vegan, nut-free macarons.

Laurent Carratie (Morristown, New Jersey) is originally from the South of France and settled in New Jersey five years ago. Nicknamed “Chocolate Boy,” Laurant opened the first-ever chocolate bar in France where he served as an ambassador for Chocolat Michel Cluizel. He is a member of the Academie Culinaire Francaise (ACF), and prior to the pandemic, was also an executive pastry chef at the Harvard Club in Manhattan.

Veruska Samanez (Cedar Grove, New Jersey) is a lifelong New Jersey resident originally from Patterson and owner of Cake + Flourish, where she makes custom cookies, cakes, and chocolates for weddings, birthdays, and other special events. Prior to the pandemic, she was also a pastry chef at the Park Hyatt 57^th Hotel in Manhattan.

Stephanie DeVoll (Downey, California) currently owns her own catering business, specializing in wedding cakes and miniature dessert displays. She has over twelve years of restaurant experience.

Natalie Soto (Los Angeles, California) operates her own online business out of her home in Capistrano Beach. Specializing in cake decoration and mini desserts for weddings, birthdays, and everything in between.

LeeAnn Tolentino (Los Angeles, California) grew up in Walnut Hill and worked at Dominique Ansel Bakery at The Grove in Los Angeles. With over twelve years of restaurant experience, she specializes in cookies, cakes, and plated desserts.

Spring Baking Championship has its season premiere tomorrow night at 9/8c on the Food Network and discover+. New episodes air Mondays thereafter.

Source: LRM Online Exclusive, Food Network, discovery+