Three local cake artists are appearing on Food Network Canada’s Big Bake Holiday on Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. as they rise to the Reindeer Games challenge.
Jenn Goldie, Heather Nelson and Katie Stymiest are all
They started out as friends and now are closer than ever after mixing it up during this exciting experience.
It all began when a Food Network Big Bake producer reached out to Goldie, who is Fabulous Cakes by Jenn, earlier this year to ask her to apply for the show as the producer had seen her cake decorating talent online.
Goldie immediately thought to turn down the offer because she didn’t think she was good enough.
“We are all our own worst critics, right?” Goldie laughed.
Her dad soon convinced her otherwise.
That’s when she decided to first reach out to Nelson who said they had to do it and then Goldie reached out to Stymiest and together they agreed to go on this television baking adventure.
It only took a couple of days after she applied online and Goldie was Skyping with the producers of the show and then quickly got the news her team would be on it.
The Big Bake Holiday show sees three professional teams of three compete against each other during a five-hour creating frenzy where they bake, design and decorate a grand-scale cake creation. In the end the most outstanding concoction of monumental proportions takes home the $10,000 prize.
Goldie's not allowed to spoil it for us so we have to watch to see what happens.
The judges for Team Fix It With Frosting and their competitors were foodie stars Eddie Jackson, Ron Ben-Israel and Harry Eastwood.
The local creatives flew out to
Growing up making cakes Goldie never thought her decorating flare would lead to something like this. But she remembers how it started.
“I always wanted set the table for dinner with a table cloth and make everything look pretty - I’m very - I don’t really want to say OCD in that way - but a little bit,” she laughed. She loved decorating cakes she made when she was little more than she liked to bake them.
When it was time to choose a career as an adult Goldie worked at financial institutions for a time but it just wasn’t for her, she explained.
“When I talked to my husband about it the little cake decorating course at Michael’s turned into the Pastry Training Centre in
Her business took off and nine years later she’s known for her creative decorating techniques.
“It turned out I have a knack for it,” Goldie under states her cake decorating skills. “I’m not a big fan of baking to be completely honest - I do it - obviously - but it’s the creative aspect that I love.”
To be on the show was a pretty humbling experience for Goldie.
“I was very honoured,” she said.
Covid protocols made it interesting for the trio who had to fly to
“It was an amazing experience being on set at 7 a.m. and seeing the process of what goes on behind filming and all the people involved - it’s a big operation,” Goldie said. “I never really thought about it before but there’s a ton of people involved. We were in studio from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. It was a long, mentally and physically draining day but an experience I would not change for anything. It was amazing. We were really honoured to represent
The biggest bonus is how close the three friends are now more than ever before.
“To me that take away is just gold right there,” Goldie said.
