Food Network is gearing up for season 7 of Spring Baking Championship, premiering February 22, 2021. The baking competition has been a fan favorite since it started in 2015. Some of the best bakers and pastry chefs in the country show off their amazing skills at both creating unique flavors (often with twist ingredients they can’t plan for) and creating a work of edible art.

Contestants compete for the ultimate prize of $25,000 and a feature in Food Network magazine. The competitors try their hardest and the baker sent home every week is visibly upset to not get the title and the prize. Luckily for them, baking is also good therapy But what about the winners? How have past winners been able to use the televised win to their advantage? (Spoilers for seasons 1-6 ahead!)

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

For some winners, life seems to go back to normal after the win. Season 1 & 2 winners Andy Chlebana and Jane Shoudah took their check and went back to their regular jobs. Andy returned to his job as a professor and pastry chef at Joliet Junior College, which happily boasts about their professor’s win. Jane Shoudah returned to her own bakery, Sweet Jane’s Bakeshop, though she has also made appearances on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, sharing some of her recipes.

Some winners have leveraged their win to earn spots on other Food Network shows, which hosts many other addictive baking competitions. Season 3 and season 4 winners both appeared on the board-game-turned-sweet-competition show Candy Land. Season 3’s Jordan Pilarski was a competitor on the show while season 4’s Nacho Aguirre was a judge. Jordan had his chance to judge on multiple episodes of Christmas Cookie Challenge. Season 5 winner Cory Barrett had already put in his time on TV as a sous chef on 15 episodes of Iron Chef America before competing in Spring Baking Championship. After his win, he decided to take a break from TV and returned to teaching at Kalamazoo Valley Community College as well as starting his own consulting business, Chef Cory Barrett Consulting.

But while winning a televised competition certainly comes with bragging rights, it doesn’t mean everything falls into place. Besides notoriety attracting internet trolls a win doesn’t protect against life’s normal ups and downs. Season 6 winner Sohrob Esmaili won the Spring Baking Championship that aired in 2020, but as of January 2021, he is unemployed and, according to his LinkedIn page, looking for work.

See also  Pixar Producer Defends Decision To Stop Making Theatrical Short Films

Overall, the competitors on Spring Baking Championship seem to enjoy themselves and fans certainly enjoy watching them. So even if it doesn’t lead to fame or fortune, it gives bakers a chance to share what they love with the world.

90 Day Fiancé: Memphis Poses With Bare Baby Bump In Goddess-Like Photos

About The Author


Veronica Brush
(203 Articles Published)

Veronica Brush is a writer of many words. When she’s not contributing to Screen Rant, she can usually be found in a dark corner, composing tales of fantastical futures. Her musings include a novella series about murder in the first Martian colony and a short story about robot psychology. The rest of the time, Veronica can be found doing her actual full-time job: snuggling her dogs (a job for which she has yet to be paid.)

More From Veronica Brush