Mauro and Daniel from The Landmark London have been crowned the champions of Bake Off: The Professionals.
The winning duo from the five-star London hotel saw off competition from the Harwoods Patisserie and The Dorchester teams in the final episode of the Channel 4 baking contest to take home the top prize on Tuesday evening.
The dramatic final episode of the 10-part series saw judges Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden set two challenges, with the first seeing the teams adorn a dessert trolley with three sharing sweet dishes – a chiffon pie, a decadent jelly and a baked Alaska – within a four-hour deadline.
The final seven-hour challenge of the series saw the teams create a 1920s banquet display to reflect the opulence of the era with enough desserts to feed 80 people, before Mauro and Daniel were handed the title.
Good to see Daniel has claimed the hat for his Daniel in the hat 😍 #GBBO pic.twitter.com/KeyEeMgwjj
— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) August 29, 2023
“We worked so hard for this and it’s a dream come true,” team captain Mauro said.
The Landmark London’s head pastry chef continued: “The moment we heard our names announced, I just exploded with an extreme shout… After five months of working hard and intense pressure, I was so pleased to win.
He added: “Bringing back the trophy was so exciting, and it has been hidden away for a long time and now we are going to make an extravagant showpiece (titled) The Guard Of Victory incorporating our winning tray and that will be on show at the entrance of The Landmark, so everyone can see it.”
The 37-year-old said the pair got more confident as the weeks passed and they had “less time to practice” for the programme, but also because his team-mate Daniel, who was part of the team at London’s Le Gavroche when it was first awarded three Michelin stars, has 45 years’ experience.
“My team-mate Daniel brought years of experience to the series, he is 59 and is so unflappable and unemotional so it was a huge support for me to have his culinary know-how matched with his calm persona,” Mauro said.
“Winning the final was the peak of my career as a pastry chef, it was so important to me and it was a difficult journey in terms of time management, and at some stages we weren’t sure if we were even going to finish a challenge, but we always managed to.”
He added: “All the other teams in the series were all so talented and hardworking, and it really was a tough final.”
The baking series, hosted by Liam Charles and Ellie Taylor, is a spin-off of The Great British Bake Off.
Speaking about the winning team, Finden said: “Mauro and Daniel never gave up and that is the key for them to win this year.”
Blin said: “It was a very tough decision, but we are very happy for Mauro and Daniel, they worked their socks off all throughout the competition, and they have been brilliant. You have done well.”
Bake Off: The Professionals 2022 saw Nathan and Kevin crowned the champions.