Sartaj Singh
Netflix’s ‘Blue Ribbon Baking Championship’ is a state-fair-inspired baking competition with Blue Ribbon winners from state fairs across the country competing for the Best-in-fair Ribbon. Season 1 saw ten contestants bake crave-worthy cakes and put together delectable desserts for a $100,000 grand prize. With the first season having ended with Nathan Chandler winning the title, we sought to satiate our curiosity regarding the current whereabouts and ventures of the contestants.
Nathan Chandler Celebrated Three Years of Successful Business
A relatively new baker in the competition, Nathan Chandler swept the highest number of ribbons in the season, even winning Fair Favorite before bagging the $100,000 grand prize. The 31-year-old from Pocatello, Idaho, runs his own shop, Confections Bakery, at 715 North Main Street. Chandler celebrated the business’ three-year anniversary on February 22, 2024, decorating the store and thanking the local community for their support. He shares his working space symbiotically with a Florist outlet, Flowers By LD. One of its managers, Josh Rahl, is also his romantic partner.
Nathan has been baking for about ten years, and he started honing the craft as a hobby, watching videos, and getting more involved as time went on. He started by making cupcakes for students of the elementary school where he worked and getting feedback from the teachers. ‘Blue Ribbon Baking Championship’ was not Chandler’s first time on TV, as he has also appeared as a contestant on season 3 of Food Network’s ‘Christmas Cookie Challenge’ in 2019, a negative experience which nearly made him skip out on taking part in the Netflix show. The bakery owner is very active and rolls with the trends, specializing in custom orders, which have recently seen him crafting intricate cakes with themes ranging from Volkswagen van and Football to ‘James and the Giant Peach’ and ‘Spongebob.’ He also made specialized French macarons and cookies that were customized for Idahome Real Estate’s open house.
The Blue Ribbon champion doesn’t shy away from imparting his knowledge and takes occasional baking classes. He held an Easter-themed session in March 2024, teaching floral arrangements as well as recipes for six different Easter-themed sugar cookies. He is also an avid ‘Harry Potter’ fan and proudly takes a stand for his interests and ideals. Nathan loves his work and finds it to be a creative outlet, offering a new challenge every day. He has a very supportive community around him, propelling the expert baker to greater heights.
Felicia Dawn Fulfilled Custom Orders and Held a Fundraiser
Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California, Felicia Dawn runs a flourishing cupcake bakery called Just One Bite Cupcakes. The 53-year-old shone bright on the Netflix show, winning three blue ribbons before placing second as the runner-up of the season. After returning home, she continued her proactive business ventures, opening up stalls, teaching classes, and making her famous churro cupcakes, which won her first Blue Ribbon at the OC Fair in 2013. She often sets up booths at venues around the city and sold her vibrant cupcakes and cookies at a night event in Little Tokyo in March 2024.
Over the coming months, Dawn received a multitude of custom cookie orders and delivered delectable treats for birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. Beyond her business, the ‘Blue Ribbon Baking Championship’ runner-up also held a fundraiser in July, selling out completely and bringing her community together for a noble cause. Dawn is a family woman at heart and baked a special cake for her eldest daughter’s 21st birthday on July 9. She wrote a heartfelt message for her on Instagram and could hardly believe that she had grown up so fast. Her husband, Henry Dawn, has been a rock in her life, and she showed her appreciation for him while tearing up before the final round on the show. Even though the pro baker jokes about her two kids driving her crazy, she deeply loves and appreciates them as much as possible.
Eileen Gannon’s Brand Won Its Third Sofi Award
A heavyweight in the world of baking, Eileen Gannon walked into the competition with over 600 ribbons under her belt and quickly became a force to watch out for, winning three Blue Ribbons. The owner of a premium chocolate dessert sauce company, Sunday Night Foods, the Des Moines resident first started out baking inspired by her mother at the age of eleven and has been participating in state fairs ever since. The 58-year-old has even begun giving back to her community, which helped her grow, baking a large Blueberry Pie to be auctioned off for the benefit of the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation in July 2024.
Gannon began her chocolate sauce company in 2021 and has since developed many popular flavors and products, often marketing them through booths at state fairs and other culinary events. The company has consistently won the esteemed Sofi Awards since 2022, all the way up to 2024, when their Sea Salt Premium Chocolate Sauce won the gold Sofi award. Despite her heavy workload in running the successful company, the baker remains in touch with the skills she has honed all her life and even takes time out to teach classes, such as those taking place at the Iowa State Fair in August 2024.
Catherine Cheng is Baking Full-Time and Expanding Her Menu
The anxious and adorable Catherine Cheng won fans and a Judge’s Choice Award on ‘Blue Ribbon Baking Championship’ with her decadent bakes and creativity. Cat moved to New Hyde Park in 2019 with her software engineer husband, David Z. Cheng, and began baking full-time during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A former orchestra director in the Sewanhaka Central High School District, she is skilled at playing the violin and piano. The 27-year-old is the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, with her father working as an IT infrastructure engineer and her mother as a Christian minister and after-school teacher.
In May 2024, she celebrated her younger brother’s graduation with a lemon blueberry cake layered with blueberry coulis filling and lemon buttercream. July 7 saw her and David complete five years together, and the two toasted to the occasion with glasses of champagne. Catherine won a Blue Ribbon for her apple pie at a state fair in 2022 and has been going full-steam ahead on her baking since. Her time on the show seems to have galvanized her passion further, and 2024 saw her add many exciting items to her menu. These included fluffy chocolate cupcakes, Valentine’s Day chocolate chip cookies, Oreo cake, and summer sample boxes. Alongside her menu, her reputation and list of orders continue to grow, with Catherine baking custom wedding cakes, eclairs, and her popular tres leches cake.
Kim Thompson Took Part in the Maryland State Fair and Attended a Cooking Retreat
Living in Glen Allen, Virginia, Kim Thompson is known for her specialized pound cakes, including her popular “Welcome To Jam Rock,” which is topped with Jamaican rum sauce, and “Crush on You,” which is encrusted with Oreo cookies. Her “Dear Mama” classic pound cake was the award-winning dessert at the State Fair of Virginia in 2021 and 2022. The dance instructor and baker continues to take part in pop-up markets around Richmond.
Thompson ventured out of state to compete in ‘Dessert Wars’ Baltimore in April 2024 at the Maryland State Fair. In July, the 42-year-old attended Porsha Kimble’s Brown Sugar Retreat and had a blast. She took classes with chef Bree Miller and had an inspiring learning experience. Running her own business under Kimmy Kakes LLC, Thompson continues to grow and is often praised by her customers.
Dr. Ron Bronitsky Continues to Innovate on His Signature Pies
Dr. Ron Bronitsky blew us away with his many talents on the show, winning two Judge’s Choice awards for his cotton candy cupcake and the cookie taco he made collaborating with Cat. The 73-year-old has many talents that he has refined over the years, including singing and acting for theater productions around his hometown of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque in New Mexico. A retired pulmonary care professional, he specializes in pies, winning the Blue Ribbon at the New Mexico State Fair for his blueberry pie. For those who would like to sample his bakes, Dr. Bronitsky heads out to Los Ranchos Growers Market on Saturdays to sell his latest creations.
“I’m making a brand new one that I’m trying out,” said the Blue Ribbon holder. “I’ve never made it before. It’s an orange rum maple pecan pie. And I made a green chile apple pie as well. And the only thing left I have to make — well, I haven’t decided yet, (but) maybe a strawberry rhubarb. It’s the season for it.” The doctor is an inspiring figure of creativity and reaching one’s ever-expanding potential. He is living his philosophy, which he captured beautifully when talking to Vanderbilt as an alumnus, saying, “When I’m ready to die, I want to be able to look back and say I tried everything I thought I could possibly do, and I did it to the best of my ability,”
Lois Szymanski Spruytte Continues to Take Part in Competitions and Pop-up Markets
Lois Szymanski Spruytte is a proactive chef and baker who participates in various competitions and events under her brand, Little Bit of Mom. With her supportive family behind her, she takes part in the World Food Championships each year, as well as various other cooking and baking competitions, including state fairs. She frequently works at the Auburn Hills Sam’s Club, opening her Chef Creations stall for shoppers.
Spruytte takes part in pop-up markets frequently and opened a stall at the Starr Craft Brewery’s 5th Anniversary party in July 2024. Soon after, she celebrated her 64th birthday on July 21, 2024, with her son, Bill Spruytte, complementing her passion for cooking even further with a gift of premium ingredients. The Blue Ribbon winner has taken part in a lot of charity work, donating towards the Children’s Miracle Network as well as the Richmond Volunteer Fire Department over the past year.
Jeff Bartolozzi Competed in the Ohio State Fair and Traveled
Making an impression as a delightful and good-natured contestant on the show who won a white ribbon, Jeff is an Attorney based in Columbus, Ohio. The 35-year-old went back to baking with a passion after returning from the competition. He submitted his entry into the Ohio State Fair in July, creating macarons with pistachio and orange blossom Italian-meringue buttercream and candied Valencia orange peel. He also made a mouth-watering biscoff cheesecake for Mother’s Day in May. The former Peace Corps volunteer has a love for travel, and he explored Barcelona, Spain, in March and went on a family trip to Savannah, Georgia, to celebrate his daughter Molly’s birthday by the beach.
Jennifer Stoker Created Delightful Bakes and Crafts
Jennifer Stoker wears many hats, being a mother to her son and poodles while working as an Aerospace Engineer, Zumba instructor, craftswoman, and artisanal baker. She has recently created a range of adorable plushies, including crochet dinosaurs and a hand-sewn unicorn baby blanket made from lux fleece. She also continues to receive baking orders, making custom cakes and cupcakes. In August, she created ‘Winnie the Pooh’ themed chocolate dipped strawberries for a baby shower and a funny chocolate vanilla cake. Stoker is an advocate for Zepbound, a weight loss medicine that is helping her lead a healthier life as she lost around 29 pounds of pure fat in four months. On May 25, 2024, Jennifer Stoker and her husband celebrated their 10th anniversary, looking forward to making many more memories with each other and their son.
Larry Kaiser Served Up Fresh Produce and Collaborated Locally
The proud owner of 1760 Homestead Farm, Larry Kaiser, won the first Judge’s Choice for his unique North Fork potato candy bar but was unfortunately disqualified before we could see more such rare desserts from him. Kaiser offers North Fork curated items and much more from his farm, which he began working 36 years ago after leaving his job in the kitchen. Among his heirloom produce and special offerings are striped German tomatoes, horseradish, garlic, Delicata Squash, and honey.
Known for his Concord grape pie, the farmer is socially active and collaborates with chefs and influencers regularly. In July, he took part in a fundraiser, and reporter Erin Colton inspected his farm before cooking with him on The East End Show. Larry Kaiser is looking forward to hosting the Ultimate Chef Experience on August 18 with Food Network star and friend Nicholas Poulmentis, cooking Mediterranean-influenced BBQ.
Read More: Best Game Shows on Netflix
