The Great Bake Off: Master confectioner Rowena Redwanz is there

Koblenz-based pastry chef and HwK lecturer Rowena Redwanz will compete for the Golden Cupcake in the new season of "Das große Backen – Die Profis" on SAT.1. It premieres on July 2, 2025.

This article is part of the special feature on women in the trades.

These TV evenings are sure to make your mouth water: Starting July 2nd, the show " The Great Bake Off – The Professionals " returns to SAT.1 . Among the eight contestants this time is 28-year-old professional pastry chef Rowena Redwanz from Koblenz.

She was awarded "Germany's best pastry chef" in 2022 and crowned dessert queen of Germany in the TV show " Lege kommt auf den Geschmack " in 2023.

For the past three years, the now 28-year-old master baker and confectioner has worked at the Koblenz Chamber of Skilled Crafts (HwK) . There, she passes on her expertise as a trainer and lecturer to apprentices and aspiring master craftsmen. She is currently not allowed to reveal much about the filming in Berlin – and of course, not how successful she was.

The winner has been chosen! Also read: Rowena Redwanz wins "The Great British Bake Off - The Professionals"

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Competition fever: Baking in the camera light

The utmost discretion is maintained until the finals in August. But it's clear from her interview that she had a great time with the competition. She reports that the tasks were very varied and sometimes presented her with real challenges – and not just because of the initially "unfamiliar" baking utensils and ovens. 

"Once the time was up, it was over – nothing was staged or re-filmed," she says. And even as a professional, things did go wrong sometimes, of course. "So I had to improvise," she laughs.

At the same time, it was great how the candidates supported each other in stressful situations despite the competition. "It was a really warm team atmosphere – including with the entire production crew," she recalls of the long but exciting days of filming. Being in front of the camera hardly bothered her, says Redwanz, who is rather reserved in everyday life: "When you're baking, you're so focused that you usually completely tune out the cameras."

The new season now airs every Wednesday at prime time

Koblenz-based master pastry chef and HwK lecturer Rowena Redwanz is delighted that her participation in the show "The Great Bake Off – The Professionals" was not only a personally enriching experience, but also an excellent opportunity to promote the craft. She hasn't yet revealed how far she's progressed in the show. The current season begins on July 2 on SAT1. Photo: © Joyn/Claudius Pflug

There are some changes to the cooking show "The Great Bake Off." It now airs every Wednesday during prime time (8:15 p.m.) . And there are new rules for the professional bakers: they no longer compete in teams, but in direct duels against each other. Week after week, they face tricky baking challenges, which, according to the network, include "spectacular showpieces" and "tough speed challenges."

Rowena Redwanz describes it from her perspective: "Challenging, multifaceted... it required utmost concentration!" In each episode, the baking pros must demonstrate creative ideas, precise work, and high-quality craftsmanship – all within a time limit, of course. According to Redwanz, a particular challenge was the task of creating a complete showpiece under time pressure.

The Koblenz Chamber of Crafts has released the lecturer for filming

Looking back, she's pleased that participating in the show wasn't just an exciting and enriching experience on a personal level. For the professional pastry chef, it's also "a unique opportunity to promote the craft." The Chamber of Skilled Crafts lecturer is grateful that the Koblenz Chamber of Skilled Crafts granted her leave for filming. "They were very happy to support this special promotional initiative for the skilled trades ," she emphasizes. A total of eight of the best pastry chefs and confectioners from Germany, Austria, and South Tyrol are competing.

The jury is also comprised of top-class experts, including cake artist Bettina Schliephake-Burchardt, renowned pastry chef Christian Hümbs , and Günther Koerffer, the former pastry chef to the Swedish royal family. With all their experience, an eye for detail, and constructive criticism, they guide the professionals through all the challenges.

As in previous seasons, the show will be hosted by Enie van de Meiklokjes . The winner will receive the Golden Cupcake trophy and a cash prize of 10.000 euros.

"The Great British Bake Off – The Professionals" airs every Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. on SAT.1 starting July 2nd and is available to stream for free on Joyn . Koblenz contestant Redwanz recommends: "A must-see!"

Who else is in the running: Among the eight candidates in the new season are pastry chef Larissa Remy (27) from Bernkastel-Kues. At just 25, she opened her own café and chocolate production facility (Café Bernkasteler Stadtpalais), and Theresa de Silva ( 32) from Beckum in Münsterland. She creates vegan chocolate masterpieces. In 2023, Theresa won the "Championnat du Chocolat" in Koblenz.

DHB now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!