New Judge for ‘Chelsea New Zealand’s Hottest Home Baker’

MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 15 March, 2012

New Judge in the Mix for ‘Chelsea New Zealand’s Hottest Home Baker’

Filming has begun on Chelsea New Zealand’s Hottest Home Baker, and with a record number of applicants, the latest season is shaping up to be sweeter than ever!

TV3’s popular baking contest returns to our screens this year with tougher challenges, new contestants and a new judge, Julia Crownshaw - who believes that baking is not simply an art but a science.

Julia Crownshaw has an honours degree in food science, and has worked in product development in the UK and New Zealand, most recently as co-founder of the award-winning Dollop Puddings.

Sue Woodfield – Head of Factual Production at MediaWorks, says Crownshaw brings a new flavour to the series.

“Julia’s back ground in Food Science, gives her a fantastically technical way of looking at baking,” she says.

“Julia understands the science behind ingredients and how different combinations and seemingly small details can alter the final product intrinsically.

“She’s also a proven expert when it comes to taste with the success of her specialty dessert company, not to mention a natural in front of the camera!”

Crownshaw says she has high expectations for the series – and high standards.

“I am expecting the level of baking to be exceptionally high and will be looking to get the most out of our contestants,” she says.

“Baking has made a retro comeback of late, so let’s really show New Zealand what can be achieved.”

And she has a warning for this year’s finalists:

“I am going to be particularly hot on both the science and technical understanding of baking, and the creativity of what they are presenting us with,” she says.

“So I am throwing down the gauntlet, I want to be surprised and delighted!”

Julia joins host Colin Mathura-Jeffree and fellow judge, international baker and pâtissier, Dean Brettschneider, both whom are returning for their third series.

Chelsea New Zealand’s Hottest Home Baker returns to TV3 in the very near future.
-ends-

MediaWorks NZ Limited (website: www.mediaworks.co.nz) is New Zealand’s leading private sector broadcast and online media company. Through its specialist divisions – MediaWorks TV, MediaWorks Radio and MediaWorks Interactive, it owns and operates the TV3 and FOUR television networks, national radio brands The Edge, The Rock, MORE FM, Kiwi FM, RadioLIVE, LiveSPORT, Solid Gold, The Breeze, George FM and Mai FM, plus several local radio stations, and a family of websites.

COLIN MATHURA-JEFFREE: Host

The flamboyant and fabulous Colin Mathura-Jeffree is a model and actor, best known as the wild haired, lamington-throwing judge on New Zealand’s Next Top Model.

Colin has worked in the fashion industry for the past 20 years both in New Zealand and internationally, frequently modelling in India, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

He starred in the Bollywood movie Love Has No Language with Miss India Celina Jaitley, and was the horse riding, sword-wielding King of India in Xena: Warrior Princess as well as recently having guest roles on America’s Next Top Model and TV3’s Would I Lie To You?


DEAN BRETTSCHNEIDER: Judge

Dean Brettschneider is a professional baker. After completing his apprenticeship in New Zealand, he worked in the US, Britain, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, gaining experience in all areas of the baking world.

Today, Dean is regarded as one of the best bakers on the planet. Following some years based in Shanghai, Dean is now working from Denmark, Britain and Singapore, but still visits New Zealand regularly and has bakery interests in Auckland, Shanghai and his newly-opened establishment in Singapore. Dean’s 10 baking books have won World Food Media Awards and Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

JULIA CROWNSHAW: Judge

Julia Crownshaw graduated from Otago University with an honours degree in food science. She has a background in product development, having worked for Tip Top New Zealand, and with a high-end chocolate company in the UK.

Julia is also the co-founder of the award-winning Dollop Puddings, She began the business just two years ago with a friend, on her return from Europe.

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