Two Okanagan women, Annerien Vermeulen and Lana Dyck, are in the running to win the chance of a lifetime in the Greatest Baker Competition presented by Buddy Valastro.
The winners will receive a professional photo shoot for a two-page spread in the international magazine Bake From Scratch, $10,000, a meet and greet with Valastro, best known for his TV show Cake Boss and a new title of ‘The Greatest Baker.’
The competition brings together all types of bakers, from home cooks to restaurant bakers to bakery owners.
Annerien Vermeulen is a foods teacher in Kelowna, B.C. who has been passionate about baking since she was a young girl.
“I saw it on Facebook and I just thought why not take a chance,” said Vermeulen.
“It would mean so much. Also being diabetic — when I was just diagnosed being diabetic, I thought, ‘How can I continue baking since I cannot taste my own food,’ and it’s just in me and I couldn’t stop baking.”
Annerien adjusts some recipes so that she can enjoy them and for others, she relies on her husband and sons as her tasters.
Lana Dyck is a home baker who lives in Vernon, B.C., who has also been baking since she was a young girl and now she shares her creations with friends, family and co-workers.
“Anything with a bag of flour and sugar and somehow wonderful things come out,” said Dyck.
“I was a little kid and my mom and dad would just let me grab a recipe book. Betty Crocker was my go-to.”
The way the competition works is the bakers are placed into groups and people can vote for them every day to push them into the top spots to continue on through group finals, wildcard rounds, semi-finals and then the finals in February.
“It’s such a huge competition to even be where I am right now I am just kind of blown away and I am excited to see where this goes,” said Dyck.
The winner will be announced on Feb. 9 and until then you can vote for them every day online.
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