Jess Lee from East Toronto’s Julienne’s Patisserie tests her skills in new season of Holiday Bakeshop television show
By JULIA SAWICKI
An East Toronto bakery is getting into the holiday spirit, as the owner of Julienne’s Patisserie takes her skills to the screen for the new season of Holiday Bakeshop on Flavour Network.
Jessica Lee, owner of the Gerrard Street East bakery, is among eight bakers competing in the holiday-themed series, putting their creativity and baking skills to the test for a chance to take home the $25,000 grand prize.
Julienne’s Patisserie celebrated its third anniversary in the neighbourhood this past summer, but Lee’s appearance on the show marks a new experience for the local baker, who admits that competing on television was never something she had envisioned for herself.
“I have always said that I never wanted to do a baking show, because it makes what I do super stressful,” said Lee. “But this was definitely worth it in the sense that I loved the experience. I also definitely cried. It’ll be interesting. I will be Kim Kardashian crying on the big screen.”
While the competition brought its fair share of stressful moments, breakdowns, and successes, Lee said one of the most rewarding parts of the experience didn’t have anything to do with competing.
‘My favourite part is definitely meeting everybody on the show. It was a very fast process, but we were with everyone for 14 hours a day,” she said. “So, we got to know each other quickly.”
“Seeing a different part of the industry and what goes on behind-the-scenes of all these shows; I really enjoyed it” she added.
Of course, getting to know her fellow bakers was only part of the experience as the competition was “cut-throat” reality that reminded Lee; they were taking part to win. The bakers had to execute challenges with a demanding pace, where creativity, precision and time management were all factors to consider.
“You’re expected to make two desserts within four hours. And it’s real-life four hours, not TV-time four hours,” said Lee. “I can work really fast, and so I think that benefitted me, but it’s definitely intimidating.”
She said the experience has been met with plenty of excitement and encouragement from the community. The response from customers has been amazing, said Lee, with regulars coming into the bakery eager to ask questions, find out more about her television appearance, and show their support.
While she has been happy to share the excitement, keeping the details of the competition under wraps has required more than a little self-restraint.
“I have a big mouth. So I let them ask me one question, and then I walk away so I cannot physically give more information.”
For Lee, the show is also an opportunity to introduce herself to viewers beyond the familiar interactions and relationships that come with running her business. While customers may know her through their morning visits and casual conversations over the counter, the series offers a chance to see another side of the person behind it all.
She hopes viewers, particularly those who visit Julienne’s, will enjoy getting to know her better as she navigates the challenges and unexpected moments of the competition.
“I think that they’ll definitely see a lot more of my personality, because usually we have a day-to-day interaction like, ‘Hey, good morning,’ or ‘How’s the weather?’ But here, they’ll see everything,” she explained.
“They’ll get to know me more personally, they’ll get to know my personality, the way that I love to laugh and not take anything seriously at all. I think that’ll really show through what I do on the show.”
New episodes of Holiday Bakeshop stream every Sunday at 9 p.m., on Flavour Network through StackTV.
To watch the first episode, please go to https://www.stacktv.ca/series/c7421868-b8ca-11f0-b70b-0242ac110006
Julienne’s Patisserie is located at 2195 Gerrard St. E. For more information, please visit https://juliennes.ca/
