Meet the bakers of 'The Great Canadian Baking Show'

<p>Ready. Set. BAKE! This fall, Britain's favourite food competition series, <em>The Great British Bake Off</em> crosses the pond for the very first season of <em>The Great Canadian Baking Show</em> (season premiere Nov. 1, CBC). <p>Hosted by Dan Levy and Julia Chan, the show will feature 10 of Canada's best amateur bakers, all hoping to impress judges Bruno Feldeisen and Rochelle Adonis with their delicious creations. <p>Click through to meet this year's contestants and place your bets on who will be named Star Baker. <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>SABRINA DEGNI</h4> <b>Hometown: Montreal, QC</b> <br> Sabrina's family hails from one of the world's most coveted countries for incredible food: Italy. This Montreal born baker grew up making Italian pastries, cakes and breads alongside the matriarchs of her family who inspired her passion for food. When she isn't in the kitchen, Sabrina, 24, can be found working as a graphic designer. <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>JULIAN D'ENTREMONT</h4> <b>Hometown: Yarmouth, NS</b> <br> Contractor by day, baker by night, this Nova Scotia native takes inspiration from his nine-to-five job and prefers a Do-It-Yourself baking style. Julian values making all of his goodies from scratch, an incredible skill he learned from his grandmother. He's a big fan of fishing, hunting and spending time in nature, where he forages for ingredients to make his baked goods unique. <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>JAMES HOYLAND</h4> <b>Hometown: Darlington, UK</b> <br> A Canadian transplant from Britain, James is putting his <i>Great British Bake Off</i> obsession to good use! But contrary to what you may think, this baker didn't find his whisk and spatula in England—he got into baking at the age of 36 to get through the harsh New Brunswick winters. As a physics professor, James is rooted in scientific facts, but he likes to be spontaneous in the kitchen with bold flavours and extra spice wherever possible. <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>VANDANA JAIN</h4> <b>Hometown: Kenora, ON</b> <br> Vandana is a woman who wears many hats: pianist, dancer, CFO and, of course, baker. But she brings a special quality to her baking by taking inspiration from her Indian roots and fusing those flavours with prairie classics. Vandana spent much of her childhood learning to bake from her mother, and she's eagerly passing on this skill to her three-year-old son! <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>LINDA LONGSON</h4> <b>Hometown: High River, AB</b> <br> An every day baker, Linda knows the ins and outs of creating all of the classics from scratch. For the past twenty years, this loving grandmother has baked birthday cakes for all eight of her grandkids! This is no easy feat for the faint of heart, but Linda has the classic skill and drive necessary to make any baked good come to life. Her greatest joy is entertaining her large family over a spread of amazing food. <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>PIERRE MORIN</h4> <b>Hometown: Quebec City, QC</b> <br> The story of Pierre's foray into baking is one of a fairytale, but for him, it's reality. As a classically trained musician, the Quebec City native found his footing in the kitchen while globetrotting with the symphony. After trading in his guitar for a career in dentistry to appease his scientific side, Pierre mastering the art of the most-advanced French pastries. Having since retired, this baker has been hard at work perfecting his art, travelling the world and getting back to his first love, music. <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>COREY SHEFMAN</h4> <b>Hometown: Thornhill, ON</b> <br> From human rights lawyer to traditional baker, Corey likes to change lives both in the courtroom and the kitchen. This genuine, down-to-earth lad inherited the baking gene from his mother and draws inspiration from traditional Jewish traditions passed down from his family. But don't expect Corey to stick to the status quo—he likes tradition... With a twist! <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>SINCLAIR SHUIT</h4> <b>Hometown: Winnipeg, MB</b> <br> As a full-time optometrist, Sinclair has an eye for the finer things in life, a required characteristic for a baker of fancy pastries! He embraces precision and channels his meticulous penchant for detail into creating everything from breads to cakes. But don't get him wrong: this creative food artist keeps it fun in the kitchen, jamming to hip-hop and energetic mash-ups while perfecting his creations. <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>JUDE SOMERS</h4> <b>Hometown: Kamloops and Salmon Arm, BC</b> <br> It's never a dull moment in Jude's kitchen! As a retired animator, this competitor likes to keep things quirky when it comes to her baking style. Well-versed in both breads and pastries—thanks to her grandmothers who specialized in both—Jude is a guaranteed force to be reckoned with! She's bound to keep the delicious surprises coming every week. <p>Photo: © CBC
<h4>TERRI THOMPSON</h4> <b>Hometown: Cornwall, ON</b> <br> Terri's love for baking was born from her compassion for others, specifically her husband who she baked for daily while he recovered from an injury five months before their wedding. But something good came out of it—she discovered her incredible skill for baking bread, pastries and sweets from scratch, all the while caring for her family of five. A family woman to the bone, Terri certainly bakes from the heart. <p>Photo: © CBC
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