Food Network viewers and legions of Harry Potter fans are going to have an extra special holiday season this year with the premiere of the new series, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, on Thursday, November 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and globally on Max where the platform is available (with further broadcasters to be announced).
Capitalizing on the enduring love for Harry Potter, the series blends legendary storytelling and fantastical edible creations in a never-before-seen competition that will have audiences at the edge of their seats.
James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) bring their exceptional charm and behind-the-scenes anecdotes as hosts of this most magical series, joined by esteemed culinary judges Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef.
Across the six-episode season, they will also be joined by special guests Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), who will help in evaluating the competitors’ showpieces and also share their own film stories.
The competition kicks off with a super-sized episode in which nine teams of pastry chefs and cake artists are tasked to craft massive, spellbinding edible showpieces inspired by moments and themes from the Harry Potter saga. Each week, the culinary artists will design eye-popping creations not only to tantalize the taste buds but also to offer surprising and enchanting visual elements.
Fans of Harry Potter will recognize many iconically familiar places, as the series was produced at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, including amidst the backdrop of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, on some of the original sets where Harry Potter’s journey was brought to life on screen. Contenders will have the unprecedented opportunity to present their creations in famed locations such as Platform 9¾, The Great Hall, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Diagon Alley, the Forbidden Forest, and more.
“With Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, the confectionary magic coming this November is splendidly real and unlike anything seen before,” said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery.
“By tapping into the incredible fandom of Harry Potter, as well as that of Food Network’s holiday programming, it is a culinary competition that delivers on multiple levels with elevated culinary craftsmanship executed in an enchanted setting and airing during the most wonderful time of year.”
The teams competing include Kimberly Adams (Milwaukee, MI) and Ashley Cardona (Charleston, SC), Lisa Altfest (Orange County, CA) and Mitzi Reyes (Los Angeles, CA), Hemu Basumatary (Katy, TX) and Riccardo Menicucci (Los Angeles, CA), Zoe Burmester (Brooklyn, NY) and Jordan Pilarski (Ojai, CA), and Jess Lewis (Washington, DC) and Jamie Louks (Seattle, WA).
There’s also Kayla Giddings (Lafayette, LA) and Yohann Le Bescond (Ocala, FL), Juan Gutierrez (Chicago, IL) and Elizabeth Rowe (Dallas, TX), Michael Russ II (Modesto, CA) and Conner Strackman (Smithville, TX), and Christopher Teixeira (Chicago, IL) and Miko Uy (Astoria, NY).
A group of lucky fans will have the opportunity to taste some of the competitors’ handiwork. Then, in the finale, the team that wins the competition will be awarded the first-ever Wizards of Baking Cup and will have the opportunity to appear in a new Harry Potter cookbook.
Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking is produced by Warner Horizon and theoldschool for Food Network. Warner Horizon’s Bridgette Theriault and Dan Sacks serve as executive producers with theoldschool’s Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to provide the latest news on streaming, movies, and TV shows. He previously created the websites ComingSoon, SuperHeroHype, and ShockTillYouDrop.