Shuswap grandma competes for $10K on Food Network's 'The Big Bake' | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Shuswap grandma competes for $10K on Food Network's 'The Big Bake'

Malakwa grandma Janet Letendre as seen on "The Big Bake: Holiday."
Image Credit: The Food Network

A grandma from Malakwa is competing for $10,000 in a televised bake-off, and the show will be airing tonight on Food Network Canada.

Janet Letendre is the owner of Gramma Bear’s Cakery and this is her second appearance on Food Network Canada.

The Big Bake: Holiday episode was filmed earlier this year in Toronto where Letendre was the leader of Team Triple Treats. The other members were her cousin Chrissy Cummings from Red Deer and her Facebook friend Karen Huntley from Edmonton – and it was Letendre’s first time meeting either of them in person.

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While competing against two other teams, the challenge is to impress judges with an edible idea about how Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus would spend a day off at the North Pole.

“Our theme was a hot tub,” Letendre. “That’s what I would want to do with a day off at the North Pole, I would just wanna relax in a hot tub.”

The team envisioned Santa and Mrs. Claus relaxing in a steamy hot tub. The women even had to use some carpentry skills in order to build a large-scale model out of cake, along with a penguin chilling out on the side, an elf as a towel boy, and some hot chocolate to sip on. For an added touch and some special effects, they also installed a bubble maker and dry ice machine.

Beyond the creative aspect, judges expect the cake to be tasty as well.

The teams were rushed with just five hours to hustle and complete their projects, but they still made time to be playful with the hosts.

“(Co-host) Edie Jackson and I are dancing, and I said how we’re having a hot tub arty the judges are invited,” she said. “That’s how you felt throughout the while thing, was very comfortable.”

At one point Letendre gets a little sassy with another contestant who gets too close to her, but she was just kidding.

Throughout the whole production Letendre said she never felt nervous. She remembers having many reasons to laugh during of the contest and didn’t care about whether or not she won.

READ MORE: Malakwa woman the only Canadian to compete in Food Network baking show

She felt blessed to be on Food Network Canada again, and remembers being on set the first time having to literally had to pinch herself because it felt so surreal.

Letendre’s earliest memories of baking are from the age of 6, when she would read out recipes for her mother who was blind. For the past few years, she has been running Gramma Bear’s Cakery which specializes in gluten-free cakes. She claims that cupcake lovers cannot tell the difference because hers are so fluffy and delicious, and she won’t give up her trade secrets because they’ve taken so long to perfect.

The episode of The Big Bake: Holiday featuring Letendre is episode two, season three. It airs today, Nov. 23, on Food Network Canada and it can be watched on-demand with a subscription to Stack TV or through the Global TV app.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Dan Walton or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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