Contestant Miko Kaw Hok Uy (right) from Astoria, as seen on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, Season 1.
Photo courtesy of Food Network
Nov. 13, 2024 By Emily Davenport
Astoria resident and professional baker Miko Uy is set to compete in a magical new baking show on the Food Network, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, where iconic sets from the Harry Potter universe inspire each bake.
This unique competition, hosted by James and Oliver Phelps (known for their roles as Fred and George Weasley in the movie franchise), immerses contestants in the wizarding world, with access to legendary sets like Hogwarts’ Great Hall and Gringotts Bank. Uy, a dedicated Harry Potter fan, is thrilled to be part of the show, describing it as “like living your dreams” and an escape into a world of wizardry.
In Wizards of Baking, nine teams of two bakers—top professionals paired together for the first time—create elaborate, eye-catching treats inspired by scenes from the movies, competing for the coveted Wizards of Baking Cup. Alongside Uy is another New York City baker, Zoe Burmester of Brooklyn. Both bakers embraced the chance to honor the beloved franchise through their creations. As Burmester shared, “You come with the weight of that responsibility… wanting to do right, by the story, by the characters, by the world.”
The show, filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England, showcases the creativity, skill, and passion of these bakers as they bring the magic of Harry Potter to life in edible form, with the winning team earning the first-ever Wizards of Baking Cup and a feature in an upcoming Harry Potter cookbook.
Hosts James and Oliver Phelps with Contestants Riccardo Meniccuci and Hemu Basu, as seen on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, Season 1.Photo courtesy of Food Network
“Everything we’ve done with Harry Potter has always been the best of the best. The theme parks aren’t just a ride with a sticker on it,” said James Phelps. “They built the world there, the movies, they ran for eight movies and they were some of the biggest ones that have ever been made, they’re always top-top. And just like when we did this show, it is no exception.”
Competing alongside Uy and Burmester are 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), Jordan Pilarski (Ojai, CA), Jess Lewis (Washington, DC) and Jamie Louks (Seattle, WA), 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). According to the Phelps twins, each baker was able to bring some of their own hometown spin to their bakes whenever possible.
Judges Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef with Hosts James and Oliver Phelps in The Great Hall, as seen on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, Season 1. Photo courtesy of Food Network
“When we’re making Potter, and you’re very much in this bubble of that part of England where you’re filming. You don’t think about the global scope and what people are doing while they’re watching the films, or their fan base and where they’re from; they bring that into it. It really shows what, how diverse a culture it can be,” said Oliver Phelps.
Joining the judges’ panel are Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef, as well as special “Harry Potter” guest stars Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Evana Lynch (Luna Lovegood), and Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), who will help evaluate the bakes. The show is taking it a step further by allowing fans to try the bakes as well.
“You are with the fans, you have to talk to them, you have to sell it and it’s not just about talking but they have to experience what you’re talking about through the desserts that you’re making. There’s so much pressure on our part,” said Uy. “How are we gonna make them experience this one through the flavors that we have? It’s supposed to be fun, but when you have super fans of Harry Potter, it can be pressuring and scary at the same time because they’re expecting so much from us. They want to experience the magic through the cakes that we made or the desserts that we made.”
“It just brings a whole new level to the to the competition when you are feeding a group of people. You’re not only having to create more things, which obviously has its own sort of challenge, but I suppose the difference is that the judges are judging you very much on design and taste and your skill level and your execution,” said Burmester. “I think with the fans, people just shoot from the hip and the heart. It has to connect with them, and they have to kind of get it.”
As hosts, the Phelps twins watched the action unfold and saw how the bakers worked together.
Hosts James Phelps and Oliver Phelps with guest judge Warwick Davis, as seen on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, Season 1.Photo courtesy of Food Network
“The one thing that I really noticed is how supportive the teams were of the other teams, like checking in saying “how are you getting on guys,” and supporting each other. There was no trash talk being talked or anything like that. It was a real nice, everybody moving in the same direction together, which was really sweet to see because there is a competition element of it as well,” said Oliver Phelps.
When the competition begins to air, Burmester is looking forward to bringing Harry Potter to life in a brand new way, while Uy is looking to showcase that not all Slytherins are as bad as you might think.
“I’m looking forward to the audience experiencing the world of Harry Potter through food, through a new medium and in a way that that they can take and maybe be inspired by and adapt themselves in their own kitchens,” said Burmester. “Food is such a universal language; everyone can relate to how certain dishes make them feel. I’m hoping that it will allow them to experience the very well-known Harry Potter stories and sets and characters just in a completely different way in a way that they haven’t seen before.”
“We all know that people are not really partial when it comes to Slytherin because we all know that they’re kind of sly. It’s all about negativity. But that’s the reason why we’re there in the show because we want to show to the world to the fans that Slytherin can be fun as well,” said Uy. “We want to bring the fun in the Harry Potter world even though we’re Slytherin that we can be fun. We can be loving, we can be nice people as well.”
The Phelps twins say that the show will help create lasting memories for Harry Potter and baking competition show fans alike.
“There’s a human story we got from these different bakers, all from different walks of life,” said Oliver Phelps. “I think the great thing for anyone who’s watching [the show] will come away with is that there’s no set right or wrong way to be a baker or to be a fan of ‘Harry Potter.’”
“After all is said and done, you’ll learn that you can be as messy as you want in the kitchen when you’re baking, so I can see it turns out well,” said James Phelps. “You will create new memories with your family and friends watching this.”
“Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” premieres on Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network and for streaming on Max.
Contestants Jordan Pilarski and Zoe Burmester, as seen on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, Season 1.Photo courtesy of Food Network
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