Sam and Emmanuel from the London Hilton Park Lane team have been crowned the winners of Bake Off: The Professionals.
They fended off competition from fellow pastry chefs Darryl and Bharat from Resorts World, Birmingham, and Hideko and Theo from Sweet Art Lab in the final of the Channel 4 series, hosted by former Bake Off contestant Liam Charles and comic Tom Allen.
The winning duo impressed judges Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden after completing a nine-hour challenge, that saw them tasked with creating a lavish banquet display for 80 people.
Sam and Emmanuel proved their patisserie power after completing the marathon task, which included moulding, shaping and filling their delicious treats, comprised of four different types of dessert and a towering showpiece that combined chocolate and sugar work.
Sam said, of their win: “That was insane! Our journey has gone from strength to strength. We were friends no doubt about it, but he (Emmanuel) was more my boss and friend second.
“That’s changed and now we are friends as much as he is my boss.”
Emmanuel added: “It’s Sam and nobody else! There’s no way I could have done it with anyone else. We met some great guys, we had some amazing times, it’s been a real pleasure to compete with the other guys, it’s friends very likely for life.”
Hilton Park Lane’s executive chef Anthony Marshall said: “We are extremely proud of Emmanuel and Sam’s achievement.
“It is a testament to the hard work and high standards they show every day here at London Hilton on Park Lane. It is great to see them rewarded for the quality of their baking.”
Series producer Chloe Avery added: “Sam’s sugar work was exquisite – so ambitious, intricate, delicate and beautifully constructed. The desserts demonstrated a range of techniques that were not only individual and lovely but the Hilton Park Lane team also created sharing-size entremets which were impressive.
“This challenge truly demonstrated and represented the strength and cohesion of Emmanuel and Sam’s friendship and working dynamic, which has become stronger and stronger as the competition has progressed.
“And of course their lucky socks helped!”