An Okanese First Nations home baker said she is proud to have made it to the finale of the Great Canadian Baking Show.
Jodi Robson of Regina, who did not take home the top prize was “completely blown away,” to make it into the final three.
“I’m absolutely thrilled I made it to the finale. I never in my wildest dreams ever believed I would have made it that far,” Robson said.
Robson explained her love for baking came from her Kookum, who was a professional chef when she was younger. She recounted loving the smells and a taste of her Kookum’s baking.
Throughout the season, Robson reminded the judges and viewers of her Aboriginal ancestry through her baking, even baking a wrestling ring to honour her pro wrestler husband.
Robson said she felt a bit overwhelmed at the strength if the competition who has better technical skills than her.
She describes her baking as rustic, no measurements, but going on the feel of the dough or batter. Robson admits that early in the competition she would second guess herself, until a judge reminder her to trust what she knows, which propelled her to the final.
“They were all crazy, every technical [bake]. Those were the scariest bakes for me. It wasn’t the signature, it wasn’t the show-stopper, it was the technical. Because you have no idea what you are making right up until the moment you have to start making it,” Robson explained.
She said she was taken aback by the supportive messages she received from viewers, something she did not expect.
In the final, Robson’s two daughters and husband were invited to the show to celebrate her accomplishments.
She said this was the first time her family would see her high level baking, which added more pressure.
“It was blind panic. My family was there and I knew that they were, and this was the first time they would see anything that I’d actually created inside the tent, in person,” Robson said.
“That added and immense amount of pressure, so much more than the other bakes, I just really wanted to impress my kids.”
Following the semi-finals, Robson was shown calling her husband to inform him she made the finals. She said she was overwhelmed with emotion, but couldn’t wait to tell him, as it was him who encouraged her to audition for the show.
In the final show-stopper bake of the competition, one of Robson’s cookie panels broke. She said she panicked, but pulled herself back into the completion by completing the bake. A judge recommended that she should have left out an additional panel, for the mistake not to appear so noticeable.
Robson explained that the hardest aspect of the show was not telling family and friends about her participation. She said she had to get creative in telling people of her whereabouts when filming. Yet the entire experience has Robson thinking of a possible career change.
(Photo: Cake baked by Jodi Robson. Facebook.)