Season 7 of The Great Canadian Baking Show stars a very motivated Andrew Evers

22 Sep 2023 - Gallery photography by Carmen Cheung. Episodic photography by Geoff George

"Those who saw me walk into the tent for the first time, they never saw a smile as big as mine," says Andrew Evers of his first day on season 7 of The Great Canadian Baking Show. "It was such validation. I am a good baker and came to demonstrate it on national TV. I was so proud that I got through. Redemption." Evers had watched the first season and "fell in love with the show. I applied six times, six applications and five rejections. Each rejection made me more determined and it climbed to the top of my bucket list. I decided that if it takes me until season 42 . . ." Evers says that the audition process taught him a lot about himself, "I can persevere and keep going. To not let rejection get me down. I can keep the dream alive." Once in the tent, it was, if not always easy, a lot of fun.

Part of the initial attraction had been that "it is so different from every other competition show. Meeting the other bakers and the camaraderie. As an amateur baker, I'd never had a professional baker taste my food. Kyla Kennaley and Bruno Feldeisen take their criticism seriously. Every so often you see their sense of humour, but they're never rude or mean, they want you to improve. We were always learning." Evers has even more praise for the hosts Ann Pornel and Alan Shane Lewis. "They were the two people I was always happy to talk to, to banter. They grounded me in the tent. We were all there to have a good time and if it was not going my way, they'd make sure you're still having fun." Asked if Lewis is as sexy in real life as he is on camera, Evers laughs, "He has a lot of swagger. He's funny, a good-looking guy. When he compliments you, you swoon a little."

Evers also credits his swoon-worthy partner, Mark, for getting him to and through the season. "He's been my number one fan. We've been together 12 years and married for nine, and he was there for all the auditions. He reviewed the applications and through the bake along auditions he held the camera. He knew when to stay out of my way but when when I needed to talk he was there. He was always the first person I called when I suffered from imposter syndrome in the tent." Of course six years of baking can take its toll on a relationship and waistlines. "He's better at portion control," laughs Evers. "We're both pretty active so we try to balance the baked good with exercise." Their beloved dog also helps. "Tristan is 12 now but he's pretty active. He keeps us on our toes needing to be a walked a few times a day. We're still fitting into our clothes."

Evers had another secret weapon. "I work in management in the Ontario public service, in environmental regulations. Baking is a  creative outlet, a quite different side of my brain compared to the analytical side I use at my job." It was a team building exercise that he created for his staff during covid that proved good practice for the tent. "I'd give a recipe to all my staff and then we'd bake together. It taught me to be able to talk and bake at the same time." Invaluable when the CBC cameras are rolling. "You don't want to lose time, you have to explain what you are doing and do it at the same time." No small feat while puzzling out a technical challenge or racing to complete a showstopper.

As in previous years, Evers is tight-lipped about how he fared during season 7."There's no way you can pry it out of me," he says. But the experience was worth all the work it took to get to the tent. "I wasn't prepared for the first audition. Seeing the different themed weeks made me realize I had to practice in each area. Cakes were what I baked the most but the show has got me into bread and patisserie. The episodes I end up in, I have stories behind every showstopper I developed. I don't know if there is one that sticks out. Everything that I put out I connected with. The bakes that Canada will see all have a story or a motivation. I'm proud of everything I put forward."
 
Evers hopes that the editors will be kind. "I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished episodes. We'll see how it all comes together. I've invited everyone I know, I have no concerns. I can't wait to watch along with everyone else."