Applications open for series 12 of Bake Off: The Professionals
applications are open for Bake Off: The Professionals series 12.
Love Productions, the production company also behind The Great British Bake Off, are calling on talented pastry chefs from across the UK to apply before the deadline on Friday, September 18, 2026, at www.applyforbotp.co.uk.
The search is now on for passionate and creative pastry chefs who want to showcase their skills on one of the UK's most loved baking shows.
How to apply
Teams of two are invited to apply, with one person registering as the team captain and the other as their teammate.
The pair do not need to work at the same establishment. All that matters, according to Love Productions, is that they share a passion for pastry and a desire to put their skills to the test.
Applicants must be based in the UK, and can come from any part of the pastry industry, whether that is a five-star hotel, a renowned restaurant, a patisserie or an individually run venture.
Filming for series 12 is expected to take place between the end of January and mid-March 2027, ahead of the series airing on Channel 4 later that year.
what is bake off: the professionals?
Bake Off: The Professionals first aired in 2016 as a professional spin-off of The Great British Bake Off, testing teams of working pastry chefs against classical pastry, chocolate work, sugar work and large-scale showpieces, rather than the home-baking format of its sister show.
Over its 11 series so far, the show has featured an extraordinary breadth of talent from across the pastry industry, from independent bakers and chocolatiers to some of the country's leading pastry chefs.
For series 12, the team behind the show are keen to continue shining a spotlight on the skill, creativity and diversity within the UK's pastry scene.
Judge Benoit Blin, who has sat on the judging panel throughout the show's run, has previously described the pastry industry as "vast, and full of people from different backgrounds", pointing to entrants ranging from Michelin-starred chefs and five-star hotel pastry teams to independent chocolate shop professionals.
Following series 11's champions
The announcement comes after the success of series 11, which saw team captain Ashish and his teammate Loki, both of Edwardian Hotels, crowned champions by judges Benoit and Cherish Finden.
Ashish, based at The Edwardian Manchester, and Loki, who works at The Londoner in London, were named winners following a 12-hour Masquerade Ball Banquet final, the longest single challenge in the show's history, filmed at Firle Place in Sussex and broadcast on Channel 4 on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Runners-up Aubin and Avneet, from The Stafford London, pushed the pair close in what judges described as one of the closest finals in the show's history, while Valentina and Aurora were eliminated at the halfway stage of the final challenge.
Speaking after the final, Cherish said: "They both have worked so hard.
"They are so determined, so passionate and most of all, very resilient."
who are the judges and presenters?
Bake Off: The Professionals is judged by Benoit Blin, former chef pâtissier at the two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons for more than 30 years, and Cherish Finden, a world-renowned pastry chef and Pastry Chef of the Year award winner.
The show is presented by Liam Charles, a former Great British Bake Off contestant, and comedian and television presenter Ellie Taylor.
With applications now open, Love Productions is looking for the next generation of pastry talent to step into the Bake Off: The Professionals kitchen and demonstrate exactly what they can do.
Series 11 winner Loki said: “I would encourage any pastry chef with a love for the craft to embrace the opportunity. It is an unforgettable journey.”
Applications are open now at www.applyforbotp.co.uk, with the deadline for entries set for Friday, September 18, 2026.
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Applications open for series 12 of Bake Off: The Professionals
