A pastry chef from Bristol has made it through the second round of Bake Off: The Professionals and has spoken out about the 'incredible' opportunity after being head-hunted for the show.
Hannah Catley, 23, grew up in Frenchay and has already been working in some of London's top hotels and restaurants for more than six years - working her way up to head pastry chef at the high-end Chiltern Firehouse and soon to embark on another adventure in the same position at Allegra, a new venture in Stratford.
Earlier this year however Hannah found a new role alongside her day-job, as a contestant on Channel 4's Bake Off: The Professionals - widely regarded as one of the toughest cooking programmes on TV.
She was scouted for the show late last year, and started an intense schedule of filming in February in between 12-hour shifts at work and evenings spent practicing for the show alongside fellow chef Martina.
Hannah said: "It was incredible to be recognised, especially so early in my career and competing against fellow chefs at such an incredibly high standard. It was really flattering, and so exciting to think about how much I was going to learn throughout the process.
"At the same time it was pretty daunting, you know that everything you do is going to be scrutinised and there are things that just no matter how well you prepare and how many times you practice are ultimately going to be outside your control."
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Hannah had her first taste of kitchen work as a teenager when she was asked to help chefs during a shift as a waitress at a restaurant in Weymouth.
"From the very first moment it was as though something just clicked," she described.
"A lot of people say it is their childhood dream, but I hadn't grown up wanting to be a chef or anything like that. I think my family thought it was just going to be a passing phase, but they have been really supportive as the years have gone by.
"The environment just made sense to me in a way I hadn't experienced before. I loved it, and as time went on I realised that the hospitality industry was where I wanted to be."
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After leaving The Ridings High School (now Winterbourne Academy), Hannah started a specialised chef's scholarship at the Bournemouth and Poole College on the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and went on to work at The Langham Hotel in the pastry section under the guidance of Cherish Finden - one of the show's formidable judges.
So far, Hannah and Martina have made it through two episodes of Bake Off: The Professionals, where they have been competing against six other teams in two huge challenges each week - to be judged by Cherish Finden and fellow pastry master Benoit Blin who have earned an imposing reputation.
Hannah said: "The process itself was really tough, with very long days and constant challenges being thrown at you from all angles.
"There were definitely ups and downs along the way and sometimes it was hard to hear the criticism, but ultimately we all appreciated that these judges are the best of the best and have so much to offer in the way of advice.
"All the contestants had a lot of respect for the judges, and although I think it can come across as tough on screen it ultimately really helps us to learn and grow. In that way especially it was such a valuable process.
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"Going into the competition I was really worried about cameras getting in the way and everything being cramped, but in reality the kitchens we were working in were huge compared to what we are used to - it was lovely actually.
"The production team knew exactly how to film around us, and we were really well looked after throughout.
"We were working double shifts at the Chiltern Firehouse, practicing all hours of the night, and then filming three days a week so it was very intense, but an incredible experience.
"It really pushed us all to our limits, but I achieved things I wasn't sure I would be capable of and it was those moments that made it all worth it.
"Seeing myself on screen was such a surreal experience - I watched the first episode with just a few friends and was so nervous about how I was going to come across but I think they have been really generous in the editing process."
Hannah has recently started as head pastry chef at Allegra, a new restaurant based in the Olympic Park, Stratford, but said that she would never rule out a return to the West Country as her career progresses.
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She said: "All my family are still in Bristol, and I would love to come back to settle one day and work as a chef in the city.
"When I left Bristol the food scene was nothing like it is now - it has become such a huge destination for the industry as a whole and looks like a really exciting place to work as a chef."
The next episode of Bake Off: The Professionals will air on Channel 4 at 8pm on May 14.
