Toby Hyun wins Food Network competition. Photo courtesy St. Mark’s School of Texas.
St. Mark’s student Toby Hyun won a Food Network’s holiday episode that aired on Sunday, Nov. 12.
“Kids Baking Championship: Sweets-Giving” was a special holiday episode that brought back four young bakers to the Food Network kitchen. American pastry chef Duff Goldman and American chef Kardea Brown served as the judges for the competition. Hyun impressed the judges with his Thanksgiving-themed buttercream boards, cupcakes, chocolate-dipped pretzels, pate a choux and other sweet treats.
“The competition was a little stressful, but the company I had around me made it better,” Hyun said. “I felt very relaxed next to all these other bakers, and it was just really great. Being back in the kitchen and being invited back felt even better.”
This is not the first time Hyun has appeared on the Food Network. In Kids Baking Championship season 11, which ran from December 2022 to February 2023, where he competed against eleven other young bakers. Hyun was in the kitchen until the second round when he got sent home for his pate a choux. Fortunately, this time around was his redemption moment.
“It was such a huge honor to be selected for season 11 because I know lots of aspiring bakers apply,” Hyun said. “It was a really great experience to win with what I got eliminated on.”
The grand prize for the holiday special was $10,000.
Hyun has been baking since he was three when he was first introduced to cooking by his mother, who asked him to help mix cupcake batter.
“It’s something that’s pretty calming and no one’s bothering you,” he says.
