Minnesota baker competes for ‘Blue Ribbon’ on Netflix competition

CATHY WURZER: While we're on the topic of the state fair, of course, the fair is known for its food. But some of the best food you really can't try. We're talking about the baking competitions. Thousands of people enter every year in hopes of getting a blue ribbon. And this year, there's another type of competition happening. But this one is on your TV screen.

[VIDEO PLAYBACK]

- The great American state fair. The sights, the smells, the rides. But at the heart of these state fairs is the time-honored baking competition. Hometown pastry masters have had their sights set on the same singular prize, the elusive blue ribbon. We scoured the nation for the best blue ribbon winning bakers from state fairs across America.

- I am one of the best bakers that I know. My kids think so.

- In the baking world, ribbons are everything.

- I should just wear a shirt that says "I have a lot of blue ribbons."

- They will go head-to-head to find America's best baker.

[END PLAYBACK]

CATHY WURZER: Now, you just heard the trailer for a new Netflix show called Blue Ribbon Baking Championship. And it's no surprise that a Minnesotan is competing. Jennifer Stoker is from Buffalo, and she's featured on the show. She, of course, is also entering her baked goods in this year's state fair. Jennifer, thanks for taking the time.

JENNIFER STOKER: Thanks for having me.

CATHY WURZER: So you entered your stuff at the fair. What did you get?

JENNIFER STOKER: I did not get any ribbons this year, but I am in the display cases. It is an elusive blue ribbon, as they say.

[LAUGHTER]

CATHY WURZER: Oh my goodness. I should ask, of course, to start at the very beginning here, how did you get involved? Where did you get your love of baking from?

JENNIFER STOKER: My love of baking came from my grandma. So she basically raised us. She was our daycare provider all the way up till kindergarten. So when we got to be about four or five, my brother and I, we started just baking whatever we could come up with.

We would watch Martha Stewart and Donna's Day back in the day on TV with her. And Grandma would pick out some recipes. And we're like, let's go ahead and try them.

Grandpa would go to the store, get us some-- all the things that we needed. And we would just bake. And so that's where my love for baking came from.

CATHY WURZER: Did she have a specialty?

JENNIFER STOKER: She did. She had her famous banana bread that I still cannot replicate to this day. It's obviously a grandma secret.

[LAUGHTER]

I try all the time. But it is amazing.

CATHY WURZER: All grandmas have those secrets, I think. So--

JENNIFER STOKER: They really do.

CATHY WURZER: --when did you start baking? Competitive baking seems like it would be really hard. When did you start doing this?

JENNIFER STOKER: Yeah, so I was baking for friends. I finished out high school, got into college. And it was just something I enjoyed. I worked at Dairy Queen growing up, so I got to decorate cakes a lot and found some joy in that.

And then I found out that the state fair, you can compete. Anyone can compete. You don't need to, excuse me, win ribbons at other county fairs. You can just enter and try your hardest. And so I decided in 2019 to try my hand for the very first time.

CATHY WURZER: How did it go? How did it go?

JENNIFER STOKER: It went well. I actually ended up submitting 17 entries. And, yeah, I hit top 25 in all 17. I didn't get a ribbon that year, but I was super proud.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. You have got more guts than I would ever do. I wouldn't even consider entering anything in the baking competition because I'm so pathetic. Do you get--

JENNIFER STOKER: [LAUGHS]

CATHY WURZER: Seriously. Do you get feedback from the judges so you can improve yourself every year?

JENNIFER STOKER: Absolutely. So those who make the top 25 do get a little form that comes back about a month after the state fair completes and tells us things we could do better for the next year. So I was able to get feedback for all of my 17 entries.

CATHY WURZER: So with that behind you-- that's pretty powerful information. You've competed at the fair. You're in a display case at the fair this year. Your grandma taught you how to bake. Now you're on this Netflix show. How in the world did you become a part of this?

JENNIFER STOKER: It was completely random. I've been posting my cakes on Instagram for years, and all of a sudden a producer found me and messaged me. And it was funny because you get those messages, and you think they're a scam. And they literally had in their message, I promise you, this isn't a scam. And obviously, how can you think different?

[LAUGHTER]

So I actually ended up looking them up and found out they were real and this was a real thing going on. And asked my husband. I'm like, what do you think? And he's like, go for it. So he's been supporting me through all of this. And we decided, why not?

CATHY WURZER: Is this like The Great British Baking Show? which I love that show.

JENNIFER STOKER: Right?

CATHY WURZER: Is it like that? Similar?

JENNIFER STOKER: Absolutely, yeah. They stuck with a lot more of restrictions that we have at state fairs in terms of what we can use, what we can't use. Obviously, there's different state fairs all over the country that allow different things that Minnesota doesn't. But yeah, we just--

CATHY WURZER: Wow.

JENNIFER STOKER: It's like it.

CATHY WURZER: So I know you had to do various challenges. What was the weirdest one? Can you tell me?

JENNIFER STOKER: Oh, let's see. The weirdest one. It was funny because it was the things on a stick. So they said we needed dessert on the stick.

And as we know, here at the Minnesota State Fair, it's regular food. It's hot dogs. It's bacon. It's all sorts of savory deliciousness. And it's rare that you find a dessert on the stick.

So that was an interesting challenge. And it's in the very first episode of trying to think, well, what can I put on a stick that would be innovative? So that was the weirdest part for me.

CATHY WURZER: My money's on you because, of course, it is the Minnesota State Fair. And yes, we love things on a stick. I know you can't probably tell me how you did. But just overall, was the experience positive?

JENNIFER STOKER: Yes. It was so stressful. It was intimidating. But it was absolutely a phenomenal experience.

CATHY WURZER: And I'm betting, given your experience at Dairy Queen, I bet your cakes just rocked it. That's what I'm thinking.

JENNIFER STOKER: They were fantastic. They were very impressed by my designs and how chill I was in the kitchen making cakes.

CATHY WURZER: Even with all the stress, though? Wow.

JENNIFER STOKER: Yes.

CATHY WURZER: You did well with the stress, obviously. And I'm wondering if it's because-- I know your full-time job is an aerospace engineer, so that probably keeps you pretty cool.

JENNIFER STOKER: It definitely does. It gives a whole new level of what's stressful and what you can get through.

CATHY WURZER: [LAUGHS] OK. So by the way, what did you learn? Have you had a chance to learn yet what you need to do for next year's state fair that will help you, do you think?

JENNIFER STOKER: I have not learned, but I'm going to the state fair tomorrow to see what everyone else did and how I measured up to the winners. So I'm hoping to get some good looks.

CATHY WURZER: OK. And of course, we're going to look at you on Netflix, The Blue Ribbon Baking Championship. How fun. Thank you, Jennifer.

JENNIFER STOKER: Thanks for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Jennifer Stoker is a competitor on Netflix's Blue Ribbon Baking Championship, now streaming. By the way, tomorrow, we're going to be live at the fair. Yes, we will, Minnesota Now, the whole team, me and Alanna and Ellen, Elisa, everybody.

We're going to be at the booth. We're going to be talking to someone who won the blue ribbon in a brand-new category, fermented pickles. It is quite a story. You want to listen to it.

We're also going to talk to Jacob Frey and Melvin Carter, the mayors of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul. They'll be there, and a special guest from the Raptor Center. All that tomorrow at the state fair booth, corner of Jetson and Nelson at noon. Thanks for listening to Minnesota Now.