Kenya gets first top amateur baker as curtains fall on season one of the Great Kenyan Bake off

We finally have Kenya’s first ever greatest amateur baker! The Great Kenyan Bake off, season one, came to an end on Monday as Rosemary Akoth Ligondo was crowned the first Top Amateur Baker in Kenya.

Rosemary, 34, made it to the finals alongside Adeline Prima Serrao, 27, and Samira Ali, 44, who were first and second runners up respectively.

Rosemary, a Nutrition Brand and Medical Events Activations Manager, chose to spend her maternity leave in the Great Kenyan Bake Off tent as she recently gave birth to her third child.

As the winner of the first season of the competition, Rosemary gets a 2-week baking and pastry training in France. Upon return she will receive a 2-month apprenticeship at a top local bakery. She will also receive kitchen supplies and equipment worth Sh150, 000 from Unga Limited.

Adeline and Samira will both receive Sh100, 000 worth kitchen supplies and equipment from Unga Limited.

You did it, Rosemary! You inspired a nation. Bravo on the win! ????#kenyanbakeoff pic.twitter.com/HIMqpDOuAK

The season finale gala was held at the Le Grenier à pain 9 Riverside, Nairobi. Standard Group CEO Olando Lyomu and his Unga Limited counterpart Nick Hutchinson were some of the chief guests who joined the participants, the project team and cake lovers at the event. Also present were Standard Group’s Managing Director and Head of Broadcast Joe Munene and Head of Commercial Irene Kimani, and Unga Limited’s General Manager Andaje Mwairumba and Marketing Manager Vincent Gitau.

For the finals, the bakers had to impress one last time in two challenges- baking a schichttorte cake and a wedding cake. They started off with baking a 20-layers schichttorte cake. For the second challenge, the bakers were on a freewill to bake any wedding cake.

In the competition, a group of 12 amateur bakers competed against each in a serioes of rounds as they flaunted their baking skills in bids to impress the two judges. Only three contestants were left for the final after all the others were eliminated in each round as the show progressed.

The show started on 7th October 2019 and aired every Monday at 8pm on KTN Home and the season finalé was on 9th December.

The was the baking competition’s first season in Kenya, the 32nd country to have the show and only the second in Africa after South Africa, with season two in the pipeline. The Kenyan version of the baking TV show is owned by the BBC and in partnership with Unga Limited.