In a nutshell
At age 18, the self-identified House of Gryffindor pastry chef is the youngest competitor by more than a decade; however, Strackman said he plans to conjure up his best spells to Slytherin to the judges' hearts.
The background
A native of Smithville, Strackman began cooking at a few places throughout the Bastrop and Travis County areas.
“I worked at a Hyatt cooking for like a year and a half, and then a small restaurant in Austin,” Strackman told Community Impact.
Strackman said he had an “amazing time” competing and developing his culinary skills, which he is continuing to expand while attending pastry school in Paris, France.
Hosted by James and Oliver Phelps, who played Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter series of movies, the show’s judges are Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef. Other guest judges include:
- Warwick Davis, who played Professor Flitwick
- Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood
- Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley
Strackman said in addition to his passion for pastries, he has been a Harry Potter fan all his life, adding that his patronus would be a stag—despite an online quiz suggesting an eel.
“The stag was just so strong and stoic in the films,” Strackman said. “It really reflected the importance of being consistent, loyal and loving.”
According to a news release, “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” was filmed at the Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England, on the original sets where the movies were made, including The Great Hall, the Forbidden Forest and more.
Officials said the show features nine two-person teams attempting to enchant the judges for the first Wizards of Baking Cup, and the opportunity to appear in an upcoming Harry Potter cookbook.
What else?
The show will premier on the Food Network on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m., and will be available to stream on Max.
Those who may not be familiar with the Harry Potter fandom will still enjoy the show, Strackman said.
“There is just a lot of exciting stuff to see, and I can’t wait to watch it with everyone,” he said.
