Local California Pastry Chef Scores Big Win On New HBO Show Baketopia
Gregory takes home a $10,000 cash prize and the coveted Bake-trophia in the season one premiere. (Photo courtesy Gregory Rodriguez)
Pastry chef Gregory Matthew Rodriguez may hail from the small town of Beaumont, California, but he’s doing big things. At 23 years old, he is not only the lead pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage, but he also took home a huge cash prize of $10,000 on the new HBO network pastry competition, Baketopia.
“Oh my God, once I heard my name, my eyes kind of like blew out of my head. I was so surprised, it felt so surreal. I mean, you can tell, I look like I wanted to cry, but I held back so badly because it felt like all of the hard work, all the rejection from all other shows, it all came to light, you know?” Rodriguez said.
Baketopia is a new reality television baking competition hosted by Rosanna Pansino on HBO. Pansino was named one of Forbes’s top influencers in food in 2017 and her positive demeanor and yummy food has amassed her over 12.8 million subscribers on Youtube. Rodriguez is featured in the first episode of the brand new show that premiered on March 25, 2021. You can binge-watch all twelve episodes on HBO Max. The show takes place in a cotton candy-colored baking wonderland. On each episode, three contestants compete in a first tier-challenge to win $1,000 and a top tier-challenge where the winner takes home $10,000 and the coveted Bake-trophia.
“I kid you not, we were talking off set and [Rosanna and I] just like clicked because of her energy. I loved it. It's…a very addicting energy that I just kind of pulled towards and you're like oh my God, I just want to talk to her, and she’s so funny,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez graduated from the Arts Institute of California-Inland Empire in 2017. But his passion for baking goes all the way back to a love for his family, especially his grandmother.
“My passion for baking came from my grandmother, so I've been baking since I was five years old — out of cake boxes and Pillsbury cookies and all of the fun stuff that you did with your grandmother as a child,” Rodriguez said. “I just was always in the kitchen, never left the kitchen and when it came to holidays and special occasions, I always was the one that catered to my family, and it's just a natural given instinct to cater to those that you love.”
The producers of the show reached out to Rodriguez on Instagram, and it took about three months before he found out that he was going to be featured. But Rodriguez felt well prepared because he’s become accustomed to the fast pace of the kitchen.
Rodriguez melts some chocolate during the first tier challenge. (Photo courtesy Gregory Rodriguez)
“I love every single part of it. I think the reason why I don't want another occupation outside of the food industry is that you're very much addicted to the adrenaline,” he said. “So without that it's like, what is your purpose to be in the kitchen? It's just this rush that's so addicting that it just keeps you going. So being on the show and having that pressure, having to be timed, having competitors with you, it's just fun.”
Rodriguez plans to put that coveted $10,000 prize to good use. He felt inclined to donate a portion of his winnings to two charity organizations that are near and dear to his heart: The California Farmworker Foundation and to youth at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
“I've always wanted to give back to the communities that have supported me throughout my career. Without farmers we wouldn't have fruits, we wouldn’t have purees, we wouldn't have all this produce to do what we do in the kitchen,” Rodriguez said. “And of course, the LGBT community, being gay myself and being Hispanic, I have been given such a supportive family and I'm very grateful, [but] a lot of people do not have that.”
So what’s next? Rodriguez was just offered a new job at the Auga Caliente Casino and Resort. He said he’s excited for this new chapter of his life as he continues to develop his personal brand, Casa De Oro Dulce (House of Gold Sweets).
“I just really want to thank my family and my friends, and honestly, my following that I [have had] from the very beginning. I really want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for pushing me, for listening to me, for hearing me cry, to me wanting to just throw in the towel because of how hard it gets when you keep moving up,” Rodriguez said. “I really just want to thank them all for pushing me and still being by my side, whenever I need them.”
Watch Gregory win episode one of Baketopia on Rosanna’s YouTube channel.
All of Baketopia Season one is available on HBO Max.
To keep up with Gregory, follow Casa De Oro Dulce on Instagram.