Flemington Local Competes On 'Food Network Star'

FLEMINGTON, NJ — Since he was a child, Flemington local Blake Baldwin, has always had a passion for food. Now he will put his cooking skills to the test as he competes in Food Network’s “Food Network Star.”

Baldwin is one of 13 competitors to enter the kitchen to showcase his cooking and on-camera skills over 11 episodes in front of celebrity culinary icons Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis. The series premieres on Sunday, June 4 at 9 p.m.

“My first real experience with cooking started in a sixth grade cooking class in school,” Baldwin told Patch. “Our very final project was to do a recipe at home. My classmates all did cookies or Kraft mac and cheese. But I found a Caribbean recipe in my mom’s cookbook that I made from scratch.”

After graduating high school, Baldwin continued working at the Surfside Coffee in Surf City over the summer. He went onto college at the University of Colorado where he became passionate about healthy cooking. But he didn’t end up in the culinary field right away. Up until 2017 he ended up working at technology startup companies.

Despite working in the technology field, Baldwin continued to pursue his passion on the side. In 2013, he went to the Institute for Culinary Education and eventually launched his own cooking show on YouTube. Click here to see his YouTube channel.

His presence on the internet gave him the attention he needed to be selected for a spot on Food Network’s show.

“My YouTube channel is very different than filming a massive production for Food Network Star, so I was definitely nervous the first time I was on camera and in the kitchen. But I enjoyed every second of it,” Baldwin said.

Although Baldwin can’t disclose how far he makes it on the show, he did say he learned a lot from the experience.

“I learned a lot more than really I thought I was going to,” Baldwin said. “The contestants have a ton of experience and I made friends from contestants on the show and production. It was truly an incredible experience, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

For more information on Baldwin visit his website at www.blakebaldwin.com.

(Image courtesy of Food Network: Blake Baldwin of Flemington)

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.