Miguel Maestre Cake Bake & Sweets Show Interview

Miguel Maestre Throws His Hat In The Cake Bake Ring!

Adding to the already jam packed celebrity schedule lined up for this year's Cake Bake & Sweets Show, the event is thrilled to announce that Australia's favourite Spaniard, Miguel Maestre, has joined the line up.

The popular TV Chef will not only demonstrate some of his most-loved dishes on the For the Love of Cooking stage, he will also bring a pop up version of his El Toro Loco restaurant to both shows.

Providing the perfect spot for visitors to take a break from the show floor and experience one of many savoury offerings at the event, the pop up venue will offer a full and adventurous menu. With a focus on choice, El Toro Loco will feature some of the dishes he'll be demonstrating on stage, plus giant paella freshly cooked on site, Spanish style tapas, and his unique porchetta with soft bread and jamon jaffles.

Miguel is thrilled to be part of the show, saying, "We've never done an activation like this before, and it's a big move for me to bring the restaurant back so I'm really excited. I want to bring a real restaurant experience to the show and its visitors."

Despite the strong savoury offering at this year's events, for those who are looking for a total sugar rush, Chocolate Masterclasses have also just been confirmed for both the Sydney and Melbourne shows. Presented by Callebaut chocolate and Le Cordon Bleu, the two iconic industry brands have teamed up to host a series of chocolate-focused demonstrations. With demonstrations showcasing the myriad of ways that chocolate can be used in all styles of cooking and baking, the masterclasses will give visitors the opportunity to learn the secrets behind how the country's greatest patissiers make chocolate magic happen.

To celebrate all of this deliciousness, visitors can also toast themselves in the just announced [yellow tail] VIP Lounge, where the brand's delightful range of wines and sparklings will be free flowing.

As the show draws nearer, Cake Bake & Sweet show continues to gather momentum and excitement with a line-up of international and national cooking celebrities, multiple stages and workshop opportunities, plus dedicated zones covering all things cooking and healthy living.

Full details and tickets (from $23.50) at http://www.cakebakeandsweets.com/

Cake Bake & Sweets Show will take place in:
Sydney 23-25 November 2018
Melbourne 30 November – 2 December

Interview with Miguel Maestre

Question: What is the Cake Bake & Sweets Show?

Miguel Maestre: Cake Bake & Sweets Show is Australia's ultimate foodie experience, giving you a three-day live event devoted to the world of baking and the art of cake decorating. There's also a savory component to the show, which is where we fit in.

Question: What can attendees expect at the Cake Bake & Sweets Show?

Miguel Maestre: You can expect an amazing day of fun, with more cakes, sweets and delicious temptations than you can poke a stick at. There will also be exciting celebrity demos from national and international chefs, informative classes and interactive workshops.

The show has also just recently announced that there will be exciting 'make and take' cupcake classes, along with chocolate master classes that will highlight the myriad of ways that chocolate can be used in all styles of cooking and baking.


Question: Who and what are you most looking forward to at the Cake Bake & Sweets Show?

Miguel Maestre: I'm really looking forward to seeing the amazing Kirsten Tibballs, who is a good friend of mine. Kirsten is undoubtedly one of the best pastry chefs in the country, so I'm really excited to see what she creates on stage at the Sugar Lab. Lorraine Pascale and Katherine Sabbath are also two others I'm excited to see in action. They're both so talented and have their very own individual styles, which will be great to see first-hand.

And I can't forget the funky Anna Polyviou, who's almost like a DJ pastry chef. I'm very keen to see what she has in stall this year.


Question: What can visitors expect from your For the Love of Cooking presentation?

Miguel Maestre: I'm so excited to demonstrate on the For the Love of Cooking stage. Visitors can expect a really fun, energized demo like no other. I believe cooking is the one thing that we shouldn't make boring, which is why I want to give those attending the show something they've never seen before – it's going to be a whole lot of fun and I can't wait.


Question: What recipes will you showcase on the For the Love of Cooking stage?

Miguel Maestre: I'll be showcasing my real Paella recipe, which I'll show those in the crowd how to create, from beginning to end. I'll also be creating real Porchetta, which I'll be letting people in the audience try. These are also some of the dishes I'll be cooking up in my pop up restaurant at the show.

Question: Can you tell us about the pop up version of El Toro Loco at the Cake Bake & Sweets Show?

Miguel Maestre: This is the first time we've done something like this, so I'm super excited about it. I'll be creating quirky and playful dishes, similar to what I used to create in my restaurant. We'll be using a selection of Australian and free-range meat, such as pork and Porchette, we'll have mini entrees, cheese boards and a beautiful selection of wines.

I'll be on ground and cooking with everyone in the restaurant, which I'm so excited about, as it's the first proper activation we've done since the birth of my lovely daughter 7 years ago!


Question: What five ingredients can you not live without?

Miguel Maestre: - A good Spanish olive oil
- Saffron
- Cumin – something I use in every single recipe I create - LOVE
- Spanish paprika
- Sherry vinegar


Question: What's next, for you?

Miguel Maestre: We're heading in to season 8 of The Living Room, which is absolutely massive for us and is a show I absolutely love being part of.

I'm planning to place a huge focus on family and the launch of my family business. I also have a couple of big surprises in the mix, which I can't talk about right now, but you'll soon find out.

I'm also loving being a part of live cooking demonstrations such as Cake Bake & Sweets Show and hope to be involved in many more. Cake Bake & Sweets Show is one of the highlights of the year for us, so I'm super excited to get down there and meet the everyone.

Interview by Brooke Hunter