Meet The New "Great Australian Bake Off" Contestants

They're about to get into some whisk-y business.

The Great Australian Bake Off begins in just under a month, and we've just found out about the first batch of bakers heading into the Bake Off arena this year.

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Angela

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A truck driver from Melbourne, Angela has been competing at the Royal Melbourne Show since she was 4 years old and enters UP TO 40 CATEGORIES OF BAKE EVERY YEAR!

Both Angela's son and daughter have also won prizes at the RMS, proving baking is in her blood. "My son was the youngest person in the RMS's history to win a prize for the Open Sponge Cake - the 5th generation of my family to win the award." While not a competitive person, Ange sees the calibre of the other bakers as a way to raise her game.

Ben

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Ben's baking story is like a delicious remake of You've Got Mail. His interest in baking peaked while watched a documentary about macarons and celeb chef Adriano Zumbo. "I just couldn't make them, so I emailed Zumbo and he replied to me. A few emails went back and forth until I could make them properly."

A Mining Inventory Planner from QLD, Ben's determination will be something the other bakers will need to watch out for. "I want to prove to myself that I can bake... I don't see the point in baking something that everyone else can."

Brendan

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While Brendan works in IT Brisbane, baking has been part of his life since he was 6 years old. "I always wanted to be a chef and even once worked as a kitchen hand but couldn't get an apprenticeship," Brendan said. He then went on to study computer science at Uni, and has been working in that field since.

Away from his desk, Brendan spends hours in the kitchen each day which has obviously paid off considering in 2014 he was awarded 1st place at the Brissie Ekka for his handmade chocolates!

James

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Originally from Adelaide, James now lives in Sydney as food historian, which I just found out is a real job. Recently completing his Masters degree in Food Studies - which is what I call going to a buffet - James says he has always been interested in the history of food.

"Baking is a form of meditation, relaxation and chill out time for me," James goes on to explain, "baking is the only thing I get up before sunrise for!" While James loves getting his buns out of bed early in the morning, he's "petrified" of having one of his food idols, Maggie Beers, judging his food. "It's a bit terrifying but there's a warmth that comes from her," he says.

Janice

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Janice grew up in Malaysia, learning to cook with her mum. "I baked my first cake when I was about six which basically was a pile of ingredients in a bowl that I put in the microwave. It was very eggy and a complete failure!" Janice, that sounds like my cooking as a grown-ass adult.

Her Malaysian heritage is never far from her baking. "I like to bake very simple things, and use my childhood growing up in Malaysia as inspiration," Janice explains. When asked if she was concerned about being judged, Janice said: "When I bake for friends and family they wont give me constructive criticism so I'm looking forward to some feedback from Matt and Maggie."

Jasmin

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Jasmin is a Barista living in QLD, who can always be found with a good cuppa close to her side. Yeah you guessed it, she's a Brit from honestly the most British sounding place ever: Cambridgeshire. "As a child I remember helping my mum bake and I would make my birthday cakes. There were always desserts after meals."

Her very British pastime of drinking tea intersects with her love of baking with an obsession with high teas. "When I'm back in England, my sister and I always have high tea parties with friends, baking things like mini tarts." Jasmin is such a fan, she aims to one day open a tea shop specialising in high end high teas.

Mariana

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Mariana is from the Gold Coast, and was urged to sign-up for GABO by her Country Women's Association mates. "I'm interested in the whole gamut of cooking - savoury and sweet," Mariana explains.

Much like Jasmin, Mariana is a huge fan of high tea. "I was attracted to china tea cups and saucers," she says "I started collecting and I just love it. I now have 100 different sets." Her biggest pride and joy being an Edwardian set, over 100 years old, which her daughter brought back from the UK.

Meg

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When Meg was younger she begged her father to let her borrow a kid's cookbook from the library. He allowed her, under the proviso that he was able to pick what she baked: profiteroles! Dad's gettin' that profit-from-roles.

Meg looks to her Spanish and Indian heritage for inspiration, and her family feasts spur her love of cooking. "My goal is to eventually open a bakery or patisserie," Meg says of her plans for the future.

Nathan

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At only 19, Nathan is the baby of the competition. The full time student from Perth describes baking as "family and love". "When I was young my grandma taught me a lot about baking, and Sunday afternoon tea was a bit of a tradition in our family."

Baby Nath is lucky enough to have inherited his grandma's handwritten cookbook, giving him 80 years worth of recipes to pour over.

Peter

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Peter, the eldest of the competition, is a self-described bread tragic. Or as I'd call him "a bit kneady". "I saw a BBC series about bread and I just became obsessed with everything to do with it," says the good doctor.

While breads may be the loaf of his life, Dr. Pete says he was keen to go on The Great Australian Bake Off because "I can't sing, I can't dance and I can't build a kitchen. But I can cook in one!"

Sian

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A recent graduate from Perth's WAAPA, Sian's two great loves of fashion and art feature prominently in her baking. "Baking is a creative outlet for me and it's fun drawing and decorating different cakes and biscuits," she says.

When asked about how she feels going into the Bake Off, Sian explained she's "super excited about being challenged... I've done a lot of practice to hopefully be on the same wavelength as Maggie and I have picked recipes that I hope will appeal to her."

Suzy

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Suzy, a Melbourne mum, learned to bake for a simple reason: love. "Through my teens I baked cookies and then I tried to impress my now-husband when we were first together... as years have gone past things have become more intricate." Honestly the most romantic story I have heard in a LONG time (because it prominently features cookies).

While having Suzy in your family sounds like a dream come true (cookies!), she says it's not always so sugar-coated. "My daughter Phoebe says it's like being in Hansel and Gretel and tells me to stop making all this sweet stuff for the family!"

The Great Australian Bake Off starts October 13 on LifeStyle Food. Check out their website for recipes, sneak peeks, and more info here.