EPS fifth grader finalist on Food Network baking show

Meadow Roberts, 5th grader at Countryside Elementary, has found a way to turn an after school hobby into a treat national audiences can enjoy. Meadow, who started baking when she was two, is among the final three contestants competing on the Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship.

When Meadow found out the show was seeking applicants, she immediately knew it would be a perfect fit. “My mom and I would always bake together,” Meadow said. “We would make a lot of cakes, but also a lot of savory foods like homemade pizzas and pretzels.” She was selected for the show days before they began filming in New Orleans. Since the show was filmed over summer, Meadow did not have to worry about missing time in school. “I randomly disappeared and a lot of my friends wondered where I went and it was kind of crazy," Meadow said.

Contestants must rely on their baking experience to come up with their tasty creations. Everything is made from scratch and they are not given any instructions. While on the show Meadow was able to improve by listening closely to the judge’s feedback. “One of the first things I learned was to always salt my desserts because I needed to balance the sweet with the salty,” said Meadow. In addition, to feedback about taste, Meadow also received pointers about her food presentation. Throughout the season, Meadow would remember the critiques and improve.

The show has opened doors to new friendships for Meadow. Since everyone shared the same hobby of baking, she was able to find easy camaraderie among her competitors. Meadow still keeps in touch and plans to get together to watch the season finale with some of them. Another lasting impact for Meadow is the fact that she is now an acclaimed baker in the community. Meadow has started her own business called Sweet Meadow and plans to launch a website soon.

There were 12 contestants who started the show and on Monday, March 11 the Season 6 Kids Baking Champion will be announced. Meadow is unable to reveal any details of the season finale, but she has said that if she wins she will buy a teal mixer hoping that it’ll help her food taste better. “I wasn’t nervous on the show because I was focused on baking,” said Meadow. "I do get nervous when watching it, even though I know what happened.”