Shamong resident to appear on Food Network Show
A Shamong resident is about to be thrust into the national spotlight. John Reed will appear on the Food Network’s “2017 Spring Baking Championship.” Reed and eight other contestants will be competing for a $50,000 prize.
The way the owner and operator of “Cakes on the Move” got on the show was interesting.
“I was talking to a couple of friends of mine and people that had applied before for the competition,” Reed said. “It’s funny. My son has a cake company and also works for a good friend of mine that has a very prominent bakery in Center City Philadelphia. We were talking to some people and he came home, said to go to the Food Network website and see what shows are casting. His wife applied that evening. The next day, the Food Network was calling my son. One thing led to another, and they were talking about my son’s career and asked about his mentor, who was me. They started asking all about me. Ten minutes later, after he got off the phone with them, he called me and said ‘Dad. Make sure you answer the phone. The Food Network will be calling you in 10 minutes.’ I picked it up. They started asking me all of these questions. One thing led to another.”
Things started to happen quickly. Reed interviewed with the producers and went on a few webinars. He made the list of 20 possibilities and then made the list of 12 finalists.
“I said to my wife ‘I may be going to L.A.,” Reed chuckled.
Eventually, Reed was one of the nine contestants. He has been baking for a long time. At the age of 65, Reed was the oldest contestant there.
“They called me Papa,” he said. “There were a lot of younger people there, and I enjoyed working with them. There were a couple of home bakers involved in there as well as people who do it as a hobby. It was like being a mentor. Not that they would ask me for advice, but now and then someone would ask me a question that had to do with baking or different ideas.“
Reed is a fixture in the area. He enjoys sharing his baking knowledge by being a teacher and a mentor. He even does demonstrations at high schools and culinary schools.
“I love what I do,” Reed added. “I have a passion for what I do. I did it as a kid. I grew up in the industry, and it is what I do. It is what I know. It is what I enjoy and what I will continue to do forever. I am never going to retire because I will always have a hand in doing it because I really enjoy the whole cake end of what we do. I enjoy making people happy. It is what we as bakers do. It’s all about the celebration and the party and people being happy and excited for what they can see and get to taste. I have been at it now for more than 50 years.”
Although he does not have any plans yet on how he will watch the first episode, he will be tuning in. The seven episode “Spring Baking Championship” will premiere on the Food Network March 12 at 9 p.m. There is something Reed wants to pass along to the people who will be watching the series: “Keep eating cake.”
