This month, the highly-anticipated third season of local culinary reality show The Taste Master SA premiered with a bang. Since its debut in 2020, the series has become one of Mzansi’s most decadent reality shows, showcasing the talent, imagination and skills of bakers from around the country.

So far, The Taste Master SA has introduced Mzansi to the twelve promising South African bakers who are set to become baking legends. Their first challenge tasked them to bake with a complete stranger in order to stay out of the elimination challenge, and possibly win the Royal Baking Powder Pin. The challenge was the perfect ice breaker and saw personalities mix; some like raspberry and vanilla and some like oil and water!

With more drama, delicious creations and insightful lessons to be shared, here are four reasons why you should be tuning in this season:

The Judges Are World-Class

The third season, in partnership with Royal Baking Powder, saw Zola Nene and Fritz Schoon return as judges. Zola and Fritz are two of the biggest names in the African culinary space and their knowledge, passion and drive have cemented them as industry leaders. Celebrity chef Zola Nene has had an extensive career, showcasing her cooking in restaurants and television programs around the world. Additionally, Fritz is an artisan baker who owns a number of his popular SCHOON Cafés around the Western Cape

“This season is a "step-up" from the previous season,” Fritz says. “This season has showcased a very talented group of contestants, some professional and some aspiring home bakers, and a very high level of baking thus far. The Taste Master SA is well-planned and structured competition with many new twists and turns fills this season with intrigue and excitement. We constantly keep contestants on their toes and out of their comfort zones. We completely trust the process to provide us with what will be a very well-deserving Taste Master SA 2022 winner.”

Celebrity chef Zola Nene adds “This new season of The Taste Master SA is even better than the last, with a huge focus on home-grown South African deliciousness. There is a whole new set of eager bakers ready to showcase their skill, passion and tenacity. I love judging alongside Fritz as we nurture the baker’s talent and celebrate their growth on the way to becoming one of SA’s next culinary stars!”

Insightful Masterclasses

Elevating the series even further is the addition of expert guest judges, who present a Masterclass to the bakers in addition to critiquing their creations. These industry experts, including Farruza Abrahams, Nanzo Nguyen, Khanya Mzongwana, Jamie Adriaans, Jenny Morris and Anmar Wilding, will be sharing their tips and techniques with contestants and viewers at home on how to elevate their baking. From making perfect shortcrust pastry to traditional bread baking and everything in between, the experts have incredible insight to share, adding another exciting element to the competition.

The Prizes Have Increased In A Big Way

This season, the winner of The Taste Master SA will receive R50 000 cash courtesy of Royal Baking Powder, KitchenAid products worth R82 000, AEG products worth R50 000 and a year's supply of Selati. Additionally, all the contestants this season stand a chance to win their share of R50 000 in AEG products through challenge wins throughout the season.

However, the winnings don’t stop there. Viewers at home will also be able to get in on the action and stand a chance to win one of 12 KitchenAid Stand Mixers valued at R11 990. To enter, viewers need to tune in, bake something inspired by that particular episode’s theme, take a photo of their creation with their Royal Baking Powder product. This should be shared alongside a description of the creation and the hashtag #TheTasteMasterSA on social media to count as an official entry. More details about this competition and Ts&Cs can be found at http://thetastemaster.co.za/season-3-weekly-viewer-competition/.

Recreate The Magic At Home

This season, The Taste Master SA will be sharing each and every recipe on their official website, making it easier than ever for viewers to try and recreate these delicious creations at home. Shortly after an episode airs, recipes will be uploaded onto www.thetastemaster.co.za where viewers are encouraged to find their favourites and recreate the dish at home.

Tune into the third season of The Taste Master SA every Friday at 19:00 or its repeat every Sunday at 15:00 on SABC 2. For more information and to get your hands on the delectable recipes from each episode, visit www.thetastemaster.co.za.