Local business owner Kitty Vacha and her assistant Bonnie Etzold will be featured on a new baking series on Netflix beginning July 13.
The buzz words for local business owner Kitty Vacha right now are Sugar Rush and Netflix.
Vacha, owner of Tasteful Indulgence, Cake Art of Seward, and her assistant, Bonnie Etzold, will be featured on Netflix’s new series July 13.
Vacha and Etzold flew to Los Angeles in October for filming. This was Vacha’s second nationally aired competition. She competed on Food Network’s Cake Wars two years ago.
“I went in not as intimidated because I knew what to expect,” Vacha said. “The celebrity judges were amazing.”
While Vacha knew a little of what to expect, she said she was nervous.
“It was kind of like, do I or don’t I put on Depends,” she said smiling. “However having done this once before, I decided just to own it and have fun knowing full well they could edit.”
One of Vacha’s producers from Cake Wars sent her a cast call application in June 2017 while he was in Mexico filming The Bachelor.
“All it said was fast-paced baking competition. That’s all I knew,” she said. “It was a new show. No concept. I had no idea what we were getting into.”
Vacha said it also said the show was from Emmy award winning producers of Top Chef
“And I took a breath, and we applied. Game on,” she said.
Vacha and Etzold arrived for a four-day trip in L.A. in October. They weren’t allowed to tell anyone about it until June 20.
They flew into Burbank, California. Vacha said the first day included checking in, learning the ropes and then shopping. She said it was a challenge to shop with not knowing what the competition will require.
“We bought a little bit of everything, not knowing what to prepare for,” she said.
The women returned to the hotel and were directed to be camera ready by 6 a.m. the next day.
“You hop in the van. Say a prayer. Hit the green room, and it all starts,” she said.
Vacha said the bakers and assistants lined up to go through the warehouse for taping. Everywhere they walked, crews would yell “baker’s walking.”
“Anytime we (the baking competitors as a group) walked to the set from the dressing rooms, everyone on the film/set crew, that we happened to walk by, would yell out ‘bakers walking.’ The entire way. After a while it was a little creepy, I felt like I was in ‘The Green Mile’ and on death row. Now whenever Bonnie and I are leaving we shout out Baker’s walking,” she said.
Vacha said they had a great time.
“It was a fast paced, race against the clock competition based on flavor and presentation,” she said.
Judges were Candace Nelson (founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes) and Australian pastry chef Adriano Zumbo (Zumbo’s Just Desserts).
“I had a blast,” Vacha said.
Vacha said the three rounds of the competition included cupcakes, confection and a themed cake.
“If you made it that far,” she said.
The first season of the series includes eight episodes, all of which will be available July 13 on Netflix.
Vacha said Tasteful Indulgence is now offering cake at Cafe on the Square and will soon be providing their cheesecake and cinnamon rolls.
Netflix is an internet entertainment service with 125 million memberships over 190 countries. It includes TV series, documentaries and feature films across a variety of genres and languages. People can watch programming anytime or place with an internet-connected screen.
