B.C. high school teacher wins Season 7 of The Great Canadian Baking Show

The season is over and the judges have voted. We're so pleased to announce Loïc Fauteux-Goulet as our Season 7 winner.

Loïc is a 32-year-old high school teacher from Quebec who now lives in B.C.'s Kootenay region. "This feels surreal, I just can't imagine it's me right now standing here," said Loïc in the finale, "having everyone here and winning the competition feels so amazing."

His interest in baking began when he was a toddler and requested a green cake with a marzipan Stegosaurus on top for his birthday, which his parents graciously ordered. He liked to draw elaborate cakes and each year his mom, who was not a baker, would help him make his dream birthday cake. 

Watch | Loïc makes date bars with his mom

As a teenager, he continued to learn about baking with his maternal grandmother at his side. "As a kid, I was always very impressed at my grandmother's ability to 'whip up' desserts without really following a recipe," remembers Loïc, "that has inspired me to become a baker who knows his basics and can be creative around them."

He used his skills to try to impress his partner Alison, who is also a baker and a long-time fan of the show. "Since we have been together, there has been a lot of baking, with the GCBS as a constant source of inspiration," says Loïc. "My favourite thing about the show is the approach to baking that it promotes. Although the challenges are timed and demanding, it is clear that growth and learning, friendship amongst bakers and celebrations of success are key values of the show. It is the positive show baking deserves!"

Watch | Moment from Season 7 of GCBS featuring Loïc and his wonderful creations

For Loïc, baking is all about the relationships that happen around it, "Recently, we've been doing pizza nights where I make dough and our friends bring their fridge leftovers as toppings!"

His favourite kitchen tool: A good whisk is probably the one tool I value the most. Often baking outside in my kitchen, the stand/hand mixer is not always available. Therefore, I had to learn to use the whisk to whip up cream, egg whites, etc. At first, the task seemed daunting, but learning to do this by hand taught me a lot about speed and consistency, which I can now apply when I use the stand mixer. In a way, the whisk had been a great teacher, and is not a close friend!

His favourite ingredient: Pistachios! I love everything pistachio. That comes from my childhood when my dad would patiently shell them for me. I love pistachio ice cream, pistachio macarons, pistachio dacquoise, pistachio mousse… It pairs well with many other ingredients and has such a unique nutty depth of flavour. 

His favourite birthday bake: At a birthday party, you're always too full when it comes to dessert! For that reason, I like baking birthday cakes on the lighter side, like entremets, pavlovas or Japanese cheesecakes. These cakes are usually fruit-forward, I particularly like working with mango and peach, which I find so refreshing. 

Watch Season 7 of The Great Canadian Baking Show free now on CBC Gem.

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