Photo courtesy of Food Network
Fontana 11-year-old Carly Van Pelt spent the winter enjoying celebrity status as a contestant on the Food Network’s Emmy-nominated series, “Kids Baking Championship,” hosted by Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown. Van Pelt, who attends Reek Elementary School in Linn Township, was selected as one of 12 contestants on the 13th season of the show, the theme of which was “Amazing Animals.”
For two years, with the help of her parents, Van Pelt has been running her own Instagram business called VP’s Treats. She bakes macarons, cupcakes, cakes and chocolate-covered pretzels, as well as baked animal treats for dogs and horses. She sells her goods via Instagram and at local spots in the summer, including the Williams Bay Farmers Market, and pop-ups at Fontana Home.
When Van Pelt’s mom, Tricia Van Pelt, came across the call for kids to audition for “Kids Baking Championship” last year, she encouraged her daughter to send in a video. Following a complex audition process, Van Pelt was ultimately selected as one of the 12 contestants, and headed to Los Angeles. Filming wrapped last summer, but Van Pelt was sworn to secrecy about the outcome. When the show started airing in January, suddenly Van Pelt was a local celebrity. Every week, viewers around the country have been tuning in to watch her tackle the show’s various baking challenges, from animal-texture tarts to animal houses made of cookie. In one episode, Van Pelt even won a Disney Cruise for her exceptional blondies.
The grand finale task will require the contestants to create a zoo-inspired cake. That episode will air March 3 on the Food Network and start streaming the following day on Max.
