An Ocala pastry chef and bakery owner will participate in a new holiday series that will air on Food Network.
Bev Hansen will compete in season 5 of Holiday Wars on Food Network beginning on November 5, according to a press release.
Hansen, who owns and operates Bev’s Custom Bakery, was a previous participant in season 12 of Halloween Wars, another holiday-themed baking series on Food Network. During that competition, Hansen and her team, “Lollipop Lunatics,” made it to the finale of that series, which aired in the fall of 2022.
Hansen’s business currently offers a variety of desserts for purchase in Ocala and surrounding areas. Her collection of baked goods includes wedding cakes, sugar art, and decorated sugar cookies.
The baker and pastry chef says her ultimate goal is to open a brick-and-mortar location that employs “differently-abled Ocala and area residents” so that she can help them “learn the sugar industry trade.” She says her flavors and originality in “sugar decoration” is what sets her apart.
Always eager to share her techniques, tricks, and tips, Hansen says she hosts regular classes for students of all ages and abilities. She also recently opened a “virtual pastry school” for students that cannot attend her in-person classes.
Hansen says she is excited to participate on the Food Network again and “take a shot at the title.”
To check out Bev’s products and services, or to cheer her on during her journey, visit Bev’s Custom Bakery online, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.
To watch Bev compete on Holiday Wars, tune in to Food Network on Sunday, November 5 at 9 p.m. EST.
Hansen is one of several local residents who made appearances on Food Network shows this summer.
Rashad Jones, who owns Big Lee’s BBQ, defeated Bobby Flay during an airing of Beat Bobby Flay in early July. Jones, who was a previous participant in Guy’s Grocery Games in 2017 and BBQ Brawl in 2022, celebrated the grand opening of his first brick-and-mortar location in Ocala on the same day as the episode.
Pastry chef Yohann Le Bescond, who works at the World Equestrian Center, competed in the inaugural Summer Baking Championship on Food Network over the summer. Le Bescond made it to the finals of the competition.