Juan Gutierrez

Nine teams of pastry chefs are currently invading the Food Network to battle it out in the competition show Wizards of Baking. The theme revolves around the wide world of Harry Potter and several star members make cameos along the way. Hosts James and Oliver Phelps played Fred and George Weasley in the Potter movie franchise and culinary judges include Carla Hall and Jozef Youseff.

Chicago local chef Juan Gutierrez is an out and proud dessert artist competing for the crown this holiday season. This talented baker has won other television series such as Netflix’s School of Chocolate and Food Network’s Chopped Sweets. He currently works as a corporate pastry chef for Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in the Windy City.

Gutierrez met for coffee to discuss how his tasting elements have been put to the test on the new creative cooking show.

JN: (Jerry Nunn) Was cooking a central part of your family life growing up in Colombia?

JG: (Juan Gutierrez) Yes, especially on Sundays when we would have a big meal. I watched my mother and grandmother cook and never planned on being a chef. I thought I would be a doctor just like my dad, but I always enjoyed cooking.

JN: So you learned from your mother and grandmother?

JG: Yes, and I asked for books to learn more. My experiments were awful at the time like when I tried to make churros. I made bread one time and my brother told me that he hoped I wouldn’t become a chef one day because it was so bad! [laughs]

I didn’t stop though and I kept trying.

JN: Did you study cooking in school?

JG: I went to college for pre-med and after one semester I realized that was not for me. I was scared to tell my parents because it would destroy their expectations for me. I was in the closet at the time and already had the fear of them finding out I am gay.

I eventually told them about my career change and even if it wasn’t what they wanted they still supported me. After that, I went to culinary school…

JN: Was that in Colombia?

JG: Yes, for the basics and that’s where I went to pastry school. It didn’t go well because at that time in Colombia cooking was considered a hobby and not a career. At 17 years old I decided to follow my dreams and be free by moving to America.

I went to culinary school in Chicago and started my new life from zero!

JN: How were you cast on these various reality competition shows?

JG: They found me through Instagram and the first show I did was the School of Chocolate. I wasn’t working because of the pandemic and wanted to practice my craft. I transformed my kitchen into a chocolate room to focus on that part of desserts. The casting directors saw my work on Instagram and the same thing happened for Harry Potter, so here I am.

JN: Congratulations! You are doing so well on the episodes I have seen so far.

JG: Thank you.

JN: Did you love Carla Hall? I was impressed by her friendliness when I met her.

JG: I didn’t get to know her because we weren’t allowed to interact too much with the judges. From what I know she is talented and nice. I like her quirkiness and the fact that she’s unique. I want to be like that one day. My dream is to be in shows like this one as a judge in the future.

JN: Is your fellow cast member Riccardo Menicucci gay?

JG: [laughs] No, he’s not, sorry! He’s gorgeous and the nicest guy you will ever meet. He’s Italian and has a roughness about him, but he’s sweet.

JN: The set for Wizards of Baking looked amazing on TV. How was it up close?

JG: There are no words to describe it other than being in the world of Harry Potter. This is where they filmed the movies and it was insane to be there. The colors and the details were unreal.

JN: Where was the show filmed?

JG: The whole show was filmed in a studio in London. I was excited to go to England and see the sights, but we were inside the whole time. I didn’t see anything because we were filming around the clock.

JN: What do you hope to take away from the experience of Wizards of Baking?

JG: This show is different because we were each paired with a cake artist, so it’s a cake show more than anything else. With me being a chocolatier it got me out of my comfort zone.

That is what I love about cooking competitions. I get to try things that are not part of my day-to-day basis. No is not the answer at these shows and I had to try my best to do it. I had to figure it out. I had never done cakes like this before and there I was making cakes on TV.

It pushed me to new limits and gave me the confidence to try something to become a better chef. I became a better person as well and showcased my beautiful Latin culture as a representative.

JN: Has your family watched your various shows?

JG: Yes, they are rooting all the time for me.

JN: So they let go of the doctor career idea?

JG: They don’t even talk about that anymore. My dad actually said he’s glad I didn’t become a doctor! I hope one day people don’t have to go through what I did to be accepted and can easily follow their dreams. By being on television I hope it makes it easier for others to become a chef in the first place without all the struggles I went through. People should be proud of someone from the beginning and not wait for that person to become a success first.

JN: Were you a Harry Potter fan before being cast on this show?

JG: Huge and when I watched the first movie I was hooked right away. I wasn’t into the books, but it was the movies that I loved. I am a visual person so I connected with the characters in the stories.

JN: How do you feel about J.K. Rowling’s stance on the trans community?

JG: For me, it was a tough decision to make to be a part of this show. I am a proud gay Latino and I have friends that are trans. I feel we are all the same. When this opportunity came in I talked to the producers about the conundrum I felt. I didn’t want it to look like I supported Rowling or was okay with her beliefs because I did not. It is also at the same time a part of the life that I grew up with and I love Harry Potter.

What they told me is that she is one person and they don’t agree with her comments. The world of Harry Potter that she created is not her and that world helped me feel okay about myself because those characters were a bunch of weirdos.

I didn’t want her past comments to take away the opportunity to be a part of this Harry Potter world and what she said to affect my future. I wanted this to showcase my work and be a rebel. I am vocal about being against her and not running away. I am here and using my platform to speak out against her.

JN: It’s good that you are explaining this to our readers so people know your stance.

JG: I get messages from people asking me why I did the show. I support and love trans people. My past pain should never become the struggles of my future or my team. I know what it's like to be treated wrong and not be paid what I was worth when I started my career. I don’t let that happen to my current team in the kitchen.

I will not let one person like Rowling ruin something that was created for all of us. She can say all she wants and we are going to keep rising against her. The LGBTQ+ community is the same as all other human beings and we have the same rights to love as anyone else. That is who we are.

JN: You make a good point about the service industry being underpaid. I worked as a server and bartender for 20 years.

JG: It’s a tough career and people have to love it to stay in it. I feel it is changing although the culinary industry is built on tradition. Some think that chefs have to yell to get things done and that’s not true. It’s a job like anyone else and even though we are not saving lives, cooking is still a job that is making us and others happy.

JN: So how is working for Lettuce Entertain You?

JG: It’s such a cool job. I go to work every day and something happens that is completely new. The style of food is constantly changing. One day it’s Italian, then it’s French and sometimes Japanese. It all satisfies and fulfills me. I have passion for it and it pushes me to be better and better. I work with amazing people including the owner Rich Melman who has been a great mentor to me. I have learned to be a better chef and businessman from the organization. It’s so wonderful to be a part of their family.

JN: By the way, do you have a favorite tattoo?

JG: I have so many tattoos, but my right hand is always about me. They are tattoos about my passions and what I do. I have flowers, the mountains of Colombia and the sun. The sun keeps all the universe together. I have a matching tattoo with my dad and the flower tattoos are an homage to my mom. I have flowers all over me to think about her now that she’s passed away. There’s a rose on my neck because it was her favorite flower and there are orchids right here.

JN: That’s so sweet and sentimental. I love that!

Follow Gutierrez as his career continues to blossom @pastrychefjuan on Instagram. Look for new episodes of Wizards of Baking every Thursday until the finale on December 19, 2024. Watch live on Food Network GO or stream on Discovery+ and Max.