When Food Network’s new “Ultimate Baking Championship” debuts on Monday, San Diegans may recognize one of the competitors from a bakery in Pacific Beach.
Clement Le Deore, who is originally from the Brittany region of France, has lived in San Diego for eight years and owned his bakery, Desserts by Clement, for four years. His background as a baker includes working as an apprentice and practicing in Corsica, Australia and San Diego before opening up his own place. He also said he honed his skills at home in San Diego.
“I built a kitchen in my living room,” Le Deore said. “And then I really tried to improve my skills like every day after work. I bought a camera, took pictures of my creations, started to build my Instagram, and then I see a lot of people react to what I was doing, and it gave me even more motivation, and then I just kept going.”
His bakery specializes in French classics such as puffs from choux pastry, but also unique original creations, including a seasonal series with desserts shaped to look like real fruits. Le Deore said he is planning to open two more shops in San Diego County in 2026.
This will be his second Food Network appearance after competing in season 9 of “Spring Baking Championship.” Ahead of the premiere of “Ultimate Baking Championship,” he answered a few questions from The San Diego Union-Tribune. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Clement Le Deore as seen on “The Ultimate Baking Championship” Season 1. (Food Network)
Q: What made you want to do this competition?
A: So, I always love to challenge myself. Actually, you know, when you go to competition you’re like, “Why I did that?” But I don’t know, I always like wanna push myself, go further. Competition is super stressful, but I think it kind of like excites me in the same time, like give me adrenaline. … I like to challenge myself and I’m very competitive. And then the other thing also, help for the business, which is a big point. So having a business, you know, doing this competition obviously people are going to come to my shop. And I don’t know, I always wanted to be on TV, and so that was a way for me, you know, to be on TV. I guess that’s kind of everybody’s dream.
Q: This show is described as “the most intense baking competition ever.” Is that accurate?
A: Oh, definitely. Yeah. I mean, first of all, when you see all people that were in the show, you already know that this competition is going to be very, very hard. And I’m there too, so imagine.
Q: How did the ‘Spring Baking Championship’ prepare you for this?
A: So that was — that was very intense. That was my first competition, it was really focused on, you know, Americanized desserts, which for me was a big challenge. But what I enjoyed the most is like, you know, even if I didn’t have the skill that some episodes required, I was still able to always come up with something my own way. And I did great. I’m actually super happy about the first show I have done. I didn’t finish first place … I was in final, so that’s also already very good. So that’s why I wanted to come back to this “Ultimate Baking Championship” for revenge.
Q: Will those who have visited your shop recognize some of your desserts on the show?
A: Exactly. I really try to, you know, keep my personality and then when people watch me, they can see what I do, you know, my whole concept of desserts and that’s what I know how to do. So when people are gonna come to my shop the next day, they’re gonna recognize me and my desserts.
Q: This is your second competition show, would you do another?
A: Yeah, actually love competing, and if there’s another opportunity for another show, I would definitely take it.
Q: What do you think you took away from being in this competition?
A: Every time I do a competition, I really learn about how to work faster, better organized, thinking out of the box. It’s like brainstorming. You really have to think a lot and think quick and think good, making the right decision. It’s so intense. So every time I do like the last show, I learned a lot about myself. I surprise myself every time with what I was able to do in a such short amount of time, how to control my stress. And then, learning new techniques, because I mean during all competition I have done, like I have learned so much, because you are here and you don’t have choice to do it. You have to figure it out and that’s it. So you have to figure it out and you have no choice, because usually we always stay in our comfort zone, and there’s something we don’t like to do or we don’t know how to do, we just don’t do it. But in competition like this, you must do it. That’s it. If you don’t do it, then you just go home. And so that’s like a big, big lesson when you go in the show. And I’ve learned like so many things. And actually, I’ve learned few things in that show that now I’m doing every day.