Cancer survivor Arvin Garcia bakes his way to glory in ‘The Great Australian Bake Off’
Hold on to your whisks, guys, because the baking world has officially been shookt — all thanks to one proud Pinoy, Arvin Garcia.
Arvin won the hit show “The Great Australian Bake Off” on BBC last year, and since then, the Land Down Under has been having better desserts with a Filipino flair, thanks to him.
We learned that long before he became Australia’s newest baking sensation, Arvin was already used to saving lives — as a nurse. He moved to Australia in 2014 to practice it, but before the smooth road ahead, in an earlier interview he had with News5, life threw Arvin its first plot twist early on.
“After passing the board exams, na-diagnose ako with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” Arvin shared, adding that it is a type of cancer in the blood.
At a time when he should’ve been chasing his dreams, he was fighting for his life. But instead of giving in to sadness, Arvin became more inspired to soldier on.
Thankfully, by 2009, he was declared cancer-free.
We caught up with Arvin the other day via Zoom interview since he is based in Melbourne. When we chatted with Arvin, his backdrop was a dream kitchen full of Smeg appliances which he won during the competition.
But guess what? He said that his baking journey was far from lavish. He started with only a toaster and a heart missing his favorite local breads from the Philippines.
“Noong nag-move ako rito sa Australia, nakaka-miss kasi iyong mga kinalakihan ko na dishes sa atin,” he shared. “Specially yung pan de sal at ube. So, 10 years ago, hindi pa ganoon kadali ma-access iyong Filipino food dito sa Melbourne.”
That was how he became an accidental baker. He loved to bake for his friends and for gatherings they had there.
Arvin’s journey to the show started when a friend randomly sent him a link to audition for “The Great Australian Bake Off.” Arvin shrugged and sent in his application. And the rest is baking history.
Throughout the show, Arvin championed Filipino ingredients — from ube halaya cheesecake to bibingka scones — which quickly became certified hits Down Under.
“During the show, I tried to use Filipino flavors talaga para something unique — and it’s a chance for them to try and see what they think about it,” he shared.
His dishes weren’t just desserts. They were love letters to the Philippines. And the judges?
They ate them up — literally and emotionally.
“There are two foods that impress the judges. One is the bibingka scones. So, may isang challenge na ginamit ko iyong bibingka flavor and grabe talaga reaction nila,” he said, sharing his technique.
“Kailangan ko i-blend iyong food na familiar sila and slowly introduce iyong flavors natin kasi minsan kapag binigla mo, they’ll be curious but mamaya baka hindi agad mag-click sa kanila.”
The other ingredient he championed was ube cheesecake.
“Sabi ng judge, unbelievable daw. So, after pa ng show, may lumapit pa na judge sa akin after and sinabi niya, ‘This is literally the best bake I have tasted during my entire time on the show.’” Wow, big words indeed.
Right now, Arvin is busy doing a baking tour around Australia, especially for the Filipino communities that have supported him from day one. But wait, he’s not stopping there.
He dreams of opening a bake shop in different parts of the world, especially the Philippines.
Arvin imparted some words of wisdom for his fellow dreamers.
“The win was emotional. Never have I thought I would achieve this. My advice is to start small. Don’t wait to have a perfect time or a big kitchen. Kahit na-oven toaster lang yan, simulan mo na. Laban lang! Who knows, right?”
If you want to catch Arvin’s amazing journey, watch “The Great Australian Bake Off” every Saturday night at 9 on Channel 202, Cignal TV.
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