DENVER — Denver Chef Marco Salden is excited to compete on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship, but his mother might have him beat.
“My mother is hosting a party at her house. … Every single person in the neighborhood is going to be there. I’ll probably be able to hear it even though she’s two time zones away from here,” the New Jersey native jokes.
With the New Jersey and Denver fans from his restaurant, Guard and Grace, rooting him on, Salden will make his debut on the Spring Baking Championship Monday, March 7. He’s a surprise addition to the competition, joining in the second week after the season premiered — a surprise to the competitors and Salden.
“You will kind of see the shock on everyone else’s face and … maybe a little bit of shock in the back of my eyes.”
After the shock wears off, Salden will have to beat 11 other bakers for the $25,000 prize and a feature in Food Network Magazine. He prepared for that challenge with a lot of research on the previous Baking Championships.
“I actually went and bought all the seasons,” Salden said. “It was just sitting there every single night and watching them all, seeing what would happen.”
Salden has been with Guard and Grace since October 2021, crafting seasonal desserts with a fresh flare. The upscale steakhouse is a favorite for downtown Denver diners, but even the pressure of the restaurant business could not prepare him for baking on television.
“I got into the filming area, and I realized that it wasn’t just one camera person I have to look for. It’s literally every single place I look,” he said. “It felt like if I open something there might be a camera just in there waiting, looking at me.”
Spring Baking Championship, hosted by Molly Yeh, airs on Food Network Monday evenings at 8 p.m. MT.
