Sarah Flowers and Joy Nxumalo Exit The Taste Master Junior After Challenging Garage Pie Bake-Off

The pressure was turned up this week on The Taste Master Junior as the bottom six contestants faced a high-stakes elimination challenge that tested their precision, patience, and pastry skills. Their mission: to create the ultimate “garage pie”, a flaky, handheld savoury pie that could hold its own against South Africa’s favourite grab-and-go treat. 

Guest judge and content creator Nicholas Fraser joined the panel to give the contestants a masterclass in crafting the perfect portable pie. From flaky golden crusts to flavour-packed fillings, every detail mattered as the young chefs battled to secure their spot in the next round. 

Sadly, for Sarah Flowers and Joy Nxumalo, the challenge proved to be their final one in the Taste Master Junior kitchen. 

Joy presented a creamy spinach, mushroom, cheese, and lamb pie, aiming for a rich, hearty filling that blended comfort and sophistication. However, her pie was undercooked, costing her valuable points from the judges. Sarah went bold with a lasagne-inspired pie, featuring mince and béchamel sauce, a clever concept that impressed the judges in theory, but they felt it needed more sauce and layers to bring the full lasagne experience to life. 

Despite their eliminations, both contestants left the kitchen with their heads held high and plenty of memories, skills, and lessons to take forward on their culinary journeys.

After their elimination, we caught up with Sarah and Joy who opened up about their journey on the show. 

Q&A with Sarah Flowers 

Sarah, you’re such a creative person, from painting to cooking! How did your creativity come through in your dishes on The Taste Master Junior? 

I think the pie challenge is definitely my most creative dish that I made on The Taste Master Junior. The pastry challenge is all about precision and patience. 

What did you enjoy most (or find the hardest) about creating your garage pie? 

My favourite part of the pie challenge was putting all the components together and seeing the final product. 

You always brought a lot of energy and sparkle to the kitchen. What will you miss most about being part of The Taste Master Junior family? 

What I’ll miss most about being part of The Taste Master Junior kitchen is definitely being in the kitchen itself and interacting with the other contestants. 

What’s the biggest lesson you learned about yourself during your time on the show? 

The biggest lesson I learned about myself during my time on the show is that I can do way more than I think. 

Q&A With Joy Nxumalo

Joy, you mentioned that your love for cooking started with your grandmother and mom. How did their influence help you during your time in The Taste Master Junior kitchen? 

My love for cooking started with my grandma and mom. They taught me traditional South African recipes and cooking techniques. Their influence helped me feel confident in the kitchen on The Taste Master Junior. I could focus on creating delicious dishes for the judges. 

Looking back on your journey, what dish or moment are you most proud of from your time on the show? 

The dish I’m most proud of is definitely my boerewors dish from Episode 2. 

The pastry challenge can be tough. What was going through your mind while creating your garage pie? 

I wanted to create a one-of-a-kind signature pie, something that could be a feature at Joy’s restaurant, not just an ordinary pie. My lamb, creamy spinach, and mushroom sauce pie was a great way to elevate a traditional garage pie. 

What’s one skill or piece of advice you learned from the judges or mentors that you’ll take with you? 

I learned how to prepare dishes I never imagined I could. Making fudge and wors from scratch was the most fascinating experience. From the judges, I’ll take all their positive and negative feedback to help me improve as I work towards becoming a chef. Fritz also taught me that cooking isn’t just about following a recipe, it’s about understanding flavours, textures, and presentation. 

While Sarah and Joy’s journey in The Taste Master Junior has come to an end, their creativity, enthusiasm, and love for food continue to shine bright. As the competition heats up, the remaining contestants will have to dig deep and deliver their very best to impress the judges and claim the title of The Taste Master Junior season two champion.

Watch new episodes of The Taste Master Junior Season 2, brought to you by Clover, airs every Tuesday at 7:30pm on SABC2, with repeats every Wednesday at 1pm and Sunday at 4pm.

For more information, visit www.thetastemaster.co.za and make sure you follow The Taste Master SA on Facebook,Instagram,TikTokand X.