CLIVE, Iowa — At 13 years old, Clive native Nash Roe has already taken his passion for baking to the national stage.
He competed on Season 11 of the Kids Baking Championship "Biz Kids" on Food Network, making it to episode seven of the series with his baking prowess and tasty treats in tow.
When it comes to learning on the job, Roe believes the show taught him more about the competitive side of baking.
"Also a lot of food styling. Because a lot of people have come up to me and said, 'Hey, do you just know how to do that?' And, actually, I learned it on the show," he told "Good Morning Iowa" Friday.
Roe's history with baking goes back to his early childhood. He was always a fan of being in the kitchen, especially since his mom and grandparents made most things from scratch.
"I kept baking, it became a hobby and then in COVID time, I guess, I handed my mom a yellow sheet of paper with stuff I'd never made before," Roe said. "And I said 'This is what I'm doing.' And she's like, 'Okay, just go ahead.'"
After a social media post by his mom in the summer of 2020, Nash's Confections took off. And that entrepreneurial confidence and passion for the craft landed him a spot in the top half of "Biz Kids" competitors this past season.
Roe posted on Facebook about his plans following his departure from the show, reading in part:
"Now that the show is over, I'm back to building my business, coming up with delicious new products to share with you all, and getting excited about what the future holds. Stay tuned - you haven't seen the last of me!"
Now, Roe's schedule is chock full, with cooking classes for all ages and pop-up events at local businesses filling his free time.
"It's definitely lost me a lot of sleep. But it's definitely 100% been fun," he said. "The last really two months have been super busy, yeah. Especially since the premiere. I would never have expected it to grow as high as it did."
Local 5 asked about possible future appearances on Food Network, but Roe couldn't share too much confidential information just yet.
"I can't tell you."
But that doesn't mean he'll be off the radar anytime soon. Roe will have another event at the Hy-Vee on Mills Civic Parkway from 9 to 11 a.m. on March 4.