You can keep your Oscars and Forbes covers, there's a certain stardom that only those who have boarded the Hogwarts Express possess. So when the Zoom room opens and I'm greeted by James and Oliver Phelps, better known as Fred and George Weasley, respectively, I can hardly believe I'm speaking to Hogwarts' most mischievous duo. It's been over fifteen years since the final Harry Potter film hit cinemas (rattling indeed), and while the brothers have since embarked on their individual successful careers, that unmistakable Weasley sparkle remains.
Perhaps that's because they've just finished filming season three of Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, which sees the brothers return to the world that shot them into the limelight. For the third year, they're swapping their wands for spoons, as some of the world's most talented bakers battle it out to recreate iconic scenes, characters and the occasional Horcrux from the beloved franchise. As James later admits to me, "You can literally walk around and say, "Can I try a bit?" and they'll give you some."
From the questionable realities of filming Hogwarts' famous feasts to the show's extraordinary creations that have left them speechless, the brothers take us behind the scenes of the show that proves that fifteen years on, there's still plenty of magic to be found at Hogwarts.
What has it been like coming back together to work on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking? We're into season three now, but does it still feel like a bit of a blast from the past?
James: It's been mind-blowing, to be honest. We've met all the contestants from seasons one and two, and we've built really good friendships with the vast majority of them because we spend so much time together during filming. But this time, they've come back and raised the bar even higher. They're now working in teams of three rather than two, and there's no elimination for the first couple of episodes. Taking away that pressure has actually made them even better, which I didn't think was possible. To step back into the kitchen and see just how much the standard has improved has been incredible.
Have there been any standout creations you can tell us about?
Oliver: There's a standout creation in pretty much every challenge, to be honest. As James said, the standard has just got higher and higher. In a lot of episodes, you see creations that could probably win the entire competition, let alone a single challenge. We've seen everything from an entire Hogwarts to Fluffy, the three-headed dog, the Hogwarts Express and the Sorting Hat. The teams have used their creativity to make these incredible pieces, but you also have to remember what they're making them out of. Everything is edible! Watching them mix different fondants to create something like a marble floor is mind-blowing. It's fascinating how their brains work. They'll look at something and immediately know how to recreate it using edible materials.
There are so many references to the Harry Potter films throughout the series. Have there been any that even you'd forgotten about?
James: All the time! In the first episode, for example, I think it was Team Hufflepuff who recreated Fluffy, the three-headed dog. I hadn't thought about Fluffy for 25 years!
But the level of detail they went into was incredible. They gave each head its own characteristics, rather than just creating one and reproducing it three times. They didn't need to go to that much trouble, but they really went all in.
I think that attention to detail is what makes these guys so good.
In the previous two seasons, we've seen some familiar faces from the Wizarding World. Can we expect any more this time around?
Oliver: There's a surprise guest this series who I really don't think viewers will see coming. It was very, very exciting to have them on board. I'm trying not to give anything away, but it's definitely going to be cool to see!
If you could bring one food or drink from the Wizarding World into the real world, what would it be?
James: I've got a huge sweet tooth, so I'd have to say a Chocolate Frog. Although, I'm not sure actually, because it would probably escape, wouldn't it?
On the subject of magical food, was there anything from the films that wasn't quite as delicious as it looked on screen?
Oliver: Butterbeer is my first thought. I can't remember exactly what it was made from when we originally filmed it. I think it was something like ginger beer with whipped cream on top. Horrible!
James: I was thinking about the Great Hall, particularly those big feast scenes where everyone's eating. The smell of cooked vegetables and reheated chicken! Honestly, it's like PTSD whenever we walk back into the Great Hall. I remember speaking to Matt Lewis and Devon Murray a couple of months ago, and we were talking about those scenes. They look fantastic on screen, but when you're filming them for two months solid, it's a completely different story. I don't think I had a roast dinner for a year afterwards!
Speaking of the Great Hall, what's it been like returning to such an iconic set for an entirely different purpose, particularly for the finale?
Oliver: It's been really cool seeing all those sets again. It's funny seeing them behind ropes now! This season, we also got to visit the Studio Tour in Japan. The Harry Potter audience in Asia is huge, and seeing the demand for it out there is incredible. Being able to explore those sets in Japan and tie that experience into Wizards of Baking has been such a cool thing to do. It opens up the stories to a whole new audience.
Are there any particular sets that make you feel nostalgic, or that you've especially enjoyed revisiting?
James: This season, the Quidditch pitch makes an appearance at one point, which was really fun to see again. Obviously, we spent quite a lot of time filming Quidditch scenes against a green screen, so that brought back some memories. It also shows that the series isn't just limited to the sets we've seen in the first couple of seasons. There are new ones being introduced, too. I think even people who haven't watched the films or read the books might see these places and feel inspired to go and discover more about the Wizarding World.
One of the perks of the job must be getting to taste all these extraordinary creations. Has anything been particularly memorable?
Oliver: Oh, there's a lot! I remember one team made this chocolate dessert that was presented in a shoe. It had raspberry in it, didn't it?
James: It was like the best chocolate bar you'll ever eat. That's the best way I can describe it. It was insane! But there were so many other incredible things. Chris, for example, who was in Team Slytherin, would come back with a completely new technique in every episode, every challenge. You'd just think, how many things do you know?You build such a rapport with the contestants that you almost forget these guys are literally world-class at what they do. I remember another dessert that Hamu made. It was something caramel-like, I think, but the best way I can describe it is heaven in your mouth. You just got completely lost in the flavours. I know it's a bit of a cliché when chefs and bakers talk about taking you on a journey with food, but we genuinely experienced that on this show. I really hope that comes across to the audience when they watch it.
Finally, three seasons in, what's the secret to such a successful working relationship?
James: We don't see each other outside of this!
Oliver: I think, ultimately, it's because we're doing our dream job. We get to be ourselves while watching some of the best people in the world do what they do. You can literally walk around with a spoon and say, "Can I try a bit?" and they'll give you some. Everything about it is just so cool. And now that we're in season three, the production team really knows how we work. They're happy to give us opportunities to bring more of our own personalities into the show.
Fifteen years on, it's reassuring to know that the brothers behind Hogwarts' most notorious troublemakers haven't lost their appetite for some mischief. One has to wonder whether the Marauder's Map could have foreseen them roaming the kitchens with spoons in hand? I think Fred and George would approve.
Coming soon to Food Network UK.
