Adriano Zumbo

“I love chocolate and I think there is no such thing as too much.”

“High tea is fun. It's elegant and social and a great way not to have to devote yourself to a big meal but still have a drink and a relaxed time.”

“At school, before I left, I was making cake mixes and taking them to school, giving them to teachers and my classmates.”

“When I'm working and I need to taste food, I use a small spoon or eat a small piece, rather than wolfing down an entire piece of cake.”

“I'm someone who's easily bored.”

“I'm like anyone else: there's good and bad in what I do and there are always people out there who think they know better than you.”

“When I have red velvet cake, I normally have cream cheese icing.”

“It's definitely always daunting to have your name on a show and a lot of pressure in some ways, but obviously in other ways it's a lot of fun and it's a great honor.”

“If you use apple in one dish think of using citrus or something more neutral like vanilla in another. You constantly need to be challenging the tastebuds but not assaulting them.”

“I was a bit of a wild kid.”

“For me with sugar, it's all about balance. It's about being strong enough and to have the willpower to say, you know what, Saturday is my treat day, I'm going to eat cake, I'm going to eat dessert, I might eat a packet of biscuits.”

“There's nothing better than opening a block of chocolate and sitting back and that little joy it brings to your face and to your body.”

“Focus on the flavor and texture of your desserts. Don't go overboard with too many ingredients and flavors keep a good balance of flavors.”

“If you're dreaming up a dessert, you've got to remember to keep it well balanced.”

“I was a real unfocused academic student, always fiddling around in class, or doing something silly and thinking of something else that had nothing to do with school.”

“When I was kid, one of the big things was watching all the cattle trucks and wheat trucks coming through town.”

“I need a strong woman who can handle the attention I get and not get upset if I cuddle a stranger for a social photo.”

“It was a great challenge creating the Zumbarons. Coming up with the elements for each was the hardest, but it only took us one attempt and we were happy with the flavor.”

“Coming from an Italian family, my parents had supermarkets and they said I had to take over as any son should take over the family business - I copped a lot of flak when I said 'no.'”

“Everything you do in life or experience in life gives inspiration for the creative process. But it also depends ultimately on what the consumer wants.”