The 31-year-old can't say how far she got during the show, but she was accepted into the final 16, who feature tonight.
After applying, Sarah was invited to an Auckland audition taking three of her baked items - rewena bread with smoked trout, a croquembouche (a tower of custard-filled choux buns with a veil of spun toffee), and an exquisitely-decorated devil's chocolate cake. A couple of weeks later, she got the nod.
For episode one, Sarah and the 15 others had 90 minutes to produce "something outstanding". Only eight went through to episode two and whether Sarah did is a closely-guarded secret.
Sarah has always loved baking. She learned from her mother Jude and by the age of eight was making biscuits and fudge on her own.
At boarding school, she would arrive laden with baking, which she used to trade for other food or favours, such as having her netball uniform ironed.
Sarah further developed her skills on the marae, baking for large numbers and producing a lot of food in a short time.
"If you went in the kitchen, you always got a job and I loved going in and doing the desserts."
Her favourite place to be is the kitchen creating layer cakes, choux pastry and whoopie pies and she keeps most of her recipes in her head.
Partner Nick and children Cheyenne, 13, Ali'itasi, 7, and Te Waiariki, nearly 2, love her baking, especially chocolate chippie biscuits, chocolate cake and cupcakes.
"I don't buy biscuits or anything like that. It's just not worth it. It's just that it's easier to bake them, and so much cheaper."
