"I have tried to stay away from the bottom of the pecking order and it has clearly done me well so far.
"Baking is a science at the end of the day. Some days you have a good day and others not so much, and I am just hoping that I have a good day in the final."
Hall said it only takes one small mistake for it could be game over, but admitted it "would be really nice to do well in the final and make Hawke's Bay proud."
From pasties to pizza, biscuits to bread, Hall has covered the whole spectrum of baking in the past seven weeks.
He's done it with a determined smile on his face and has never missed an opportunity to spruik his Hawke's Bay roots, using the bread showstopper challenge to showcase the region's incredible spreads and accompaniments.
Hall said baking may take a bit more of a back seat than it has recently, regardless of the final result on Sunday.
Even so, a new baking-based business is in the mixer.
"If I am honest, my future is in managing the companies that I own," he said. "But, my dream is for people to learn the skills of baking."
He's teamed up with fellow contestant and Hawke's Bay resident Anna Howley, who was eliminated in week two.
Hall said they planned to launch the baking business in the New Year.
"We have formed a company called the Kiwi Bake Box, which is set to launch in February," Hall said.
"People can go online and search Kiwi Bake Box, and register their email address.
"The long-term plan is to provide the public with products and recipes that they can make themselves that are free from additives and preservatives.
"It'll be good old-fashioned like your grandma would have made ingredients, so people can start baking and enjoy the experience of making something and eating it, instead of buying a packet of biscuits from the supermarket which have absolutely no charm or skill to it at all."
Whether you're international patissier like Dean Brettschneider or a reluctant home-baker, Hall insists no matter your experience to just get baking.
"I would say to anybody that is considering baking to turn that oven on, get some flour out the cupboard, make a mess and just bake something," he said.
"Doesn't matter what you bake, just have a go."
Hall who will take to the tent in his final signature, technical, and showstopper challenges this Sunday at 7pm on TVNZ 2 had one final thing to add: "I think Hawke's Bay is one of the luckiest provinces in the whole of New Zealand. We have availability and access to so many varieties of ingredients. We are so lucky in this region – I think people take some of it for granted."
TREVOR SHARES A RECIPE:
Lemon and passionfruit chiffon lamington balls with patisserie creme and chantilly cream
INGREDIENTS:
Lemon chiffon cake
120ml vegetable oil
300gm sugar
6 eggs, separated
3tspn baking powder
93ml water
3/4tspn salt
3/4 tbsp Queen vanilla extract
300gm cake flour
93.75ml lemon juice
Zest of 3 medium lemons
Jelly
1 cup water
1 cup water (ice cold)
20gm gelatine sheets
400gm passionfruit topping
400gm coconut, desiccated
Chantilly cream
200ml cream
2 Tbsp. icing sugar
Dash of Queen vanilla paste
Patisserie creme
2 egg yolks
60gm caster sugar
2 Tbsp. cornflour
200ml milk
1tsp Queen vanilla paste
Pinch of salt
Few drops lemon oil
METHOD
Lemon chiffon cake mix
Preheat the oven 190 degrees.
Whip vegetable oil and yolks until just combined. Add water, zest, vanilla, lemon juice together and add to egg mix – set aside.
Sift flour, 70gm of sugar, BP, salt then add to egg mix, whip on high speed for 1-minute set aside.
Whip the daylights out of the egg whites to foam, gradually adding the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold meringue into the batter. Place into piping bag and pipe even amounts into silicone moulds. Bake for 8-10 minutes – keep an eye not to over-colour during cooking.
Allow cakes to cool slightly before turning out onto cooling rack.
Once cool enough trim a flat bottom to 50 per cent of the rounds and trim all rounds to a flat top.
Jelly
Add gelatine to 1 cup water, bring to boil and dissolve. Set gelatine water aside in chiller while straining the seeds from the passionfruit syrup.
Add syrup to gelatine mix then add cold water and place in chiller and cover with cling wrap.
Patisserie creme
Beat egg yolks and sugar until it's a pale, thick and creamy ribbon stage. Add cornflour and salt.
Boil milk with a few drops lemon oil and vanilla bean paste. Lower heat slightly and add small amount of milk to egg mix – mix well.
Add remaining milk to egg mix then transfer to another pan cook until thick – do not overhear or it will curdle.
Transfer to a cold dish, cover and place in fridge.
Chantilly cream
Place all ingredients into a bowl and beat the crap out of it until soft piping consistency.
Transfer to piping bag with small star nozzle. Place in fridge.
Assembly
Set up a dipping station.
Ensure jelly is extremely close to setting but not set.
Using forks dunk each cake round, allow to slightly drip off then place in coconut and cover gently, remove to a coconut covered tray – place in fridge to speed up setting process.
Pipe small amounts of chantilly cream around rounds that have a flat bottom leaving an area in the centre for the patisserie creme, place each half directly onto the serving tray.
Pipe patisserie creme into centre of each lamington. Place lids on each.
