Media Release: 12 November 2026
Second-year apprentice Irina Havelaar from Copenhagen Bakery in Christchurch has beaten more experienced bakers to claim both the 2026 Bread Baker of the Year and Young Bread Baker of the Year titles, along with a $15,000 research grant.
Judges said Irina’s performance was impressive across all aspects of the competition, from the baking theory, where she scored the highest mark to date, through to her practical baking skills.
Auckland’s Oscar Arlidge, a Technical Baking Coordinator at Quality Bakers (Goodman Fielder), was runner-up in both competitions and receives a $10,000 research grant. With a background in food science and microbiology, Oscar combines scientific knowledge with practical baking skills in his work.
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