Media Release 16th May – Source AEGIC

NZ baker Delmari Janse van Rensburg. Photo: AEGIC

Delmari Janse van Rensburg of New Zealand has been named the 2025 LA Judge Award baking apprentice of the year after three days of spirited competition.

The winner was revealed at the LA Judge Award Gala Dinner in Sydney on Thursday 15 May 2025, hosted by the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) and Woolworths.

The LA Judge Award has tested young bakers across Australia and New Zealand since 1967, and this year’s competitors once again combined a challenging gauntlet of practical baking, theory and presentation skills.

Thanks to major sponsor and prize sponsor Puratos, Delmari will soon jet off to Belgium for an intensive week of training in Brussels, including visits to their Innovation Center, Sourdough Institute, the world-famous Sourdough Library and Maison de Levain, as well as tours of Brussels’ best bakeries/patisseries and the Chocolate Story museum. All accommodation, food and transport is included.

Second place was Jacob Maddock of New South Wales, who receives $1,500 in cash as well as two days of training with Puratos in Sydney, including accommodation, food and transport.

LA Judge Competitors. Photo: AEGIC

The other four competitors will also receive this training thanks to Puratos.

The LA Judge Award is hosted by AEGIC at its Sydney Pilot Bakery.

Retiring LA Judge Award Director Dr Ken Quail applauded every competitor for the commitment and creativity they brought to the bakery floor.

“The way they tackle this demanding competition and still support one another is inspiring,” Dr Quail said.

“Each finalist leaves with sharper skills, improved confidence and industry connections that will help them as they move forward in their careers. They should all be proud.”

Competition organiser and AEGIC baking scientist Sabrina Lim said the LA Judge Award was a rare chance for young bakers to be exposed to new skills, knowledge and ingredients.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the competitors to be mentored by highly experienced industry judges,” she said.

“The knowledge transfer between the judges and competitors and vice versa as they work closely over the three days is invaluable.”

The 2025 judges were Michael Prowse of Allied Pinnacle, Cary Burnett from the William Angliss Institute, and Lindsay Weber of Homestyle and Gold Coast Bakeries. Lindsay is also a former LA Judge Award winner.

The 2025 event was a special one as the industry farewelled long-time LA Judge Award Director Dr Ken Quail, who has retired after dedicating 34 years to AEGIC’s Sydney operations (formerly BRI Australia).

Since its inception, the LA Judge Award has helped emerging bakers sharpen their craft while strengthening links between the baking and grain industries.

A Christchurch craft bread baker has won the 2022 Young Bread Baker of the Year Award after two days of demanding theoretical and practical testing.

Emily Baillie, a baker at Bohemian Bakery in Christchurch, has been awarded a $10,000 research grant from the New Zealand Association of Bakers. Runner-up is Mike Malloy from Quality Bakers Auckland who receives a $5,000 research grant.

Emily, a 20-year-old baker in the third year of her apprenticeship, produces breads and pastries at Bohemian Bakery’s two Christchurch locations. Originally from Hokitika on the West Coast, where she started her apprenticeship at Stone Oven Bakery, Emily moved to Christchurch to broaden her experience. She says working with people of many different nationalities at Bohemian Bakery is a good way to learn different styles and skills, and their diverse backgrounds are reflected in the bakery’s products.

Emily heard about the Young Bread Baker of the Year Competition from her NZ Bakels representative. “I told her that if she thought I could do it, put me in,” says Emily. She spent time working on her theory knowledge and doing practical training with a NZ Bakels tutor. She says she loves a challenge and learning new ways to do things, and the competition was the perfect place for her to do just that.

“Winning the competition will really kickstart my career and open so many new doors for me. The research grant will give me the opportunity to learn much more about the science behind the techniques and ingredients which is a part of the industry I’m passionate about expanding my knowledge on.”

Judging Co-ordinator Tania Watson says Emily won because she did well in both theory and practical sections. “We’ve invited her back next year to try out to be a representative at the 2024 LA Judge Competition in Australia.”

Runner-up Mike Malloy, a Production Manager at Quality Bakers in Auckland, entered the competition to challenge himself to keep his hand in with practical baking skills and the opportunity to network with the other competitors. Mike says he will use his research grant to look at bakeries and baking elsewhere. “I’m really interested in seeing overseas plant bakeries and the latest products.”

The competition requires entrants to demonstrate their ability in three areas: a presentation on a given research topic, a 90-minute exam which tests their theoretical knowledge of baking technology, and a five-hour practical session in which they bake a variety of bread-based products.

Judging Co-ordinator Tania Watson says the aim of the competition is to find bakers with potential whose talents can be nurtured through mentoring and development opportunities, and to reward the best young bread baker in the country. “It’s always good to have both plant and craft bakeries represented as they bring different strengths to the competition. This year we had four craft bakers and two plant bread bakers taking part. We were pleased to have bakers from diverse background and a variety of nationalities.”

Judges Joe Jarkiewicz, Grant Inns, Nathan Roberts, and Tania Watson said they like to see competitors showing confidence in their work. “They also need to be well organised and have a clean and tidy workspace,” says Joe Jarciewicz, “as well as an awareness of their surrounding and ability to work as a team. They need to communicate with each other to share the equipment and ovens in the kitchen. They must get the basics right and demonstrate skills such as hand moulding and scaling. Finally, the finished products have to be really good.”

The Judges said they were impressed in general with the standard of products. The competitors worked well together in the bakery and were calm and methodical in their approach. Grant Inns says the competition is an opportunity for competitors to get to know each other, form networks and advance their careers in baking.

The Young Bread Baker of the Year Competition is sponsored by the New Zealand Association of Bakers and is designed to promote excellence in people emerging from their training.
ENDS ///
Images
Jpeg: Emily Baillie wins
Caption: “Emily Baillie is the 2022 Young Bread Baker of the Year”
Jpeg Emily’s products
Jpeg: Mike in action
Caption: “Runner-up Mike Malloy in action during the competition”

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For more information, please contact
Tania Watson – Judging Coordinator
New Zealand Association of Bakers
E: tania@bakingresearch.org.nz
M: 021 1659949