Zhou Bin and Peng Fudong from China are the winners of the “iba-UIBC Cup of bakers”. The international competition, in which the best in their field face off against each other, takes place every three years in Munich at iba. At this year’s cup, twelve teams from twelve countries competed for the gold medal. The winners were honoured and celebrated on Monday, 17 September at iba.
For three days, the tensions were high in the four showcase bakeries in Hall B3 at iba in Munich. From 15 to 17 September, they served as the stage for the “iba-UIBC Cup of Bakers”, which many consider to be the world championships for master bakers. Every day, four national teams consisting of two members each competed against each other. This year’s participants included Japan, the Netherlands, Korea, Russia, Norway, Peru, the USA, France, Germany, Turkey, Spain, and China. The theme of this year’s competition was “Universe”, and competitors had to conjure up appropriate breads, biscuits, party pastries, Danish pastries, as well as their own baked showpiece.
For participants, the “iba-UIBC Cup of Bakers” formed the culmination of months of preparation. “Their skills had to be honed to the highest precision for the competition – and they were”, says Michael Wippler, President of the German Bakers’ Confederation. “To prevail in this competition, bakers must deliver an outstanding performance, as the time is short, the tension is extreme – every movement needs to be just right”, the President continues. The trade fair audience at iba was able to witness the competition live, since it took place in fully-equipped and open showcase bakeries in Hall B3 – and quite a few people did not want to miss the opportunity to look over the shoulders of the twelve teams and cheer them on.
The award ceremony on Monday evening was of course the ultimate highlight, and the two winners were welcomed by loud cheers as they accepted the coveted prize, which was presented by Michael Wippler and Wolfgang Schäfer. In addition to their overall win, the Chinese team also received the prize for the best showpiece. Daniel Plum and Maximilian Raisch from Germany followed in second place; they also won in the category “Best Bread”. Third place was awarded to Ivar Bakke and Nikolai Meling from Norway, who also received the prize in the category of “Best Biscuits and Party Pastries”. The award for the best Danish pastries went to Myeong-Kyeom Kim and Sung-Chul Lim from Korea. Like all other further participants, they finished in fourth place.
Source: IBA