Bake Skills Australia is Australia’s premier baking industry teams’ competition where the finest young apprentices and newly qualified baker pastry chefs compete for the honour of representing their states at The Bake Skills Nationals.

 

Now in its 26th year!

Launched originally as a marketing initiative for TAFE colleges by the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) in 1993, the competition came under the wing of Allstates DCP Marketing Services in 1995.

 

In 1996, Allstates formed an alliance with AES (now Diversified Exhibitions) to take the competition

 into the “mainstream arena” of the Fine Food show, the extra exposure helping to elevate the competition

 to become the premier National team’s event for the Australian Baking Industry in recent years.

 

Objective

The objective of Bake Skills – to support Quality, Training and Professionalism in Baking – remains unchanged today. The competition is specifically structured to showcase the talents of our younger generation of bakers & pastry chefs through the exposure gained each year at both the Fine Food Australia exhibition (which attracts around 30,000 visitors each year) and through regular articles and news updates in trade media such as Baking Business; Foodservice News; Open House, etc

 

Next year, a new initiative will be launched in support of Bake Skills which will see an education programme aimed at the consumer through selected baking retailers and manufacturers designed to not only reinforce the Quality, Training and Professionalism of the competing teams, but to also raise additional funding to support state team’s travel, training & accommodation expenses.

 

Age guidelines

In 2013, the age guideline was lifted by 12 months so that now, competitors need to be aged between 18 and 25. That means that to represent their employer; their TAFE and their State and compete in the Bake Skills Australia “Nationals”, competitors must be aged between 18 & under 26 years old at the start & conclusion of the National competition each year.

 

Judging guidelines

The Bake Skills Australia competition has been blessed from inception, in having a selection of talented, qualified men and women available to join the judging panel each year. The committee endeavours to select a judging panel each year from throughout Australia that provides balance, quality and of course, impartiality in assessment.

 

Sponsorship Support

The Bake Skills Australia competition is only made possible through generous support from a select group of baking Industry suppliers who contribute the dollars, equipment, space, ingredients, time & numerous ancillary services to ensure this event provides team members with the best possible vehicle to present their skills & talents.  The major sponsors (or Event Partners) are Moffat; Peerless EOI; Callebaut and Diversified Exhibitions. There are also three other levels of sponsorship – Sponsors; Industry Supporters and Industry Providers – and the participants in these categories are listed “on stand” each year.