BORDER bakers have risen to the challenge in the WorldSkills Australia regional competition in Wodonga on Monday.
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Six apprentice and non-apprentice bakers, aged younger than 23, contested the Riverina-Murray section of the competition at Wodonga TAFE.
Zoe Coleman, Joshua Venturato, Adam Pontt, Nikki Thompson, Caitlyn Duncan and Acacia Penney vied for gold, silver and bronze medals, which will be announced in a ceremony at Wagga in September.
Convenor of the Riverina-Murray Retail Baking – Bread competition Janette Griggs said apprentices and non-apprentices from bakeries, commercial kitchens or the community on both sides of the border were invited to test their skills in the competition.
Ms Griggs said the winner of the gold medal would qualify for the national competition in 2016.
“A regional team will be selected to compete in the national competition in Melbourne or Brisbane next year,” she said.
Ms Griggs said on Monday the bakers made an enriched white bread dough, a rye bread dough and a ciabatta.
She said they had six hours to produce the loaves to exacting standards, temperatures and weights.
“They were timed and judged on the weight of the loaves when cooked,” she said.
Competition judges were Wodonga TAFE’s Bruce Simpson and Nord bakery’s Thor Sonnichsen.
Ms Griggs said there were 17 trades involved in the Riverina-Murray section of the WorldSkills Australia competition.
“We’ve had people from the region who have won at regional, national and international levels,” she said.
“The doors it has opened are endless; it’s also just wonderful for the participants to compete.”
A winner of the Riverina-Murray construction steelworks regional competition qualified for the international competition in Brazil this month.
The WorldSkills Australia competition for Retail Baking – Bread is a six-hour challenge at regional level, three days at national level and four days at international level.
Winners of the regional competition will be announced on September 16.
A total of 30 regions throughout Australia participate in the WorldSkills Australia competition each year.
