John Leontiades, from Louttit Bay Bakery in Lorne, Victoria, was named the best apprentice baker in Australia and New Zealand. The baker won the L A Judge Award, an annual event hosted by Grain Growers Limited (“GrainGrowers”) to recognise and encourage excellence in the industry.
The 22-year-old competed against five other apprentice bakers from all over Australia and New Zealand and was named the winner of the three-day competition and will receive an overseas study voucher of $3500.
“I’m wrapped and still over the moon,” he says about winning the award, “still on a cloud. It’s the biggest thing in the industry to win,” John tells Neos Kosmos.
Baking apprentices aged 23 years or less are nominated by their state industry association to compete in the gruelling, three-day competition.
“We had to do practical baking to presentations and speeches. And about eight written exams so it was an intense competition,” explains John.
Competing against John were Tobias Morley (Woolworths Kingston, Tasmania); Jasmine Harris (Bakers Delight, Woodville, South Australia); Geoffrey Brinkley (Woolworths Caloundra, Queensland); and Joshua Patrick Walton (Bushmans Bakery, Lake Cathie, New South Wales).
Facing off against commercial bakers, John proved that an independent family-run bakery can come up with the best baked goods.
“It says a lot for the type of work we do,” John says about the small country bakery he works from.
Having grown up in Louttit Bay Bakery since he was a toddler, the apprentice baker plans on spending many more years making dough.
“There’s a lot of room at the moment for some creativity and it’s an exciting time to be in the industry,” says the baker who favours continental loaves because of his Cypriot background.
To sample some of the Leontiades family’s baked goods, you can visit Louttit Bay Bakery at 46b Mountjoy Parade, Lorne, Victoria.