The World Master Bakers 2018 competition took place at Europain last week (3-5 February), with entrants from across the globe hoping to win the coveted title in three categories.

Bakers from France, The Netherlands and Taiwan were crowned the winners in Gourmet, Nutritional and Artistic Bread Making, respectively.

France’s Déborah Ott excelled in the ‘Bake & Dine’ challenge, creating a Viennese pastry dessert called ‘Ice Bakery’ that featured a crunchy cone rising out of apple petals and filled with rhubarb. Her ‘The Parisienne’ piece, meanwhile, saw brioche fashioned into a female bust enrobed with lace.

Peter Bienefelt from The Netherlands created a multi-flavoured bread shaped into a flower and a bread that was described as one with “unique flavours and appearance”. Taiwan’s Peng-Chieh Wang, meanwhile, created a multi-coloured masterpiece called ‘Taiwanese Folklore Art’ that fashioned a Taiwanese warrior out of bread complete with battle crown, make-up, drum and trident.

The winning pieces weren’t the only impressive creations on display at the show. Here are some of the other highlights:

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New Gallery 2018/2/12Chicken and corn bread by Dean Tilden, Australia: Described as ‘a bread that is not a bread but is made of bread’, this savoury treat offers a modern twist on the traditional French vol au vent.focallength 60flash 16cameramake Canonheight 500fnumber 4exposuretime 0.00625camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 2/4/2018 8:06:45 PMwidth 640cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVThe Parisienne by Déborah Ott, France: Entered in a Creation & Innovation challenge, The Parisienne is a brioche filled with passionfruit cream shaped into a female bust enrobed with lace. focallength 105flash 16cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 500fnumber 8exposuretime 0.008camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 6/9/2017 4:10:41 PMwidth 640cameramodel NIKON D810Home style hotpot by Anna Gribanova, Russia: The product’s originality, according to the judges, lies in the simplicity of its filling with beef, potatoes and onions with a creative design.focallength 105flash 16cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 500fnumber 7.1exposuretime 0.01camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 6/8/2017 1:39:37 PMwidth 640cameramodel NIKON D810Crispy Chocolate and Dulce de Leche by Gastón Alejandro Miño, Argentina: Described as a subtle combination of textures, this features a sweetened milk fermented dough on a crunchy chocolate base with crunchy grains and a Dulce de Leche centre.focallength 105flash 16cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 500fnumber 10exposuretime 0.01camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 6/10/2017 12:01:46 PMwidth 640cameramodel NIKON D810S’more brioche by Jeffrey De Leon, USA: Inspired by popular US flavours, this brioche features a mix of honey-flavoured crackers, roasted marshmallows and chocolate.focallength 70flash 16cameramake Canonheight 500fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.008camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 2/3/2018 6:34:10 PMwidth 640cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVTastes of the land by Chung Yu Hsieh, Taiwan: A sandwich with a difference – this crusty bread is covered in quinoa and filled with beef and vegetables for a savoury hit.focallength 58flash 16cameramake Canonheight 500fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.008camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 2/3/2018 9:12:17 PMwidth 640cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVMille-feuille inspired bread by Yogi Segawa, Japan:These buns feature the taste of stout with toasted sesame complete with a nutty texture that is cut through with raisins.focallength 62flash 16cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 500fnumber 5.6exposuretime 0.01camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 6/10/2017 1:34:47 PMwidth 640cameramodel NIKON D810Boston Tea Party – The Birth of a Nation by Jacob Baggenstos, USA:This impressive bread-based creation pays tribute to one of the key events that led to the War of Independence in the US.focallength 51flash 9cameramake Canonheight 975fnumber 3.2exposuretime 0.008camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 2/4/2018 8:37:09 PMwidth 640cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVTaiwanese Folklore Art by Peng-Chieh Wang, Taiwan: This multi-coloured spectacle of the general is painstakingly detailed and uses Taiwanese fruits like lychee, rose and prune for flavouring.focallength 59flash 16cameramake Canonheight 975fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.008camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 2/5/2018 8:19:42 PMwidth 640cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVDance & musical instruments of Hwang Jin-Hi by Yong-Joo Park, South Korea: Hwang Jin-Yi was a talented poet and artist who marked the Joseon dynasty. This piece shows her as a glamourous artist.focallength 59flash 9cameramake Canonheight 975fnumber 3.2exposuretime 0.008camerasoftware paint.net 4.0.17originaldate 2/4/2018 8:30:14 PMwidth 640cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Photo credits: Clémentine Bejat and Sabine Serrad