Glastonbury-based Burns the Bread won ’The Best’ West Country Baker’ award at this year’s Western Bakery Championships, while St Mary’s Bakery in Torquay won the Open Confectionery Championship for the second year in a row.
The championships, organised by the Western Region of the National Association of Master Bakers, took place in October at Bako Wes-tern in Cullompton, Devon. They attracted a record number of entries, up 86% from 300 last year to 560.
"The quality of the exhibits was again very high," said chairman of the judges Jon Castle. "Entries were attracted from all of the south-west counties and as far afield as Kathleen’s Kitchen of Colchester, which, for the second year in succession, won the Open Bread Championship."
Other winners included Williams of Wool in Dorset, which took the West Country Specialities Championship. Liam Orchard, also of Wool, was chosen as Trainee Confectionery Champion. Meanwhile, Sean Stanley of Glastonbury won the Trainee Bread Cham- pionship and was named Overall Trainee Champion.
The Allied Traders and Bakers sponsored the classes, while the NA Education Fund sponsored the Trainee Championship classes.
Administrator of the awards Ian Hawkins said the organisers were "very pleased with the high level of entries" and the high quality of competitors. He added that the awards, which are open to entries from all over the UK, were likely to follow the same format next year.
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