A bakery trio have today (20 January) represented the UK at this year’s competition for the Sigep Bread in the City held at Rimini in Italy.

Each team is made up of two bakers and a senior team member for coaching, which this year is David Mizon, who will coach his counterparts through the competition as well as sitting on the jury. He is self-employed and runs Train2Bake.

The first baker in the team is Mickael Jahan, a French baker who runs Mickael’s Bakehouse, a professional consultancy and tutoring service for the baking industry. He previously captained the UK in the Bakery World Cup.

The second baker is Craig Machin who plies his trade at Chatwin’s bakery in Nantwich.

The Team UK has been supported through sponsorship by the Richemont Club, has been provided ingredients by Marriage’s, Muntons and Artisan School of Food, and has been and given precious facilities in which to practise by ingredients manufacturer Zeelandia and Marriage’s. Mizon and Jahan’s businesses have also provided support.

David Amos, managing director at Zeelandia, said: “The things that strike you about the team are the level of technical skill and the passion. But what also stands out is the collaborative approach: there’s a total lack of ego among them. They are all hungry to learn from the challenges they’ve been set, from their own experimentation, and, just as importantly, from each other.

“It has been great hosting the team, watching the dynamics, and getting a preview of the fantastic recipes and products they are presenting to the international judges on behalf of Britain.”

Mizon added: “Attention to detail is absolutely crucial. We will be like hawks watching the competitions that take place before ours. We need to see how the equipment performs, whether there’s anything unexpected about the ingredients they supply, how the logistics work and all that kind of thing. Our plans may need to be adapted once we’ve watched others at work – and we’re up for that. Flexibility, as well as discipline and attention to detail are crucial in the world of baking.”

The prestigious event takes place in Rimini, Italy, from 17 to 21 January, with competitors from around the world. The UK team competes on the fourth day of four at the Sigep International Bakery Cup. They face competition from Taiwan, Spain, Israel, Italy and the Netherlands.

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