General News
23 May, 2024
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
TERANG Country Bakery co-owner Brad Burkitt has been selected to represent Australia in the return of a prestigious international baking competition.
The ANZ Bake 2024 will see Team Australia battle Team New Zealand in an official bake-off, touted as one of the high points of the Baking Industry Trade Show in Melbourne next month.
Mr Burkitt will join award-winning bakers Tracy Nickl (Gumnut Patisserie, New South Wales) and Jeremy Mavromatakis (Boulangerie Vietnam Artisan Bakery, Queensland) to represent Australia.
The Aussies will take on reigning bake-off champions New Zealand, comprised of Jason Hay, Bernie Sugrue and Julia Kaur-Randhawa.
The teams have been hand-picked by the Baking Association of Australia and Baking New Zealand, each nation’s respective body for baking.
Mr Burkitt said he went through a range of emotions when he got a call from Baking Association of Australia executive officer Tony Smith asking if he would be willing to represent Australia.
“I was a bit shocked, then excited, and then nervous,” he said.
“I’m more nervous going in to this competition than I have others because it’s not just my pies – it’s representing our country.
“It’s very exciting.
“I’ve told my close friends and family, so it’s amazing to know I’ll have family coming down to watch us compete.”
The event will pit the international rivals against each other baking across two sections of bread and pastry.
The bread section will require both teams to bake 30 crusty style baguettes to be filled with gourmet sandwich fillings of pastrami, chicken and sundried tomatoes, and 30 small round artisan filled rolls.
In the pastry section the bakers will be required to put forward 40 mini pavlovas, 30 lamingtons using a scratch sponge recipe and 48 gourmet lamb pies.
“There’s a list of products we have to make and a certain time to do it,” Mr Burkitt said.
“We get a couple of hours to prep the day before, we’ve got a brief of what to make.
“We send away what we need and they’ll organise the ingredients and equipment we need, so it’ll all be there ready to go.”
Mr Burkitt will be tasked with baking the 48 lamb pies, drawing on his years of experience which has seen Terang Country Bakery enjoy more than a few awards for its pies.
As the only requirement is for the pies to feature lamb, Mr Burkitt said he has taken his time to experiment with a range of possible ingredients and recipes to create the perfect taste.
“I’ve nearly got the recipe sorted so I’m doing my final test runs,” he said.
“They’ve stipulated the type of protein, but we can go any way we want with it.
“I’ve tried a lot of difference avenues but I’m happy with the one I’ve picked – I don’t want to say too much – but it’s been good to experience.
“One thing that’s been different is cost; with a business you have to be cost effective, but with a one-off competition entry there is no longer that financial boundary – you’re just making the best pie you can.”
The competition will be held as part of the Baking Industry Trade Show at Moonee Valley Raceway from June 18-20.
The bakers will compete on the final day of the event, with free registration to attend for those wanting to cheer on the home side available at www.bakingtradeshow.com.au.
