Terrigal local wins Muffin Break Ultimate Bake-Off
Brett Mitchell, who has almost eight years of experience as a professional baker, hopes to one day open a Muffin Break café of his own.
Declared the 2012 winner of the annual Muffin Break Ultimate Bake-Off competition, Mitchell out-baked almost 200 competitors from across Australia and New Zealand to make to the competition Grand Final event, held on 29 August in Sydney.
The announcement said, “The win is particularly sweet for 22-year-old Brett, who narrowly missed out on taking the top-spot title last year behind Victorian baker, Nicole McKenzie. This year’s Grand Final Bake-Off resulted in a runner-up finish for Victoria, represented by Stacey Savage of Muffin Break Traralgon.”
Mitchell, a born and bred New South Welshman who works at the Muffin Break café at Erina Fair, said, “Coming so close to tasting victory last year made me all the more hungry to win! I truly love my job and I think my sincere passion for baking just gave me the edge I needed. I am simply ecstatic with my new title!”
Each of the six Grand Finalists had one hour to bake and proficiently present to the judges four muffins – three high-fibre muffins and a Chocolate MARS® muffin from Muffin Break’s Premium Delight Muffins range.
The finalists were judged on their general trade skills, baking knowledge, kitchen-cleanliness, originality, and compliance to food-safety standards and product quality.
The bakers were also required to correctly identify spices and dried herbs used in Muffin Break menu items, using only their senses of taste and smell. They competed as well to present to the judges the most visually-pleasing Grand Final Bake Stall, the most inspired sweet or savoury ‘Signature Baked Product’ creations, and the most beautifully garnished muffins using a ‘Mystery Box’ of ingredients.
Aside from the ‘Ultimate Baker’ title, Mitchell also won a Kitchenaid Mixmaster valued at more than $700 and a $1,000 Visa Gift Card.
