Guy Frenkel of Céor in Santa Fe Springs, California, has been declared the Overall Winner of the Tiptree World Bread Awards USA with IBIE, the nation’s leading celebration of the art of bread-baking, with his sourdough loaf.
Stars of the bread-baking world gathered at the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), the Western Hemisphere’s biggest baking convention, in Las Vegas on Tuesday September 20 for the announcement of the winners of the prestigious Awards, which were held at IBIE for the first time since their inception.
Frenkel’s sourdough loaf, named Glorious Bastard, was awarded First place in the Sourdough category before scooping the top prize. It was an evening of great triumphs for Frenkel, the LA-based film-maker turned bread-baker who has been described as ‘Hollywood’s wizard of bread’; he was also declared winner of the Burger Bun category and runner-up in a further three categories: Bagel, Challah and Speciality Savory.
On behalf of Frenkel, who wins $1,000 as the Overall Winner of this year’s Awards, Naz Shekarchi, Céor’s Operations Director, was presented with a trophy and hamper by Scott Goodfellow, Joint Managing Director of Tiptree. “It has been fantastic to host Tiptree World Bread Awards USA at IBIE, the USA’s biggest baking conference,” said Goodfellow. “Tiptree’s relationship with the United States goes back over a century, and after the last few years of lockdowns, it is so good to be back with our friends.”
Bakers from across the nation triumphed at the Awards, which celebrate a total of 15 different categories of bread. From Stephane Grattier, Winner of the Baguette category, from Boulangerie Christophe, Washington DC to Sandeep Gyawali, Winner of the Wholewheat category, from Miche Bread, Texas.
“The standard has been exceptional and how fitting that these, the 5th USA Awards, have been held at IBIE,” says Stephen Hallam, Chair of the Judges. Hallam’s team of 23 judges came together from across the US, the UK and Europe, and included Melissa Yanc, Quail & Condor Bakery, Karl De Smedt, The Sourdough Librarian, William Leaman Chef, Bakery Nouveau and Coinneach MacLeod, Hebridean Baker.
“We are honored to host the Tiptree World Bread Awards competition and award ceremony at the Baking Expo,” says Dennis Gunnel, president of Formost Fuji and the 2022 IBIE chair. “On behalf of everyone at IBIE, congratulations to this year’s winners for mastering the art of baking in their respective categories and creating exceptional loaves that delighted the judges.”
WINNERS
Overall Winner
Glorious Bastard
By Guy Frenkel, Céor (Sante Fe Springs, California)
Home-Baker
Sprouted Wheat with Figs and Pecan Loaf
By Richard Sperry (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Specialty Sweet
Pistachio and Cherry Panettone
By Diego Cubas, Wynn Las Vegas, F&B Encore (Las Vegas Valley, Nevada)
Speciality Savory
Forbidden Rice and Sesame Loaf
By Sandeep Gyawali, Miche Bread (Austin, Texas)
Gluten-Free
Rye-less Rye Buckwheat Sourdough
By Mario Librandi, Vegan Mario’s (Oakview, California)
Pretzel
Bayern Pretzel
By Johann Willar, Wynn Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Challah
Leavened Challah
By Johann Willar, Wynn Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Bagel
Jerusalem Bagel
By Khawla Khalifa, Le Paton (Rancho Cucamonga, California)
Flatbread
Pane Alla Pala
By Michael Kalanty, produced for Delfina Restaurants (San Francisco, California)
Burger Bun
Heirloom Brioche Buns
By Guy Frenkel, Céor (Sante Fe Springs, California)
Ciabatta
Pane Alla Pala
By Michael Kalanty, produced for Delfina Restaurants (San Francisco, California)
Baguette
Traditional Baguette
By Stephane Grattier, Boulangerie Christophe (Georgetown, Washington DC)
Wholewheat/Wholemeal
Hill Country Hundo
By Sandeep Gyawali, Miche Bread (Austin, Texas)
Sourdough
Glorious Bastard
By Guy Frenkel, Céor Bread (Sante Fe Springs, California)
People’s Choice
Michelle Nicholson, The Flour Girl (Hebron, Connecticut)
Tiptree Showstopper USA
Brioche Feuilletée
By Rich Gardunia, Crave Kitchen Bar (Eagle, Idaho)
