Madison, WI — The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association™ (IDDBA) has announced the three contestants chosen to participate in the 21st annual Cake Decorating Challenge to be held at Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar & Expo in Houston, TX, June 5-7.
The decorators receiving an all-expense paid trip to compete are:
Nayeli Cruz, Vons, Carlsbad, CA. Nayeli has been decorating for nine years. She credits her mother for teaching her everything she knows and for passing on the passion for cakes. Nayeli’s training continued during her time at Vons where her love of decorating can be seen in the cakes she makes for her customers.
Paige Thornton, Green Valley Marketplace, Elkridge, MD. Paige is a self-taught decorator who has picked up tips and tricks during her seven years as a decorator. She enjoys continuing to learn from others and sharing her knowledge with those just starting out in decorating.
Sara Vanderheyden, Hy-Vee Inc., Ames, IA. Never intending to be a cake decorator, Sara’s “getting-through-college job” turned out to be her professional passion. She works hard studying cake books, watching tutorials, and taking hands-on classes to make sure each and every customer walks away with a smile.
There are three phases to the Challenge. On Sunday, June 5, each contestant will decorate enough cakes to fill one multi-tiered, eight-foot bakery case. On Monday, June 6, each contestant will decorate a wedding cake. On Tuesday, June 7, each contestant decorates three cakes, one from each category: special occasion, show theme, and decorator’s choice.
The judges for the event will be: Luke Bender, Manager of Technical Service, Maplehurst Bakeries, LLC, and Jim Caliendo, Dessert Training Specialist, Rich Products Corporation.
This year, attendees can also be a judge! Each day is open to voting for your favorite decorator, and each day will have a People’s Choice Award based on those votes.
About IDDBA: IDDBA is a nonprofit membership organization serving the dairy, deli, bakery, cheese, and supermarket foodservice industries. Member companies enjoy many benefits and services including the annual seminar and expo, leading-edge research, training programs, management tools, and an annual trends report. For more information contact IDDBA at 608.310.5000 or visit iddba.org.
Source: International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association
