World Championship of Bread Sommeliers: Finalists Announced

The iba trade fair in Düsseldorf will be the venue for the eagerly awaited 1st Bread Sommelier World Championship on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. In a preliminary round in which 45 bread sommeliers from 12 countries took part, the following 16 graduates qualified for the final at the iba (in alphabetical order):

Alfred Bau, Switzerland
Aleksandra Bednarek, Poland
Yannick Berend, France
Sebastian Brücklmaier, Germany
Zaida Everon, Aruba
Natalie Frühwirth, Austria
Toni Hager, Germany
Christoph Heger, Germany
Michael Kress, Germany
Heike Meyer, USA
Hamish Morrin, New Zealand
Urs Röthlin, Switzerland
Jörg Schmid, Germany
Laura Schütz, Romania
Daniel Sunzenauer, Denmark
Patrick Zimmer, Germany

The candidates compete against each other in two exciting final rounds over the course of the day. In the first, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., they are challenged with tasks relating to international bread culture – a competition that also includes an aroma challenge. The special thing is that the audience can guess the answer to each task. This way, they too will be presented with the different types of bread from all over the world, aroma samples and more. In the afternoon, at 4 p.m., the second final round follows, which focuses on the art of bread description and expert interviews. Immediately afterwards, the big award ceremony with all the finalists takes place, in which the title of Bread Sommelier World Champion will be awarded for the first time.

The competition is judged by an experienced jury of experts, consisting of celebrity chef Johann Lafer, Prof. Michael Kleinert and Bernd Kütscher from the Federal Academy in Weinheim. All three have been involved in the bread sommelier movement since its inception 10 years ago. It now has 279 graduates from 12 countries. A further 35 bread sommeliers from various countries are currently in training. The Bread Sommelier World Championship at the iba in Düsseldorf promises to be a highlight, full of exciting challenges, professional expertise and emotional high points.