On 18 and 19 May 2025, Düsseldorf will host some of the world’s finest bakers as they compete for gold at the iba UIBC Cup of Bakers, a prestigious event held as part of iba, the world’s leading trade fair for the baking and confectionery industries.

Competitors from six countries, Germany, France, Iceland, Jordan, the Netherlands and Sweden, will showcase their skills in glass show bakeries located in Hall 14. The contest, organised by the German Baker’s Confederation (Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks), challenges national champions to demonstrate exceptional technical ability, creativity and speed over two intensive days of competition.

Showcasing Artisan Excellence Under the Banner of 'Art'

This year’s theme is ‘Art’, demanding that participants not only meet high standards of craftsmanship but also push the boundaries of creativity. Over the course of six hours, each two-person team must produce a variety of baked goods, including bread, small pastries, party pastries and Danish pastries as well as an intricate edible showpiece.

Germany will be represented by Johanna Lenhardt and Lea Wagner, master bakers from Lower Franconia and members of the German national bakery team, coached by Marc Mundri. Speaking ahead of the competition, Lenhardt described the event as "the premier class" for bakers, while Wagner emphasised the importance of international exchange, referring to the global baking community as "the big baking family".

Rigorous Judging by International Experts

The judging panel for the 2025 iba UIBC Cup of Bakers includes esteemed figures from the international baking world: Urs Röthlin (Switzerland), Jimmy Griffin (Ireland) and Josef Schrott (Austria), chaired by Andreas Schmidt (Germany). Schmidt highlighted the competition as “a wonderful opportunity for talented bakers to prove themselves on an international level”, noting that while the event demands intensive preparation and hard work, it also fosters fun and personal development.

A Live Experience for Visitors

Trade fair visitors will have the opportunity to witness the bakers at work from 9:30 am each day. Judging for the ‘Danish pastries, biscuits and party products’ category will take place at 1:00 pm, with showpiece presentations scheduled for 3:30 pm. A second round of judging, focusing on ‘Bread and the Masterpiece’, will commence at 4:00 pm each day.

The competing teams are as follows:

• France: Corentin Molina and Yannis Thouys

• Germany: Johanna Lenhardt and Lea Wagner

• Iceland: Sigrun Sol Vigfusdottir and Nastasja Kiencke

• Jordan: Hala Abu Jbara and Tand Murad

• Netherlands: Mike Onase and Gerrit Huckriede

• Sweden: Andrea Wiberg and Cassandra Persson

  
  

On Sunday 18 May, teams from Iceland, the Netherlands and Sweden will compete. On Monday 19 May, Germany, France and Jordan will take their turn.

The culmination of the competition will be the award ceremony, taking place at 5:30 pm on Monday 19 May in the iba.FORUM, where the gold medallists will be announced (GHM, 2025).

Organised by GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH, iba has long been recognised as the premier global platform for the bakery and confectionery sectors, combining innovation, tradition and international networking opportunities

Image: iba UIBC Cup of Bakers: Gold medal contest for bakers © GHM