Nicol Strang from Woolworths Forest Lakes, Western Australia has been recognised as the Woolworths Baker of the Year for the second year in a row.
Competing against Woolworths’ in-store bakers from across the country, Mr Strang was a standout for his skill in crafting the perfect traditional hot cross bun.
Woolworths employs more than 2000 bakers, cadets and apprentices, who bake fresh bread and baked goods across over 700 stores across the country.
Mr Strang has been a baker for more than 40 years, starting his career at just 15 years old in his native Scotland.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic about the win. I was very nervous about the competition and being up against our other brilliant bakers,” says Mr Strang.
“Being a baker can be very rewarding and it’s exciting knowing you have this skill that other people don’t.
“I enjoy my role at Woolworths, and I’m well supported by my store team, which makes it all very worthwhile.”
As the national winner, in addition to the accolade, Mr Strang was also awarded travel vouchers along with a trip to Sydney.
The final round of competition involved a live hot cross bun bake-off challenge with six of the finalists. A number of judges from the Woolworths Bakery team and expert bakers from Allied Pinnacle, who supply to Woolworths, judged the best buns against a range of criteria.
“It’s a highlight each year to get so many of our team members involved in this competition,” says Woolworths Bakery Merchandise Manager Donald Keith.
“We take great pride in being the Fresh Food People and it’s thanks to our hard-working and talented team members, who are often behind the scenes. It’s fantastic to be able to put them into the spotlight and recognise them and their skills.
“We had some exceptional talent this year, but Nicol’s hot cross buns once again stood out for being the perfect shape, size and flavour. A huge congratulations to Nicol, but also everyone who was a finalist and participated this year.”
