Next year’s iba, held in Düsseldorf, Germany, May 18-22, 2025, will play host to several competitions that bakers can participate in, including the return of the iba.UIBC.CUP of Bakers and the iba.UIBC.CUP of Confectioners. The World Cup of Bread Sommeliers will be held for the first time at iba 2025. 

While details have yet to be announced, the event will be hosted by the National Bakers Academy in Weinheim, Germany, where Bernd Kütscher, director of the academy and managing director of the German Bread Institute, started the first bread sommelier course in English in September 2023. Today, there are 250 bread sommeliers spanning 14 different countries. 

Much like a wine sommelier, a bread sommelier focuses on discerning taste, quality and the ingredients in different breads as well as in-depth knowledge of national and international bread culture, Seidemann explained. They work on pairing breads with other components in the same way wine might be paired with cheese or a meal. 

Not only do competitions provide an entertaining venue for bakers to show their skills, but they also serve as an entry point for young talent. In an industry struggling to recruit workers globally, this is a critical draw. 

“We want to promote young talent and promote their ideas,” said Julia Scharfenberger, public and media relations manager, iba. “We’ve done that with the iba.START UP AREA  and the awards and competitions. It’s important for us and the entire industry to foster and promote young talent. Here, we are working closely together with the German Bakers’ Confederation as well as the National Bakers Academy in Weinheim.”

This article is an excerpt from the October 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire iba 2025 preview, click here.