Going for glory: Bakery Cup of Canada call for entries

Bakers, are you keen to flex your skills on a national stage?

Talented bread bakers and pastry chefs will have a forum to demonstrate their excellent technique and teamwork as they vie to win the Bakery Cup of Canada at Bakery Showcase in Toronto May 3-4, 2026.

The national competition will celebrate baking excellence in baguettes, croissants, viennoiserie and specialty breads, as part of the Baking Association of Canada’s annual trade show and conference, where retail, wholesale, commercial and in-store bakeries, grocery, pizzerias, restaurants and food-service outlets gather to do business, learn and network.

Julien Meunier (left) and Simon Dubois were the grand winners at the first Bakery Cup of Canada – Quebec Edition competition held at Montreal Bakery Showcase in 2025. Photo: Gabriela Aguilera, Bakers Journal

This exciting feature of the show is sure to interest and inspire bakers in all specialties.

The viennoiserie category will showcase a surprise featured ingredient, to be revealed two months before the competition, and the competitors’ specialty bread will shine a light on their creativity as they incorporate Canadian ingredients to produce a unique and delicious product. 

The BAC is seeking six candidates, each with an assistant/apprentice, who wish to demonstrate their skills on a national – and potentially international – stage. Among other prizes outlined below, the grand prize winner will have the opportunity to qualify and compete at Mondial du Pain in France, in October 2027.

We asked Alan Dumonceaux, who will serve as president of the Bakery Cup jury in May, why a competition like this is important. 

“The quality of Canadian bakery dramatically improved and is as good as any in the world,” he said. “Now is the time to showcase the great skills Canadian bakers have.”

Dumonceaux, chair of the baking and pastry arts program at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Coupe de Monde de la Boulangerie finalist, WorldSkills expert, BAC director and chair of the education committee, has coached talented professional bakers and students to success at competitions. 

But the Bakery Cup of Canada is not all about the competitors.

“We hope this competition might motivate other bakers watching to set themselves apart by competing. Competition is all about organization, timing and adaptability. If other bakers see someone under that pressure test, they might say, ‘I can use this challenge as a way to improve my own operation.’ ”

HOW CAN YOU QUALIFY?

The BAC is seeking professional bakers who own, manage or work at a bakery or baking and pastry program at a polytechnic or trade school anywhere in Canada.

Here are the details.

COMPETITION FORMAT

Teams:

Six teams of two (baker and assistant) will compete. Each team will consist of:

• One baker who must be between 25 and 55 years of age on May 3 and must be a Canadian citizen, or a Permanent Resident working towards Canadian citizenship, with at least five years of experience in the field.
• One assistant who must be under 21 years old on May 3 and must be a Canadian citizen, or a Permanent Resident working towards Canadian citizenship.

Note: Because of the extensive preparation time required, ideally, baker and assistant will live near one another in the same region. 

Categories: Participants will compete in four product categories:

• Baguettes (20 traditional baguettes) baked weight of 250 g
• Croissants (12 classic butter croissants) baked weight of 60 g
• Viennoiserie (12 revisited creations of their choice) baked weight of 80-100 g
• Specialty bread (10 loaves, free shape, baked weight of 700 g-1 kg)

JUDGING AND EVALUATION

A panel of expert judges evaluated the products based on technical execution, taste, texture, and presentation. Strict guidelines apply to shape, weight, and baking standards. Teams will have two hours for dough preparation (May 3) and five hours for shaping, baking, and finishing (May 4). Seven hours in total.

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

• Grand prize winner – Trophy, Certificate of Excellence, $1,000 and coverage in Bakers Journal
• Baguette category winner – Certificate of Excellence and $500 and coverage in Bakers Journal
• Croissant category winner – Certificate of Excellence and $500 and coverage in Bakers Journal
• Specialty bread category winner – Certificate of Excellence and $500 and coverage in Bakers Journal
• Custom viennoiserie category winner – Certificate of Excellence and $500
• Outstanding assistant – Certificate of Excellence and $500 and coverage in Bakers Journal

All competitors and their assistants will receive custom chef’s jackets.

Through this experience, bakers will hone valuable skills such as teamwork, organization, time management, consistency and creativity. It can help you connect with fellow bakers and also earn you prizes and publicity for your bakery or school as part of Bakery Showcase and Bakers Journal and give your bakery or school’s social media page a welcome boost. 

If there are enough entries, we will conduct a selection process in December. The clock is ticking! Register by Nov. 30 at baking.ca or bakeryshowcasecanada.ca to enter the Bakery Cup of Canada competition!