Raisin bread contest to be featured at IBIE

May 30, 2013, WA – From Oct. 6 – 9, the California Raisin Marketing Board’s (CRMB) America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest joins the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) contest lineup for the first time.

As the nation’s leading baking industry event, with thousands of participants from all segments of grain-based food community, IBIE is the ideal venue for the CRMB’s annual challenge.

The raisin-based battle has a rich history with international roots. Created to spark new product ideas and expand the use of raisin products, the inaugural contest took place 21 years ago in Japan. It quickly spread across Asia and to the United Kingdom, and has seen over 5,000 unique product entries. Several winners from this event have gone on to become team members of their country’s Coupe Du Monde Team in the Louis Lesaffre Cup competition in Paris.

Now in its sixth year on U.S. soil, CRMB will bring the unique flavor and excitement of America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest to the IBIE. “We’re thrilled to have the California Raisin Marketing Board as a partner,” stated Mike Beaty, IBIE Chairman. “The America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest will add to the buzz on the show floor. It’s such a great addition to the expo.”

The U.S. competition will take place from Oct. 6-8, adjacent to the Amoretti Demo Theatre in North Hall. Each day, 12 finalists will bake their products and present their finished product to a panel of judges. The judges will choose three winners from each of the three categories: Artisan, Commercial and Breakfast. In addition, the judges will choose one student winner in each of the three categories.

The final 12 America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest winners will be announced at a banquet at the LVH hotel on the night of Oct. 8. Show goers will be able to watch the preparation, judging and photographing of all the 36 finalists over the three-day contest period.

On Oct. 9, the winners of the international competitions will join their American counterparts on the show floor, courtesy of the CRMB and Raisin Administrative Committee. These culinary champions will then demonstrate and sample their creations for all expo attendees.

 “We started America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest to recognize the top bakers in the industry,” said Larry Blagg, senior vice president of marketing for the CRMB. “And I can’t think of a better place to do that than the number one event in the baking industry, IBIE.”