KEITH T. DENNETT | New South | CONTACT
A sweeping series of changes are in the works for Australia’s largest agricultural show this year, as the Sydney Royal Easter attempts to navigate the current egg shortage.
A flagship event of the show for over 201 years, the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show’s Professional Bakery Competition is a unique contest which pits professional bakers up against CWA card carrying members, to see who can make the best meringue, quiche or custard tart.
But given every supermarket in the country is lucky to have more than a half-dozen eggs on the shelf, the Royal Agricultural Society has been forced to update this year’s competition, to ensure a wider cohort of bakers can enter the prize.
Speaking to Leslie Lorraine, the Chief Convenor of the Bakery Prize, it’s believed the show has taken a leaf out of Junior Touch Footy carnivals, and pivoted to a round robin style tournament.
“We’ve been concerned for months that bakers across NSW won’t have equal access to farm fresh eggs, so we’ve taken out the “Cook and Post” aspect, and instead, we’re hosting a first-of-its-kind live baking round robin.”
“Each participant is given access to an oven and two eggs, their task is to make the best quiche of the day.”
“Whether it’s spring onions, bacon, or cheddar cheese, we’re encouraging contestants to add their own additional ingredients to boost up the flavour a bit.”
“Of course it also helps pad the recipe out, so we won’t be marking anyone down for adding a cup of flour or even a bread crumb or two. In this economy, anything to help stretch a meal out for more than one setting actually scores some bonus points in our books.”
More to come.
