Lesaffre in the world

23 Oct ”Champions of Bread” Meet at Bakery Masters

A Turkish Baker Will Compete With the Best In the World for the First Time.

A Turkish Baker will be representing Turkey in Bakery Masters, one of the most prestigious competitions in its field. Lesaffre Turquie, the main sponsor of the contest, explained the details of the competition as well as introducing the Turkish competitor Osman Gündüz at a press conference. Lesaffre Turquie General Manager Alain Dieval, underlining the fact that they are enabling technical assistance to be given to bakers as well as the raising of a qualified workforce through Baking Center, also further stated: “At this point Osman Gündüz is of great value to us. We will also be honored by his success”.

Having proven that he is among Turkey’s best, Turkish Bakers National Team member Osman gündüz is preparing to represent Turkey in, Bakery Masters, one of the most prestigious championships in the world. The championship is due to take place between Feb. 3-6th 2018 in European Show Paris, with Gündüz competing in the “Nutritious Bread Making” category. Sharing his excitement, Gündüz added that he would like the world to hear about Turkish bakers in this way.

Attending the meeting, Lesaffre Turquie General Manager Alain Dieval, Lesaffre Turquie Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager Pınar Çakır, Baking Center Director and Training Coach Ayten Çalışkan, Training Consultant François Brandt and Osman Gündüz all shared detailed information concerning preparations for the competition.

Lesaffre Turquie General Manager Alain Dieval, underscored that Lesaffre, in addition to its main area of business, which is yeast making and the manufacture of breadmaking materials, also contributes to the development of the industry by its activities and its strive to introduce innovative products to the market. He added that:

In this realm, Lesaffre’s Baking Centers, being located in 38 countries and offering the first technical support center in the world for baking, is a very important element because we know that being able to cater to the needs of our customers does not only mean producing high quality products. With our current activities, we are enabling technical assistance to reach bakers in need of it as well as providing a basis for a qualified workforce to grow. This is where our paths converged with Osman Gündüz, and before him, with the Turkish Baking National Team. We have taken on the sponsorship of Osman Gündüz and all national competitors that have come from the National Team, and I firmly believe that we are giving them the opportunity to broaden their horizons when it comes to the industry and new products, as well as improving themselves professionally. As Lesaffre Turquie, we are honored and excited to be supporting Osman Gündüz.”

Lesaffre Turquie Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager Pınar Çakır also highlighted Lesaffre’s contributions to the development of Turkish bakeries as well as the jobs that the company creates in this country.

Çakır added that: “As Lesaffre Turkey, we are taking up the main sponsorship and organizational leadership of the longstanding Turkey Bakers’ National Team, aiming to let the world hear of the achievements of Turkish bakers as well as fostering the growth of the industry in Turkey. Osman Gündüz and our company came across at the last series of the qualifier competitions. In qualifiers we were holding during 2014, Osman Gündüz was selected for the National Team. He attended his first world championship final in 2016 at the World Baking Cup. Representing our country at the world cup as a member of the National Team, Osman Gündüz will compete individually at the Bakery Masters competition in Feb. 2018 in Paris, and will also earn the title of being the first Turkish baker to have competed in that competition. As Lesaffre Turkey, we are proud and happy for having supported Osman Gündüz during the Bakery Masters process and its run-up. We believe that he will represent Turkey in the best way.”

Having been trained by François Brandt, the world champion in the Artistic Representation category at Bakery Masters 2010, and managed by Ayten Çalışkan, Osman Gündüz believes that he will overcome the difficult but prideful process with the help and support from Lesaffre Turquie. He added that he will work to his utmost capacity, so that the whole world may hear the achievements of Turkish bakeries. Gündüz said; “I was very excited when I heard that I would be competing at Bakery Masters, a competition where the best bakers in the world compete individually. It was the first time they had invited a Turkish baker. Now my purpose is to prove the capabilities of the Turkish baker by leaving the other 5 competing individuals in the dust.”

Ranked Among the World’s Top 6

At Bakery Masters, which is to be held in the European Exhibit, Paris, 3-6th Feb. 2018, 18 bakers will be competing in 3 different categories. Osman Gündüz is preparing to leave his Taiwanese, Japanese, Canadian, Dutch and Australian counterparts behind to take first place in the “Nutritious Bread Making” category. In Bakery Masters, (which will be held for the third time this year) under the motto; “Take inspiration from today, create tomorrow”, the participants who make the best bread in the Nutritional Bread Making, Gourmet Baking, Artistic Bread Making categories will become champions this year.

Joining the competition after a grueling preparation process, Osman Gündüz, had also fought alongside the Turkish Baking National team in the 2015 Louis Lesaffre Cup Mediterranean-Africa Region International qualifiers. In the qualifiers held at the Lesaffre Middle East and Mid Asia Baking Center, located in Istanbul, Turkish bakers had competed against bakers from Algeria, Morocco, Ivory Coast and Mauritius, thereby qualifying for the Paris world cup. In the Bakery World Cup, held in Paris, the Turkish Baking National Team, along with Osman Gündüz were proud to take their place among the 12 best performing teams attending the competition.