LAS VEGAS — While the Tiptree World Bread Awards USA is just four years old, it has quickly established itself as an authority on breadmaking. The awards will make their post-pandemic return at IBIE, where, for the first time, judging will take place at the show. Hundreds of loaves will go head-to-head in a competition that lauds technique alongside innovation and artisanship.
When you’ve been baking for decades like Stephen Hallam, you learn what it takes to make and judge a great loaf of bread. Currently a brand ambassador for English bakery Dickinson and Morris, Hallam also serves as chairman of the Tiptree World Bread Awards in the UK and US. He will be one of the 22 expert judges on the floor at IBIE working to determine the winners of this year’s contest.
The competition presents a unique opportunity for bakers to show off their technical prowess and put their bread to the test in 15 awards categories. To be evaluated fairly, the different groups adhere to specific, clear definitions, providing a baseline standard that allows judges to fairly use their senses to make sound judgements.
Judging for the Tiptree World Bread Awards adheres to a strict scoring policy based on several criteria. Penalty points are deducted according to the parameters, categories and common issues listed out on the judges’ rubric. Gold certificates are issued to loaves with a score of 90 or higher, followed by silver at 85-89 points and Bronze at 80-84 points. If judges deduct more than 20 points from a loaf, it will receive no certificate at all.