RBA Announces the Contestants for 13th Annual

NEWS RELEASE
July 15, 2013
CONTACT:
Samantha Lee
Marketing Design Group
Phone: 619.298.1445 x105
Email: [email protected]
For Immediate Release
RBA Announces the Contestants for 13th Annual
Pillsbury Bakers’ Plus Creative Decorating Competition
Washington, DC— The Retail Bakers of America (RBA) has announced
the contestants for the 13th Annual Pillsbury Bakers’ Plus Creative
Decorating Competition to be held on October 6-9 at the International
Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The twelve
contestants will compete head-to-head for the coveted Pillsbury Bakers’
Plus championship title and $14,000 in cash prizes.
For the first time ever, the contest opened the competition to a wider field
of professional decorators, giving non-RBA members the opportunity to
participate, provided they are currently working full- or part-time in a
cake/cupcake shop, retail or supermarket bakery and have at least two
years of decorating experience. The following contestants were selected
based on portfolio submissions:
Elizabeth Balderaz of Three Brothers Bakery, Houston, Texas Deanna
Gin of Artistic Bites, San Leandro, California
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Emily Pille of Karen's Bakery Café, Folsom, California
Stephanie Wertman of Sugarland, Raleigh, North Carolina
Shanon Buckner of Sweet Nothings Fine Cakes and Desserts,
Wyandotte, Michigan
In addition to the portfolio submissions, seven contestants were chosen
through the traditional RBA Affiliate Competitions:
Keeann Richards-Cramer representing the Upper Midwest Bakery
Association from Jerry's Foods, Edina, Minnesota
Mariah Carey representing Southeastern Retail Bakers Association from
Cothran's Bakery, Gadsden, Alabama
Tamara Mugerauer representing the Wisconsin Bakers Association from
Tamara’s the Cake Guru, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Emma McAdow representing the Greater Cincinnati Retail Bakers
from Busken Bakery, Cincinnati, Ohio
Karen Thomson representing the Ohio Bakers Association from Ele Cake
Company, West Carrollton, Ohio
Ashley Spitzer representing the Chicago Area Retail Bakers Association
from Creative Cakes, Tinley Park, Illinois
Krystina Gianaris representing the New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade
from Cake and Company, Teaneck, New Jersey
The competition will be held on the IBIE tradeshow floor for 12 hours over
a three day period with contestants creating decorated cakes in five
categories: Floral Cakes, Wedding Cake, Fondant Cakes, Custom Design
Cakes and Sculpted Cakes.
The highest scoring individual, as determined by a panel of professional
judges, will be awarded the coveted Pillsbury Bakers’ Plus Grand
Champion Trophy, sponsored by General Mills. Gold, silver, and bronze
medals will also be awarded for the highest three scores in each
category. Winning contestants will share in $14,000 in prize money.
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Sponsors of the contest include General Mills/Pillsbury and the Retail
Bakers of America along with category sponsors, Bakery Crafts,
Chefmaster, CSM Bakery Products, DecoPac, and Pfeil & Holing.
For more information and to register for IBIE, visit www.IBIE2013.com or
email: [email protected].
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Retail Bakers of America (RBA)—a 501(c)6 not-for-profit national trade
association located in Tinley Park, IL—caters to retail bakeries, allied
suppliers, educators, students and other industry partners, and is
committed to the success of the retail baking industry. Founded in 1918,
RBA works as the bakers’ business partner and resource provider, and is
the nation’s premier source of industry information. More information is
available at www.rbanet.com.
IBIE, sponsored by the American Bakers Association (ABA), the Baking
Industry Suppliers Association (BEMA) and the Retail Bakers of America
(RBA), is recognized worldwide as the grain-based food industry’s
largest, most comprehensive trade event. A “working show,” where
millions of dollars of business is conducted daily, IBIE brings the entire
professional baking community together, offering the complete range of
equipment, supply and ingredient solutions and showcasing the newest
baking technology in 500,000 net square feet. The triennial event will next
be held in Las Vegas, NV October 6-9, 2013.
Attendees include employees of: wholesale bakeries, suppliers and
distributors; supermarket chains, central bakeries and commissaries;
supermarket in-store bakeries; multi-store and single unit retail bakeries;
intermediate wholesale bakeries; donut, pie and cookie retailers; cake
and cupcake shops; foodservice operators; tortilla producers; snack food
producers; biscuit & cracker producers. Exhibitors include manufacturers
and suppliers of: baking/food equipment and systems; ingredients,
flavorings, spices & fillings; ingredient handling systems; packaging
materials & systems; technology; sanitation equipment; transportation &
distribution equipment; refrigeration equipment; business services.