- The team climbed two ranks to secure 5th place in the global rankings.
- Event dates: January 18-22, 2025, at Sigep in Rimini, Italy.
- Competed in three categories: bread, viennoiserie, and artistic dough.
- Impressed judges with creative bakes using Greek ingredients like cheeses and cured meats.
- Taught traditional Greek dancing (yes, syrtaki happened!) and shared recipes with other nations.
- Represented by a talented group led by seasoned coach Dionysis Vogiatzis.
Hellenic Bakers Climb the Rankings: 5th Place Never Smelled So Sweet
The Hellenic National Bakery Team has stepped up in style, taking 5th place at the “Bread in the City – Bakery World Cup” during the Sigep Expo in Rimini, Italy. The world’s best bakers competed from January 18-22, 2025, but this was no regular bake-off. Armed with Greek cheeses, meats, and imagination that could topple a tower of croissants, the team jumped two positions higher than their last global attempt.
Speaking of attempts, who knew breadmaking could look so much like fine art? The judges couldn’t get enough of the whimsical Greek salad pizza (yes, that’s a thing now) or the rice pudding tart that basically shouted, “We come from a country of food geniuses.”
The team members were:
- Dionysis Vogiatzis (coach)
- Stathis Katopodis (Lefkada)
- Vasilis Xanthopoulos (Kavala)
- Marina Pantermaraki (Heraklion)
- Menelaos Ploumis (Heraklion)
- Vasilis Kamaratos (Heraklion)
- Manolis Kalaitzakis (Heraklion)
What Made Greece Stand Out? A Throwdown of Style, Flavor, and Flour Power
- Greek Ingredients: The team went all-in with locally sourced cheeses and cured meats that screamed authenticity.
- Surprising Dishes: A pizza topped with Greek salad and a dessert tart filled with rice pudding—why be bland?
- Collaboration That Clicks: Teams didn’t just compete; they exchanged ideas, recipes, and maybe a few awkward dances.
- Dedication: Nobody pushes dough like these bakers, who rose to challenges like a sourdough starter.
The event wasn’t just about awards; it was a cultural mashup. You bake, you bond, and you… dance? Apparently, yes. With cultural showcases keeping everyone on their toes (sometimes literally), the bakers swapped not just techniques but probably a few cool moves to go with them.
A Toast to the People Who Make It Happen
Here’s the truth: none of this would have been possible without some serious backing. The team had industry titans like Artozyma-HELEXPO, various artisan mills, food companies, and associations throwing their dough into the mix. Every loaf, tart, or bizarrely brilliant pizza they made owes these sponsors a tip of the hat.
Thanks to their creativity, effort, and ability to reinvent pizza (because why not), the Hellenic National Bakery Team proved that baking is as much about flavour as it is showmanship. What’s next for them? Perhaps world domination—one unconventional tart at a time.
Wouldn’t you want a bite of that?
