The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association™ (IDDBA) has announced the three contestants chosen to participate in the 15th annual IDDBA Cake Decorating Challenge to be held at IDDBA’s Dairy-Deli-Bake 2010 seminar and expo in Houston, TX, June 6-8. There were 75 entrants from 32 supermarket chains. IDDBA Executive Director Carol Christison commented, “What are the tools of an artist? If you’re an oil painter, you use canvas. If you’re a sculptor, you use marble, if you’re a cake decorator, you use cake and frosting. The tools are different but the end results are beauty and captured moments in time. It’s those special moments that put laughter in a child’s voice, a twinkle in grandma’s eye, and delight in the hearts of those who share the experience and the cake. We’re celebrating fifteen years of competition with world-class decorators. From the first slap of frosting on a crumb coat to the final rose, this competition is not for the faint-of-heart. Three days of intense competition showcase the best and the brightest in supermarket cake decorating. This year’s talented field promises a challenge worthy of the title "Champion."
The decorators receiving an all-expense paid trip to compete are:
Tina Lofthus, Town & Country Market, Bainbridge Island, WA. Tina has been decorating cakes in the grocery store industry for over 22 years. She always strives to create works of art that go beyond in-store bakery expectations. She has also trained several apprentices to gifted levels.
Sara Vanderheyden, Hy-Vee, Ames, IA. Primarily self-taught, Sara has worked as a cake decorator for 11 years. She believes that “grocery store cakes” are in no way lesser than a cake from a fancy shop and likes to think of her bakery as a cake boutique with a grocery store in its lobby!
Rebecca Woodard, Harp’s Food Stores, Inc., Springdale, AR. Rebecca has held her cake decorator position for the past 4 ½ years, but helped out in the bakery long before that. On the job, she has learned to work with fondant and wedding cakes and continues to learn new techniques from her fellow decorators.
There are three phases to the Challenge. On Sunday, June 6, each contestant will decorate enough cakes to fill one multi-tiered, eight-foot bakery case. On Monday, June 7, each contestant will decorate a wedding cake. Tuesday, June 8 is a special “Decorator’s Choice” theme event.
A special thanks to the following decorators who entered the competition:
Stephanie Albers, Dillon's; Alexksandre Aliu, Price Chopper; Tina Beltz, Hy-Vee; Tranquil Benjamin, Giant Eagle; Tina Marie Bernier, Piggly Wiggly; Elena Birukow, The Anderson's General Store; Michele Blair, Food City # 644; Jill Blancho, Hy-Vee; Katie Bonness, Giant Eagle #229; Laura Boryca, Baker's; Katie Bounds, Baker's; Kaelee Brown, Gerbes Super Store; Rebecca Cade, Giant Eagle; Amanda Campbell, Krogers; Andria Chinander, Ridgedale Byerly's; Brenda Collins, Sweetbay; Janie Cosgrove, Kroger; Peggy Denniston, Winn Dixie #710; Stephanie Dillon, Hy-Vee; Debbie Evans, Safeway; Maggie Flurey, Hy-Vee Food Store; Jennifer Flynn, ShopRite; Jennifer Gates, Price Chopper; Shannon Gormley, Price Chopper; Laura Greer, Dillon's; Lindsey Grote-Rodgers, Hy-Vee; Olena Grundman, Lowes Foods; Brenda Harwig, Hy-Vee; Jane Hudson, VG's Food Center; Stacy Ivy, Dillon's; Sabrina Jackson, Market Street; Sheri Jackson, Ray's Food Place; Barbara Janik, Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc.; Carolyn Kirwan, Schnuck's; Caitlin Leslie, Giant Eagle; Karen Marie Lindow, Giant Eagle #76; Karin M. Lloyd, Sweetbay Supermarket #1752; Makishia Lockhart, Dillon's; Tina Lofthus, Town & Country Market; Debbie Manwarren, Lowes Foods; Lori Martin, Jerry's IGA; Pam Martinez, Coborn's, Inc.; Janet Mayer, Market Street; Clare McClain, Price Chopper; Jacqui McGee, Baker's Supermarket; Nicole McKinney, Safeway; Anna Meyer, Gerbes; Robyn Mindy, Fry's Food Stores; Trisha Parker, Winn Dixie; Charlene Marie Peterson, Winn Dixie; Michelle Priest, Donelans Supermarkets; Amber Rahe, Hy-Vee; Laurayne Ramos, Sweetbay; Tim Reaves, Publix Supermarket; Kelli Rico, Kroger; Gregory Riley, ACME Markets; Rayleen Rose-Messinger, Russ's Market; Rhoda Schultz, Hy-Vee; MacKenzie Scott, Hy-Vee; Maggie Selander, Sweetbay Supermarket; Xelina Shomo, Kroger #363; Emmily Standiford, Giant Eagle Market District; Mandy Syslo, Baker's; Erica Thordarson, Hy-Vee; Sara Vanderheyden, Hy-Vee; Carrie Verdino, Food City; Amudha Vidyasagar, Strack & Van Til; Peter Ward, Jr. , Price Chopper/Golub; Sarah Watts, Publix Super Market #1038; Judy West, Family Thrift Center; Jessica Wilson, Hy-Vee; Rebecca Woodard, Harps Food Store, Inc.; Deborah Young-Gotts, Dillons; Kellie Young-Vasquez, Dillon's; Joy Zygmont, Price Chopper.