IDDBA Reveals 2019 Cake Decorating Challenge Participants

The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association has named the three participants for its IDDBA 19 Cake Decorating Challenge. They are:

• Joni Graham, Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Toronto: Graham is a self-taught decorator who gained and refined her skills through practice and passion. She started from home 17 years ago and has been decorating for Loblaws affiliate store Carmen’s Independent City Market for three years.
• Dana Nygaard, Hy-Vee, Robbinsdale, Minn.: Nygaard began working at Hy-Vee as a bakery/sweet shop clerk before becoming a cake decorator. Although she had no prior experience, she became an official decorator in 2017 through Hy-Vee’s cake-decorating training courses.
• Jess Tatham, Publix, Gulf Breeze, Fla.: Tatham has five years of experience decorating cakes, and before starting at Publix, she had no knowledge about decorating. She learned the art through the in-store Publix decorators who trained her.

The 24th annual Cake Decorating Challenge will take place during IDDBA 19, occurring June 2-4 in Orlando, Fla. Contestants will create bakery case cakes, a tiered special-occasion cake, and themed/custom design cakes. They’ll compete for best-tasting cake, People’s Choice Awards (which are voted on daily by show attendees), and overall first, second, and third place trophies. Each contestant will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to compete.

Madison, Wis.-based IDDBA is a nonprofit membership organization serving the dairy, deli, bakery, cheese and supermarket foodservice industries. Member companies enjoy exclusive benefits and services, including the annual trade show, leading-edge research, training programs, management tools and an annual trends report.