Pastry Live 2012 – The National Showpiece Championship Team Captains Announced

June 8, 2012 - PRLog -- Pastry Live is proud to announce the team captains for the 2012 National Showpiece Championship. After careful consideration, eight teams of two chefs have been chosen to compete on the morning of Sunday, August 5th, 2012. Each team will choose from either chocolate or sugar to showcase their innovation and talent while competing for the title of National Showpiece Champions. Among some of the top pastry chefs in the country, here are the team captains selected to compete:

• Brian Donaghy, The Criollo Group LLC, Buffalo, NY

• Daniel Keadle, Grand Hyatt, San Antonio, TX

• Geoffrey Blount, Central Piedmont Community College,
  Charlotte, NC

• Gonzalo Jimenez, Hyatt Regency, New Orleans, LA

• Joshua Cain, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, NC

• Michelle Garcia, The Bleeding Heart Bakery, Chicago, IL

• Theresa Gwizdaloski, RICK Moonen’s RM Seafood,
  Las Vegas, NV

• Thierry Aujard, Sweet Prosperity Bakery LLC

To match our exceptional competitors, our judging panel consists of the finest in the industry. Among the panel are Lead Judge M.O.F. Stéphane Tréand, Vincent Pilon, Michelle Tampakis and, the winner of last year’s National Showpiece Championship and Best Chocolate Showpiece, Andy Chlebana.

The National Showpiece Championship calls for competitors to push the boundaries of normal showpiece construction, but without calling for huge financial and personal sacrifices from competitors. Rather than constraining chefs with endless rules and regulations, the National Showpiece Championship is a new form of competition that encourages chefs to compete at the highest level possible.

In addition to the National Showpiece Championship, several competitions will be hosted during the weekend of August 3rd, 4th and 5th including the Art of Cake, the Chocolatier of the Year and the Student Chocolate Challenge. New to the competition lineup is the Signature Plated Dessert competition, which highlights the nation’s premier desserts. Featured during Pastry Live Weekend will be seminars instructed by world class chefs from across the country. A wide array of topics will be covered, offering cutting edge techniques and training.

For more details about Pastry Live and the National Showpiece Championship, please contact Chef Paul Bodrogi at chef@pastrylive.com or 678.881.9490. Further information is also available on our website at www.pastrylive.com.