A bakery in Ohio has been chosen to pursue its own slice of worldwide fame by representing the US at the “Bread Olympics”, a prestigious international baking contest.
The biennial Mondial du Pain event, held in France, brings together elite bakers from around the world to compete in traditional breads, viennoiseries and elaborate artistic creations.
Out of the hundreds of thousands of bakeries in the United States, On the Rise Artisan Breads, based in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, has been selected for Team USA at the event.
Its bakers will face top kneaders, rollers, crimpers and delicate oven operators from 20 other nations, marking the first time since 2017 that the US has participated in the competition. The event later this month emphasizes technical mastery, innovation and artistic presentation.
For the business’s head baker and owner, Brian Evans, the recognition was especially meaningful. A self-taught baker, Evans honed his skills under the guidance of On the Rise founder Adam Gidlow, he said. He hopes his entry into the competition also highlights the high-caliber bread-making talent found in north-east Ohio.
“Our baguette is just flour, water, yeast and salt, and trying to get the perfect baguette out of the oven every day is the kind of challenge that keeps me going in this industry,” Evans said in a phone interview on Wednesday.
He wakes up at 4am every morning to get started on that day’s fresh batch of bread.
Evans will lead Team USA with junior baker Val Kertesz, working under the direction of coach Louis Volle, a James Beard award semifinalist and past medalist at the Mondial du Pain. Together, they’ll compete in Nantes, France, on 19–22 October. The news was first reported by Cleveland.com.
The competition requires 18 unique products, including baguettes, croissants, artistic bread sculptures and brioches, produced under exacting standards.
“When we present [the baguette] to the judges, it needs to weigh exactly 250 grams and be exactly 55 centimeters long,” Evans said. He and his team will have a two-and-a-half-hour prep window and an eight-and-a-half-hour bake to complete everything.
The Mondial du Pain, first launched in 2007 by the French group Ambassadeurs du Pain (Ambassadors of Bread), is regarded as one of the top baking competitions in the world. It was created to preserve and promote artisanal bread traditions in making the humble staple, while encouraging bakers to use wholesome, natural ingredients. The event not only aims to spotlight global talent but also to promote collaboration and inspire excellence in the craft of baking.
“Our menu is very diverse,” Evans said. “We have croissants, laminated sticky buns, scones. We have a whole list of really traditional European breads, everything from a classic baguette to a country sourdough to a rustic Italian.”
The Bread Bakers Guild of America selected On the Rise to represent the nation, citing both its bakers’ technical skills and its mission-driven approach to food and community, the organization said in a press release.
“I just love every minute of trying to create the perfect loaf of bread every day,” Evans added. “My hope is that I can be the first baker that restarts our US involvement in this competition and that I can build excitement within the US baking community.”
Founded in 2001, On the Rise is known for its European-style breads, pastries and sandwiches. With shops in Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights, the bakery has become a neighborhood mainstay. After the competition, many of the recipes developed for the event are expected to appear on shelves back home in Cleveland.
