Rising Dough: Anchor Pastry Challenge 2025 Crowns Malaysia’s Next‑Gen Baking Stars
Shah Alam’s UOW Malaysia campus was awash with the scent of fresh brioche and buttercream on 13 June 2025 as the Anchor Pastry Challenge returned for its latest edition.
Organised by Anchor Food Professionals Malaysia & Brunei, the competition is designed to spotlight the nation’s most promising young pastry chefs while showcasing the versatility of Anchor’s premium New Zealand dairy products.
After a rigorous screening process, ten finalists—five in Bread & Viennoiserie and five in Cake—earned their places in the live finals and a chance to impress a fearsome judging panel that included Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) Chef Jean‑François Arnaud and Chef Judy Koh of Creative Culinaire.
A Pressure‑Cooker Test of Skill and Nerves
The finals unfolded in a fully equipped kitchen stadium, turning the heat up—literally and figuratively—as contestants raced the clock to laminate croissant dough, whip ganache to perfect peaks and plate desserts worthy of a five‑star pâtisserie.
For Bread & Viennoiserie hopefuls, judges scrutinised lamination layers, crumb structure and balancing savoury and sweet flavours. Cake finalists, meanwhile, were tasked with delivering visually arresting creations that married texture, flavour and technical artistry.
Throughout, contestants had full access to Anchor’s range of butter, cream and cheese—ingredients renowned for stability under high heat and consistency under pressure.
Anchor Pastry Challenge 2025 : Why Competitions Matter
As Head Judge Chef Arnaud noted, “Working side by side under identical conditions pushes young chefs to innovate and refine their craft. That is how we elevate pastry not just in Malaysia but worldwide.”
Food Service Director Peter Quah echoed that sentiment, adding that the Challenge underscores Anchor’s commitment to nurturing future culinary leaders while demonstrating how premium dairy can unlock creativity in professional kitchens.
Bread & Viennoiserie: From IT Desk to Golden Croissants
When the flour settled, Ooi Kin Weng of the Academy of Pastry & Culinary Arts Malaysia claimed the Gold Award for Bread & Viennoiserie.
His show‑stopping pastry featured impeccably thin layers and a pillowy crumb, made possible—he insisted—by Anchor butter’s “workability and flavour clarity.”
Ooi’s win is especially inspiring given his unconventional journey from an IT career to pastry school. “Winning this category means so much,” he said. “It proves the leap was worth it, and Anchor products fuelled my passion for viennoiserie.”
Ryan Ang Rui Yan of Taylor’s University and Sharifah Nur Adylla Syed Zahirin rounded out the podium with Silver and Bronze, respectively, with Ryan also earning the Media Choice Award for his inventive savoury‑sweet laminated loaf.
Cake Category: Smooth Finishes and Clean Flavours
In the Cake division, artistry met precision. Tan Jia Le (Academy of Pastry & Culinary Arts Malaysia) walked away with Gold for a sculptural entremet that balanced tropical fruit acidity with the richness of Anchor cream.
Silver went to Yap Jing Li of Taylor’s University—who also bagged a Media Choice nod—while Bronze was awarded to Sandee Churme Jia Ying, likewise of Taylor’s. Tan credited the product’s “reliable creaminess” for the immaculate mousse texture and mirror‑glaze sheen that set her cake apart.
“Quality ingredients give young chefs the confidence to innovate,” she said, pledging to inspire future talents by modelling continuous learning and ingredient integrity.
Beyond bragging rights and trophies, winners picked up meaningful cash incentives: RM 2,500 for Gold, RM 1,500 for Silver and RM 1,000 for Bronze.
Perhaps more valuable, Gold medalists secured solo demonstration bookings as official Anchor champions—prime exposure that can springboard careers.
By connecting up‑and‑comers directly with industry mentors and brands, the Challenge helps forge a talent pipeline for hotels, cafés and artisan bakeries hungry for skilled pastry chefs.
Malaysia’s dessert culture has evolved rapidly, fuelled by Instagram trends and an increasingly discerning café crowd. Competitions like Anchor’s not only recognise excellence but also push national standards higher.
Participants return to their kitchens armed with new techniques—from temperature‑controlled lamination to advanced flavour‑pairing theory—raising the bar for colleagues and consumers alike. As Chef Arnaud pointed out, “Training is perpetual; competition is just the spark.”
The Anchor Edge
Anchor’s presence loomed large, literally buttering every dough and enriching every mousse. Produced in New Zealand’s lush pastures, the brand’s dairy lines are prized for purity and performance—qualities that professional chefs value when consistency can make or break a recipe.
By positioning its products at the heart of a high‑stakes contest, Anchor proved that premium inputs translate into award‑winning outputs.
With their medals polished and media buzz humming, Malaysia’s newest pastry stars will return to their respective academies and workplaces, where the real challenge begins: turning competition glory into everyday excellence.
Whether they open boutique bakeries, head five‑star hotel pastry teams or teach future cohorts, their Anchor Pastry Challenge experience will remain a defining milestone. For now, though, they can savour the sweet taste of victory—and maybe an extra croissant.
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- Anchor Pastry Challenge 2025
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- Bread & Viennoiserie competition
- Cake category winners
- Anchor butter New Zealand
- pastry competitions Southeast Asia
- Chef Jean‑François Arnaud
- Malaysian baking talent
- UOW Malaysia pastry event
- baking careers inspiration
