Judges awarded Country Cob Bakery’s pepper beef pie the top honour at a national event held by the Baking Assocation of Australia.
Chan’s passion for baking started in our Holmesglen kitchens where he gained a SIT31016 Certificate III in Patisserie qualification and then studied hospitality management. His win has been reported widely across Australia through the ABC, SBS and SKY News, and in the UK through the BBC.
"I learnt a lot from Holmesglen. Without my knowledge, I wouldn’t have come this far. I want people to see where I learnt, and then how I became successful."
Chan came to Australia from Cambodia in 2004. He credits Holmesglen for helping build his professional communication and leaderships skills. These skills gave him the confidence to start Country Cob Bakery with his brother, Ryan, in 2016. The brothers now run bakeries in Kyneton and Boronia.
With success comes demand and Country Cob Bakery has needed to take on extra staff to meet its online orders. Chan says the Boronia store is three times busier than usual.
Adhering to lockdown restrictions and social distancing, the team has successfully navigated a move to online deliveries, in addition to its takeaway service.
With industry acclaim, public praise and word of mouth leading the way, Chan and his team will set their ambitions on the future -- including a win next year.
“We have a good team here. Every year the competition gets stronger and stronger. Every year we learn. We can only try our best.”
