The wins keep on rolling in for South Australia’s Banana Boogie, with their apprentice Mitch Timberlake claiming the WorldSkills South Australia regional bread title.

The competition, held at TAFE SA’s Regency campus in late October, saw Mitch pitted against other top apprentices in the state during a four-and-a-half hour competition. During this time they had to make a focaccia slab, three pull-apart loaves, three white block loaves, 12 fruitless finger buns, three heave seed cob loaves and 12 sweet scrolls.

Speaking to Glam Adelaide, Mitch said he had discovered a love for baking by chance. He had been looking for a Christmas holiday job following Year 11, but wanted one that would leave his afternoons free. He sent his resume to Banana Boogie Bakery and began to pick up a few shifts towards the end of year 12.

Mitch said the satisfaction of leaving at the end of the day and seeing the products he had made being enjoyed was what hooked him in.

When announcing his win WorldSkills win on Instagram, the Banana Boogie team said, “We couldn’t be prouder of this young gun. The extra days he’s put in at TAFE to train, the hours spent perfecting his skills, and the work he’s put into developing new products for the shop have all paid off.”

“Mitch has worked incredibly hard for this, and it’s so rewarding to see that dedication recognised. He’s a talented baker with a big future ahead of him, and we can’t wait to see what he does next.”

Next up will be the WorldSkills Australia National Championships, which will take place at the Adelaide Showgrounds from June 3-6, 2027. It’s expected more than 600 apprentices will compete across more than 60 skills. If successful at a national level, Mitch could then be selected for the Skillaroos team, which represents Australia on the global stage.

It’s also not the first trophy Mitch has brought home this year. He also placed second in the Apprentice Vanilla Slice category at the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph earlier this year.