After two long days of competition South Korea has successfully claimed the Bakery World Cup.

The competition was held as part of Sirha Bake & Snack 2026 in Paris, France.

The South Korean team, represented by Seok Yong Hwang (bread candidate), Yong Hwan Choi (artistic piece candidate), and Myung Gi Kim (viennoiserie candidate) took the top podium spot ahead of Chinese Taipei and 2024 winners France, whi placed second and third respectively.

The 13th Bakery World Cup saw 10 teams, each composed of three competitors, compete in four tests that combined technical skills and teamwork. This included breads, viennoiserie, snacking, and artistic piece. In each test the competitors had to demonstrate their technical expertise and artistic mastery, combined with team spirit.

In 2026 the artistic pieces stole the show. Each entry had to be created in line with the theme “the great inventions of your country”. The contestants were required to recount part of their nation’s history and identify through the creation of a culinary work of art. Each creation was required to be between 140cm and 160cm in height, be entirely edible, and incorporate at least five varieties of dough, 25 per cent of which must be leavened dough.

It was the second time South Korea has successfully claimed the Bakery World Cup – one decade after their first win.

A spokesperson for the Bakery World Cup said this performance demonstrated South Korea’s expertise in baking and pastry-making and their mastery of the ‘French Bakery’ concept, allowing South Korea to equal Japan and the United States with a second victory since the competition was created in 1992.

“This result also reflects the growing importance of Asian countries in the bakery sector, having won five of the last six editions of the Bakery World Cup (Japan 2012, South Korea 2016, China 2020 and Chinese Taipei in 2022),”they said.

The  2026 Bakery World Cup results:

1. South Korea
2. Chinese Taipei
3. France
4. Japan
5. Canada
6. USA
7. Denmark
8. Brazil
9. Senegal
10. Morocco