Driven by his love for baking and his dedication to his students, Ruwan Colombage is a force to be reckoned with. Baking Business caught up with the 2025 Arthur E Denison Trophy winner to hear about his career so far.

When growing up in Sri Lanka, Ruwan Colombage initially aspired to be a chef.

His interest in the industry was piqued, thanks in large part to his family, many of whom were already working in hospitality in front-of-house roles. However, for Ruwan, it was always the kitchen that called to him.

After securing a spot at the Sri Lankan Hotel School in Colombo – now known as the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management – Ruwan knuckled down to complete the four-year program, balancing his studies with a full-time job at one of the large hotels in Colombo, namely the 5-star Hotel Lanka Oberoi, now Cinnamon Grand.

“I was a trainee while also doing full-time study. It was full on. I’m still thinking to myself, ‘how did I do it?’ I don’t know, I just did it anyway,” Ruwan said.

“I managed to work in the many kitchens in the Oberoi hotel. You would transfer every two months as a trainee, and I ended up in the bakery halfway through and realised it was a bit different. Everything was very precise and had to be organised and structured.

“I realised there is science behind baking … which made me think this was a good place [to work]. It gave me an interesting perspective. I knew if I learned pastry and baking well, then I would be working independently in the kitchen.”

He was hooked. Ruwan stayed on working in the Pastry/ bakery department, with the blessing of his chef, until, at just 22  and newly qualified, Ruwan accepted an offer to work as a pastry chef at a 5 star hotel in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he worked for one year before being approached by the American Embassy for a chef role.

“I thought, why not? I’m young, and I always took the challenge. I worked at the embassy for six months, but it just didn’t suit me. I resigned within my probation,” he said.

“The funny thing is, when I resigned, the ambassador said I was the first person in 30-odd years who had resigned. No one resigns – it’s the American Embassy!”

Ruwan at work at Kangan Institute

An eye on the prize

While on the hunt for his next role, a small ad in the newspaper caught his eye. It was for Spinneys, a large retail and catering company based in the Middle East, seeking someone to help launch a retail bakery.

“I thought ‘I like baking. It’s a challenge. I’ll apply,” Ruwan said.

He was successful – thanks in large part to his handwritten cookbook, which contains all his own recipes – and, following a baking training course in the UK at Tesco, Ruwan got to work.

“I started with three guys, and we did very well for three or four years,” Ruwan said.

“Then the call came that they wanted to scale up. We started an independent, standalone bakery and café that supplied all the outlets and catering. I was there for six years.”

During this period, Ruwan was sent for training in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands to enhance his skills.

Following that, Ruwan continued to move regularly, holding positions in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, and attending training around the world. But by 2003, he was ready for a new adventure.

Ruwan said his sister, who already lived in Australia, was the one to put forward the idea that he move Down Under, and it appealed to his entire family.

Little did he realise the move to Australia would also set a whole new career in motion.

Step by step

“In 2005, I was working for Coles – I had to start from scratch because I didn’t know much about Australian baking – so I was working as a baker,” he said.

“One day, I got a call from one of my colleagues who had worked with me in Abu Dhabi and had moved here before me. He said ‘Chef, you should be teaching. I said, ‘I can teach, but where?’ because I didn’t know anything about the TAFE system.

“He said they were looking for teachers in a private RTO, and that I should go for the interview because I have the skills on both sides.”

Ruwan applied and was successful, and by 2006, was teaching part-time while still baking – something he has continued to do to this day. He is currently a bakery cum cookery teacher at Kangan Institute in Victoria.

“I see this as one of the most privileged positions because these students come to me, trusting that I will share my knowledge and skills”, he said.

“The beauty of teaching for me is when you see those people who trust you come in front of you and give their time for you to help build their future – it is such a privilege.”

In pursuit of teaching excellence, Ruwan said it was vital for him to continue to further his own education. Most recently, this has included receiving two notable scholarships: the 2022 Rosewood Research International Fellowships (Artisan Baking) and the 2025 Arthur E Denison Trophy.

The former, Ruwan said, has enabled him to travel to Europe for further training in France, Italy and Spain, which he then applies in the classroom. At the same time, the latter will see him travel to the US next year for a five-day training course at the San Francisco Baking Institute.

Ruwan won the Arthur E Denison trophy

It was the fourth time Ruwan had submitted an entry for the Arthur E Denison Trophy, which is held annually by the Australian Society of Baking. Still, he said he was determined to win.

“The competition itself is a challenging one because you need to understand the criteria and understand what they’re looking for. I had always received something – a certificate, or I had reached the regional level previously – so I kept myself hopeful,” he said.

“The beauty was that this time one of the topics was “Baking Industry knowledge and experience. The Denison trophy – a new adventure! (‘What are you going to do if you win the scholarship?’)” For me, it was easy – I had the dream about what I was going to do, so it was just polishing it up a bit and writing it. I was sincere and candid, and I just wrote.

“It was one of the easiest essays I’ve written. I had the dream about how I’d use what I learn if I go there [to San Francisco Baking Institute], what I’m going to do, what I’m going to visit… writing a dream is not hard.”

Outside of the classroom, Ruwan also still works one day each week in a local café kitchen.  It’s a move he said he believes is vital, as it helps him keep his industry knowledge current.

“If I’m a teacher and a trainer, then I should be current. I can’t be talking about what I learned 25 years ago. The students should know what’s happening in the industry, now,” he said.

“Whenever I get the opportunity, I will keep learning. I will learn it, and I’ll share it.”