The teams
ARGENTINA
TeamManager
Mariano ZiThatrt, tprofessional technician and pastry school teacher, he is a consultant in pastry shops, bakeries, chocolate shops and ice cream shops. Finalist at the Pastry World Cup in 2017, he won gold in the Latin American Pastry Championship in 2015 and won bronze at the Americas Pastry Cup.
Captain-spokesman
Juan Manuel Alfonso Rodriguez, baker and pastry chef for three generations, his passions are sourdough and panettone. Owner of two bakeries, he was finalist of the Panettone World Championship in Milan and winner of the Argentine Panettone Championship.
Samuel Gonzales, graduated in food preservation, is a pastry technician at Italmill spa. After attending numerous pastry and bread-making courses, he worked as a pastry chef in Italy and Spain and collaborated with Yohan Ferrant for the preparation of the Mof championship.
Nicolas Welsh, pastry chef by profession and passion, has worked in various countries knowing the gastronomic secrets of all cultures.
FRANCE
Team Manager
Quentin Berthonneau he was a finalist in 2021 of the French Panettone Championship, a few months later he participated in the Panettone World Cup. Corporate trainer of professionals on naturally leavened bread, especially on sourdough, a passion discovered as a child, he works as production manager and team management.
Captain-spokesman
Manuel Barthelemy, an expert master of bread-making, pizza and panettone, he was Ambassadeur pizza chef for the Farines Decollogne and held courses on bakery and pizza. He is vice-champion of France in ethical pizza, vegan pizza and world champion in dessert pizza.
Raphaël Jubert, artisan, baker and manager of an organic bakery in the French Alps, he was head baker also dealing with social communication and internal management, vice-champion of France of the traditional Milanese panettone and finalist at the Panettone World Cup in Milan.
Matthias Arbion, organic artisan baker, worked at the International School of Bakery and is now a consultant and trainer of naturally leavened bakery/pastry.
GERMANY
Team Manager
Arnd Erbel, master baker and pastry chef, the "Freibäcker" (free baker), is the author of publications and owner of the prestigious Erbel bakery in Dachsbach, founded in 1680 and among the oldest in Germany. Among its best-known products are bread, gingerbread and pretzels, prepared in the traditional way, handmade and cared for with passion right from the choice of raw materials: natural, without brewer's yeast or additives.
Captain-spokesman
George Mecca, of Italian nationality, he began as a pastry chef in Turin and then went to Germany and became head pastry chef and manager of Giomecca GmbH.
Leonard Scala, graduated from the school specializing in gastronomy and culinary art in Brescia, taught at the Alma, School of Italian Cuisine, and then moved to Germany as a pastry chef and department manager in numerous hotels.
Steve deFilippo, an expert in the processing and cooking of bakery products, undertakes an advanced training course for second-level pizza makers and works as a pizza maker.
JAPAN
Team Manager
Hiroki Sato joins DONQ to manage some of its stores. He is currently engaged in technical guidance in Japan and abroad. In 1995 he participated as captain of his country's team in the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris and in 2019 in the Panettone World Championship in Milan.
Captain-spokesman
Kanako Takada for DONQ he takes care of product and brand development, product research and control and technical guidance on the preparation of panettone and pandoro.
Seiji Yamanaka provides DONQ with technical guidance in Japan and abroad. He participated in the national competition and obtained an award.
Yoshihiro Fujisawa takes care of the production of panettone and pandoro in Kobe (Japan) in the specialized factory for DONQ.
ITALY
Team Manager
David Malicious he is the founder of the Aromacademy, the Academy of Pastry and Artistic Sugar. It boasts a very rich medal collection including: four gold medals and as many mentions for the maximum score obtained in the artistic category at the World Championships in Luxembourg (World Culinary Cup) in 2006. In 2008 it takes a further step at the European Championships in Stuttgart, winning six gold medals and the absolute title of artistic category. In the same year he won the first prize for artistic sugar at the Erfurt Olympics in Germany. In 2010 he was a member of the Italian National Pastry Team for the Team Pastry World Cup in America, in Phoenix, where he won the 2010 world vice-champion title. In 2020 he received the world title "Sucre D'Or - Best artist in the world of sugar" for the decade and in 2021 "Star of the World Pastry Star" dedicated to the best pastry chefs in the world and "The Best Pastry Chefs in the World" by Iginio Massari.
Trainer
Ezio Marinato he is one of the leading Italian baking experts. Born with his hands in the dough into a family of bakers for 3 generations, he is an artisan-artist of leavening and owner of the Panificio Marinato in Cinto Caomaggiore. European Champion of Bakery in Bulle, Switzerland, and of the Mondial du Pain in Lyon, he was named MAM, Master of Arts and Crafts. A profound connoisseur of the subject, he is a lecturer at various training schools and a consultant for multinational companies in the sector.
Trainer
Maurizio Bonanomi, owner of the Merlo pastry shop on the outskirts of Milan, he is a real pastry perfectionist. Thanks to the love and total dedication towards the panettone, starting from the care and attention of the ingredients and raw materials, in 2017 he conquered, in the "La Gazza Golosa" competition, the first place for the best panettone in Italy.
Captain-spokesman
Claudio Gatti, president and founder of the MLM Academy, he is one of the leading players in the world of great leavened products. In 1973 he entered Roberto Scalenghe's laboratory and became passionate about the secrets of leavening, so much so that he spent years applying himself to the study of this discipline together with the master and mentor Achille Zoia. The philosophy with which he practices his trade is the use of organic raw materials, combining the perfection and technique of the pastry art with respect for the customer: the rediscovery of ancient grains has led to the invention of a dough for his focaccia, a product that brought him fame.
Aniello di Caprio enters the world of pastry almost as a joke, becoming one of the excellences in Italy in the field of large leavened products. Owner of the renowned Lombardi pastry shop in Maddaloni and founder and co-owner of the Dolce&Salato cooking school with Giuseppe Daddio, he has patented, for some years now, Felix Panettone Campano with three local ingredients: buffalo butter, Vesuvius apricots and almond scented with Amalfi lemons.
Giuseppe Mascolo
he is the head pastry chef of the Mascolo pastry shop in Visciano. His is a success story: Ambassador of Panettone in Rome, Milan and Naples; winner of the Divina Colomba award in Bari in 2018 and 2019; awarded at the National Panettone and Pandoro Fair in Milan and in the same year named King Panettone and Master Panettone; in recent years he has graduated World Champion and Popular Category
Panettone World Champion.
Reserve
Beniamino Bazzoli
embarks on a path of study, courses and research, up to the development of an innovative method of creating and managing mother yeast in water, which halves processing times. He is a technical consultant for Italmill and one of the founding members of the Richemont Club. Many successes testify to his mastery: first prize in the Innovative Leavened Products category at the Premio Roma National Competition; in 2019 it won at The Best Panettone of the World, with its chocolate variant; silver in the "Best Panettone in the world" competition promoted by FIGPC and in 2020 gold for the Classic Panettone.
POLAND
Team Manager
Raffaele Derosa, technical consultant and organizer of cooking courses, fairs and seminars, has dealt with presentations relating to ice cream and pastry, production coordinator and sales manager.
Captain-spokesman
Cesare Candido the owner of the Cesarepolo company, where he deals with training in the gastronomic sector, as a chef, and manages a cooking school, the Academy of Italian cuisine. Today he is a Food Service production coordinator and a culinary and technological consultant.
Kamil Holeksa is an expert pastry chef with over 15 years of experience, specializing in the creation of cakes, and pastries. Also a lover of bread-making, he demonstrates exceptional skills in preparing, baking and decorating cakes, desserts and breads. He manages the Gryzmi team on a day-to-day basis making sure all products are made and delivered on time and to the highest standards and quality.
Jacek Wiarek he is a baker with a passion for the profession, born when he was still a child. With his 15 years of experience in the sector and in the production of quality bread, he creates unique flavors in his bakery products. He specializes in wheat and rye products and long, cold fermentations.
SPAIN
Team Manager
Jose Romero, is a chef and teacher in a pastry school, calls himself a chef baker and began to train himself as an autodidact. In addition to the PWC, he is preparing for the Gastronomic Forum and the Spanish Panettone Championship.
Captain-spokesman
Tonatiuh Cortes, having discovered his passion for baking, he opens a business that has gained a large clientele and popularity thanks to the victory of prestigious awards such as the Best Panettone of Spain. Among his successes, also the Top Panadero in the Ruta del Buenz Pan and participation in "The great book on wholemeal bread".
Jose Manuel Marcos Candela, master pastry chef, ice cream maker and chocolatier, is responsible for production. He finished in second place at the 2018 Gelato World Cup with the Spanish team in Rimini and won the Cadena Ser gastronomy award.
Rafel Aguilera he immersed himself in the world of pastry about ten years ago with his family, becoming the owner of the Cal Jan pastry shop and specializing through courses and experience in the field. He participated in the Spanish Panettone Championship resulting in the best Chocolate Panettone from Spain. From 2020 to 2022 he won the Fava de Cacao award. In addition, both in 2022 and 2023 it won the Fava de Oro de Cacao as the best pastry in the field of Tarragona and the lands of the Ebro.
TAIWAN
Team Manager
I-Chun Lin, member of the working group of the famous leavenerWu Pao Chun. To her the task of coordinating the activities of the Taiwanese team.
Captain-spokesman
Joanna Shih Chieh Chen she attended a bread-making course which aroused her not only interest but a great love for Mother Yeast. He was part of the team at the Masters de la Boulangerie in 2018 and at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in 2016.
Wu Pao Chun he began his apprenticeship in a bakery at the age of 15. In 2008 he created the "Taiwan Longan with Red Wine Bread", with which he won second prize at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, and two years later, he won the title of Maestro Fornaio in the bread category of the Bakery Masters competition held in Paris.
Chung Yu Hsieh he worked in the field of baking already at the age of sixteen. Manager of Wu Pao Chun Bakery, she loves to combine and compare what she has learned from professionals with practical work experience. He won the 2014 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in the Taiwan selection and obtained the second place in 2016 at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie.