THE state’s most consistent young pastry cook has completed his apprenticeship and will continue to bake sweet and savoury treats daily at a Mount Gambier bakery.
Liam Stocker was recently awarded the most consistent apprentice award across three years of retail baking studies at TAFE SA.
The 21-year-old was recognised as the most outstanding baker among his peers, demonstrating exceptional skills for the duration of his apprenticeship as he learnt to form and fill pastry products, bake bread, cakes and cookies, process dough and prepare fillings.
He completed the three year course at Pick Avenue Deli and Bakery under owner Darren Murrell, who said he was “incredibly proud” of the rising baker’s success.
“I could not be prouder and I could not wish for a better young man to work with,” Mr Murrell said.
“Liam was the most consistent of all the apprentice pastry cooks in the state across the three years of his apprenticeship – that’s an incredible achievement.
“The products he bakes every day are of a consistently high standard and match it with more experienced bakers.”
Mr Stocker started his apprenticeship at the Pick Avenue Deli and Bakery in 2014 and said he was humbled by the award win.
“I didn’t expect to win – a TAFE lecturer came to Mount Gambier every so often to go through blocks of study with us and I’m pretty happy they were impressed with my baking,” he said.
“I just completed my final two weeks of trade school in Adelaide – I only had to travel there for three weeks total, one week last year and a fortnight recently.
“I find my work satisfying and I enjoy the early starts and knocking off in the afternoon.”
He said his favourite thing to bake was the classic sausage roll.
“I think I like baking sausage rolls because it’s pretty simple,” Mr Stocker said.
“You just pipe out the pastry and roll it, cut it up and whack it in the oven.”
