Feilding bakery manager Tiffany Corlett to compete in Countdown Baker of the Year final

Tiffany Corlett with the baking she did for the second round of the competition. The feast includes caramel mud cake, pizza and ciabatta - not bad for four hours of work.

If baking causes you to quake, spare a baker’s dozen of thoughts for Tiffany Corlett.

She is one of three bakers nationwide who has made it to the Countdown Baker of the Year final.

Corlett is the bakery manager at Feilding Countdown.

She has worked for the supermarket chain for 15 years, starting at Victoria Ave Countdown in Whanganui.

She grew up in Marton then moved to Whanganui and is now back living in Marton.

Corlett has always worked in the bakery, starting with packing. She completed her two-year apprenticeship about 10 years ago and is qualified to make cakes and breads.

She enjoys playing with new ideas and learns new things from her two apprentices.

Corlett enjoys the science behind baking. “You can do anything with bread and cakes if you play around with it.”

It is the first time Corlett has entered the competition.

For the first round, she had to make a bread and cake that were sent away for judging.

She was selected for the second round, which took place in NZ Bakels kitchen in Palmerston North. The contestants had four hours to make two different breads and two different cakes.

It was an unexpected win as she was competing against some good people, she says.

Corlett will represent zone two in the final in Auckland next Wednesday. The three contestants will have five hours to showcase their bread and cakemaking skills.

Corlett starts work between 2am and 3am. She likes getting up at that time, plus she has a chance to get to work before the ice can settle on her windscreen.

“It doesn’t bother me one bit, the earlier the better.”

She goes to bed at the same time as her daughters, who are 5 and 3. The early shifts give her time for mum life.

She recommends baking as a career but only if you are a morning person.

The Countdown Baker of the Year final will be judged by baking experts from NZ Bakels, Champion, and Countdown.

Tiffany Corlett with the baking she did for the second round of the competition. The feast includes caramel mud cake, pizza, and ciabatta - not bad for four hours of work.