Nowra's champion pastry chef Skye Golding credits competition win to supportive team

The Nowra apprentice has blitzed this year's Bake Skills Australia regional championship, and will bake off with the best at the national competition in just a few months.

It's an impressive feat for Ms Golding, who is part of the team at Decadence Cakes and Gifts.

Though she asserts the win is not hers alone: it's been a team effort all the way.

In fact, the first thing she did after being crowned regional champion was video-call her workmates to celebrate.

"I felt organised going into the competition, which is always good," Ms Golding said.

"My work team has been really supportive - they're all great and helped me out a lot.

"As well as my TAFE teacher April, she helped me out heaps."

The Bake Skills Australia regionals, held in June, was Ms Golding's first ever baking competition. She's a first year apprentice pastry chef, and already a qualified chef.

Her flavour combinations wowed the judges: coffee éclair, raspberry and mascarpone éclair, blueberry tart, and a whipped honey, mascarpone and pistachio tart were on the menu.

Though it was the flawless éclairs which clinched her the win.

"The judges said they hadn't had an éclair that good in a long time," Ms Golding said.

It goes to show how practice makes perfect - she makes hundreds every week alongside head chef Emma Andriske.

As well as crafting decadent desserts, Ms Andriske has passed on countless gems of wisdom. The pair have also shared plenty of laughs (and the occasional prank) in the kitchen along the way.

She is immensely proud of her protégé, and praised Ms Golding's 'natural talent' for desserts.

"Everything here takes a little bit of time to get right, so you learn through doing it, really," Ms Andriske said.

"Skye has a real natural talent towards this sort of thing, and a real eye for detail already - we're really lucky to have her.

"It was awesome that she'd won, and we're all so happy for her."

It's the part of being a pastry chef which Ms Golding loves, and a big reason why she jumped at the specialty.

"I like the creativity of it all...it's more delicate and you can put your own spin on it," she said.

Ahead of the national contest, Ms Golding is busily researching recipes, thinking up more tasty flavours, and working on her pastry skills each day.

She will compete at the Bake Skills Australia 2023 Championships in September.

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