The 22-year-old Chiel Vermeulen is still beaming. The young baker of bakery Deeg in the fortified town of Heusden has won the annual battle for the best sausage roll. According to Chiel, there is no secret of how to do that: “Just use good dough and minced meat.”
After the election as baker of the best Brabant sausage roll, Chiel didn’t have time to sleep in. On Thursday he was already at the bakery at six o’clock to bake 700 sausage rolls. Chiel, who is only 22, has been in the bakery business for seven years. First as an apprentice and the last four years as a full-time baker.
The morning after Chiel won the prestigious prize, it still feels unreal to him: “Yes, great, I can hardly believe it. It still takes a bit of getting used to.” Chiel also likes a sausage roll, but not too much, because then you become too fat, he jokes.
Naturally, the baker proudly announces to his shop that he has won the prize. Both outside and inside the bakery is the Brabant flag and the announcement that the best sausage roll comes from here. In the bakery, the sausage rolls are sprayed with egg yolk: “It makes them shiny, maybe that’s the secret of the beautiful appearance.”
In the coming period, Chiel is certainly counting on extra customers because of the victory. “We baked 700 today, we will see if that is enough in the near future.”
Early in the morning the first customers come to taste. Although, most already know what it tastes like: “His father also bakes delicious sausage rolls,” says a regular customer. Two men cycling past congratulate the baker: “Rightly won! They have the tastiest sausage rolls and it’s great that the young generation is taking over.”
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