It was a closely fought contest. One point out of a total of 100 separated the Dungog baker from competitors Lydia Horne (Queensland) and Trae Wawatai (New Zealand) at the end of the three-day competition held in Sydney last week.

Beisler works at Barrington Bakery in Dungog alongside his father, Simon, and studies at TAFE NSW Hamilton. His grandfather, John Beisler, kicked off the family business by opening a bakery in Raymond Terrace more than 20 years ago.

"For as long as I can remember I have always helped out at the bakery, even before starting to officially work there three or so years ago. I'm the eldest of eight; we've all played a part," he said.

"I went through school thinking that I was going to go into design or engineering, so I did a lot of mathematics and psychics. I did get into an engineering course at university but sitting at a desk wasn't something I wanted to do at this point of my life. So I withdrew from the course and began baking with Dad and haven't looked back."

Beisler worked closely with Hunter TAFE teacher and competitive baker Dean Tilden to prepare for the competition. This year's theme was "Your Business" and Beisler created a "quasi bakery shopfront crafted through inspiration from the Barrington Bakery bread bag logo and design".

"I've learned a lot at TAFE NSW. It's a totally different environment to work," he said. "I think of it as a lab rather than a hectic industry bakery. You reflect and focus on technique, and the teachers are really helpful."

LA Judge Award competitors were also tested on public speaking, theoretical knowledge and work papers, plus an intense creative bake-off.

"Tristan has put in a lot of effort to get where he is and now has a big reward to show for it," Tilden said.

"It is wonderful to see Tristan follow in the Beisler family's footsteps with his high-quality baking skills and commitment to industry excellence. As teachers, we can give students the tools and guidance, share our expertise and help form their skills; but what it comes down to is what they do with all that. Any TAFE NSW student can become a national champion."

As part of his prize, Beisler will receive a five-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Belgium to visit the headquarters of baking and ingredients company Puratos. For now, though, it's back to reality for Beisler - and that includes some good-natured ribbing from "the boys at the bakery" over his new-found celebrity status. His next challenge is competing in the national Excellence in Baking Awards on June 4 and 5.