MAGAZINE
As always, I am starting this issue with the obligatory weather observation… which today means Summer may have finally landed!
With the sun out and temperatures soaring into the high twenties this week, the industry is busy with sporting events, wedding season and the all-important British picnic. Social media has been awash with Olympic themed bakes, celebration cakes and bitesize snacks to keep the summer holidays harmonious and I have been loving the innovation, the imagination and the creativity that is going into all the above!
With holiday season upon us, I am sure we are all looking forward to having a break – or at least a quieter month or two, however, 2024 seems to have been fully charged for our industry since January.
June saw two, large industry events take place – firstly the Craft Baker’s Association (CBA) Business Day and Awards Dinner, held in at the Hilton in Wembley, where some fantastic speakers, including the inspirational Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE - British businessman, farmer, and founder of "The Black Farmer" range of food products, addressed the audience with some exceptional presentations. Secondly, the Alliance of Bakery Students and Trainees (ABST) Annual Conference 2024 took place at Alton Towers Hotel. Again, a sell out event attended by bakery students, tutors, industry bodies and representatives from lots of bakery businesses. With fantastic talks from Michael Schofield – British Bakels and an inspirational presentation from Elaine Boddy, Author of The Sourdough Whisperer, an incredibly high standard of entries in the competitions and some serious celebrating at the awards dinner – this was yet another example that the future of baking is bright.
Now back to this issue and the big announcement that is… The National Bakery Awards 2024 County Winners! To see who was crowned best bakery in their county, please head to pages 14-15. This year, the competition was fierce and the decisions tough but congratulations to you all, I look forward to celebrating with you all at the awards ceremony on 25th September at 30 Euston Square, London.
Also in this issue, we have all our regular features including Inside the Industry, pages 6-9, Compliance – page 10, Legal page 13 and Crafty Baker – page 45. This month our main features include Sustainability and Versatility, Free from and Alternatives, Halloween, Packaging and Labelling and Chocolate. And finally, we have a great opinion piece from John Foster, Managing Director Fosters Bakery, Barnsley and National President of the Craft Bakers Association, page 20-21.
So that leaves me to say, enjoy the issue and enjoy the sunshine!
