Scottish Bakers Newsletter April 2022

THE SCOTTISH BAKER April 2022

In this issue: - Brownings crowned World Scotch Pie Champions - The return of Scottish Baker of the Year!

- Scottish Bakers Annual Conference

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

WELCOME

LINDA HILL

President

Welcome to the spring 2022 edition of the Scottish Baker, your industry newsletter.

This edition marks my last as President. It is fair to say that this has been a presidency like no other. To have missed out on so many opportunities to meet with members and to represent the association throughout the UK has been saddening. Nonetheless, it’s been an honour and privilege to serve as your president and I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity. We install Ian McGhee as your new president at the conference and I know the association will be in safe and committed hands.

I’m thrilled that after a break of three years we will return to conference on 6 & 7 May at the Hilton, Glasgow. We have all missed many opportunities to come together under one roof, that this event is sure to be a huge success. The Bakers House team has been working hard on all the arrangements, including the Scottish Baker of the Year awards which form a core part of our industry celebrations. I do hope to see as many of our members there as possible to meet old friends and make new ones.

With our conference programme, we wanted to have a more conversational style with a blend of formal addresses and “in conversation” panels, with greater engagement to support debate about where we all see the future of Scottish baking. There’s a great panel of member bakers in the morning and I’m taking part in a Presidential “Question Time” panel in the afternoon with Vice President Ian McGhee and Vice President elect Michelle Phillips.

We’re excited about our special guest speaker, Carina Lepore. Carina is the 2019, winner of the BBC’s The Apprentice, which led to a partnership with Lord Sugar, who invested £250,000 into her business. Carina will speak about her business journey, her Apprentice experience and what it’s like working with Lord Sugar. All that, a great line-up of allied trade exhibitors, and two fabulous awards dinners culminating in the announcement of the next Scottish Baker of the Year. I can’t wait!

Get your tickets by booking directly though the Scottish Bakers website.

In signing off, I want to wish you all the very best for continued prosperity.

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ALASDAIR SMITH CEO

After the challenges we’ve faced as an industry over the last two years or so, I can’t believe we’ll be coming back together with the return of our Annual Conference and Awards weekend, taking place in May.

CONTENTS

This is a must-attend event for all Scottish bakers, and we’ve been working hard on all the arrangements. By the time you read this, all Scottish Baker of the Year winners will be under secure lock and key, to ensure the outcome is a surprise for everyone concerned.

I can report though, that the judging day, under the ever-watchful eye of head judge, Robert Ross, ran smoothly. The changes we put in place for the process worked well for the near 500 products tasted, tested, and assessed on the day. Our thanks, as always, to Robert for his unstinting service.

Changes to the Covid guidance are also making life easier for us all too. At Bakers House this means there is office cover most days and we have welcomed the return to a more normal working routine. Our training team continue to deliver essential skills to bakers and food manufacturers across Scotland. We’ve expanded in England too, by recruiting an additional adviser to pick up growing demand for our services.

Training continues to be one of the most cost-effective ways of developing your workforce, delivering improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.

Remember, our training is fully funded by Skills Development Scotland so contact us now to see how we can help you.

Finally, I want to pay my own tribute to outgoing President Linda Hill. Linda’s presidency came at the height of the pandemic and all our ambitions for widespread tours to visit members had to be largely shelved.

There is more to the role than being a public representative of the trade and she has undertaken her formal duties as chair of the board and the association with great dedication in the face of adversity.

She has been a valuable source of counsel and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her. I send my warmest wishes as she prepares to pass on the responsibility to Ian McGhee. As always, we are here to help our members so please do not hesitate to get in touch with any issues.

Labelling Legislation

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World Scotch Pie Champion

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Annual Conference & Awards

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Glasgow Presidential Dance

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Scottish Baker of the Year

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Dojo Merchant Services

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Member News

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New Members

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In Memoriam

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Training Update

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

PPDS REMINDER

FOOD ALLERGIES CAN BE LIFE THREATENING Food Standards Scotland are here to help you prepare and manage the information required for the new food labelling laws.

New legislation, which requires food businesses to include the product name and full ingredient list on all food prepacked for direct sale (PPDS), came into force across Scotland and the rest of the UK on 1 October 2021.

Examples of PPDS foods include sandwiches packaged by the food business and sold from the same premises, wrapped deli counter goods such as cheese and meats, and boxed salads placed on a refrigerated shelf prior to sale.

This means that it is now a legal requirement for businesses producing PPDS foods to label them with the name of the product, along with an ingredients list highlighting any allergens.

What information is required?

You must include the name of the food product and an ingredients list emphasising any of the 14 allergens that are required to be declared by law.

Allergens could be emphasised by: - Using a different text colour - Writing the allergens in bold or underlining.

How is my business affected?

To find out how your business is affected, simply answer a few quick questions on the Food Standards Scotland website which will determine what you need to do to comply with these changes.

Support and guidance You can find all the support and guidance you need on the Food Standards Scotland website, as well as a short video explaining more about the legislation change.

You can also use Food Standards Scotland’s free and easy-to-use MenuCal tool to support you through this transition. MenuCal provides the required ingredient and allergen information for all food prepacked for direct sale, as well as information about calories.

The tool helps you track, store and manage your ingredients and allergens while keeping customers informed and safe. Find out more about MenuCal at MenuCal.FSS.Scot.

Visit the Food Standards Scotland website today for further support, to ensure you are following the new PPDS regulations: foodstandards.gov.scot/prepacked

PLANGLOW LABELLING SOLUTION – MEMBER OFFER Associate member Planglow offers Scottish Bakers members a free one month subscription to their LabelLogic Live labelling solution. With LabelLogic Live, bakery businesses can create and print their own branded food labels - including basic product information, barcodes, Q.U.I.D.S, nutritional data, Reference Intakes, and allergen information. It’s quick, easy to use and fully compliant with both current and future labelling laws no matter what changes may come.

It’s a low cost solution - all you need is a box of labels and a subscription to the app which is £120 per year or £13 per month. There are no startup costs and no specialist equipment required.

For more information contact Scotland account manager Stephen Ferguson Tel. 07767 207071 Email: stephen.ferguson@planglow.com.

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

WORLD SCOTCH PIE CHAMPION

BROWNINGS THE BAKERS LTD CROWNED WORLD SCOTCH PIE CHAMPIONS FOR A SECOND TIME! Brownings the Bakers of Kilmarnock has once again taken the top prize in the 22nd World Championship Scotch Pie Awards which were announced on the 18 January 2022.

Unfortunately, the covid restrictions meant we could not go ahead with our first in person awards since the start of the pandemic, so instead we enlisted the help of awards host Carol Smillie to surprise the Brownings team at the bakery!

butchers entering their products. I couldn’t have done this without my amazing team at Brownings who have worked so hard particularly for the last two years in challenging circumstances.”

The bakers also won:

Alasdair Smith, Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers who run the competition on behalf of the bakery and butchery trades said, “We have overcome everything COVID could throw at us this year to celebrate the best pies and as always the results do not disappoint.

- The Diamond Award for Apple Pie - Silver Award for their Butter Chicken Pie in the Hot Savoury category - Bronze Award for their vegetarian Cauliflower, Leek & Truffle Oil Pie

“It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Brownings the Bakers has taken the top prize,” he continued, “and they can be rightly very proud of their achievements.

We took delivery of over 400 entries this year,

John Gall, Managing Director of Brownings the Bakers said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have won the best Scotch Pie at the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards for the second time. It’s a privilege to have won this award with so many amazing bakers and

so to win is no small feat and to know that every winning product was lovingly made from scratch from locally sourced ingredients, freshly made daily by skilled craftspeople just goes to show the skill, creativity and hard work of each and every entrant.”

MORE INFORMATION For details of all of this year’s winners visit www worldchampionshipscotchpieawards.org

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STRATEGIC PARTNER

After our enforced break, we’re back bigger and better than before with an all-new top venue, and a great line-up of speakers from across our membership including a unique “Question Time” panel with our Scottish Bakers Presidential line-up of Linda Hill, Ian McGhee and Michelle Phillips.

We’ll also be welcoming Mairi Gougeon MSP, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands to help us open Saturday’s proceedings.

And we’re so excited to confirm our guest speaker Carina Lepore, 2019 winner of BBC TV’s The Apprentice, who will tell us about her journey and how she sees her bakery business growing.

And of course, we’ve got two amazing gala dinners and awards ceremonies, the installation of our new President and the presentation to the Scottish Baker of the Year 2022.

It’s the must attend event for every Scottish Baker in 2022.

Book tickets now – www.scottishbakers.org

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

GLASGOW PRESIDENTIAL DANCE

2022 GLASGOW PRESIDENTIAL DANCE It was a delight to be back at the Grand Central Hotel for our Glasgow Presidential Dance on the 26 February. It was our first social event since we were hit by the Covid19 pandemic. Regretfully, we did not avoid its impacts that evening, as President Linda Hill and her husband Steve both came down with Covid the week of the event and were unable to attend.

Linda said at the time: “It is with a heavy heart that I cannot join you for this evening’s Scottish Bakers Presidential Dance, but the pandemic has after two years finally caught up with me; I am devastated not to be able to join you this evening. Regardless, I extend my warmest welcome to everyone and urge you all to enjoy yourselves and dig deep for our charitable causes.”

Vice President Ian McGhee stepped in to welcome guests on behalf of the President and was able to bestow the honour of Life Member on Past President Craig McPhie; something we had not been able to do due to the pandemic.

Over £7000 was raised on the night, including a generous donation from Bissett Printers to the Scottish Bakers Benevolent Fund. The remainder of the money raised was split between the Benevolent Fund and President Linda Hill’s chosen charities of Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland and The Lighthouse in Perth, a non-profit service offering crisis support for anyone aged 12+ who is at risk of self-harm or suicide.

It was fantastic to have the Scottish Bakers Family back together once more at a social gathering. Lots of fun was had with our host Edward Reid, including a game of Hit or Miss, a Past Presidents dance off, a birthday serenade for BAKO’s Suzie Finlay and a bit of a conga on the dancefloor!

Thank you to our strategic partner BAKO for their generous support of the event, and to all of the other members and attendees who generously donated some fantastic raffle and auction items.

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

SCOTTISH BAKER OF THE YEAR 2022/23 LAUNCH

THE SEARCH FOR THE SCOTTISH BAKER OF THE YEAR 2022/23 LAUNCHED ON THE 3 FEBRUARY 2022 Five City of Glasgow final year bakery students went head-to-head at Trades Hall in Glasgow to bring us “Scotland on a Cake” with the winning student, or students, as judged by Scottish veteran baker Robert Ross and Little Venice Cake Company Founder Mich Turner MBE, taking home a prestigious work experience day at multiple award winner Mimi’s Bakehouse with all the entrants receiving a day at lead sponsor BAKO’s development bakery in Preston.

A sumptuous Highland Cow created by Maryam Mehdizadehkasri and a super Saltire decorated by Diane Cleland took the top spots!

To mark the start of the competition, five City of Glasgow final year bakery students went head-to-head to bring us “Scotland on a cake” in just 45 minutes. Robert Ross and Mich Turner MBE were on hand to ensure fair play and to assess the contestants’ efforts, determining if they look good enough to eat.

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And they were! The entrants offered up: - A sumptuous Highland Cow created by Maryam Mehdizadehkasri - A super Saltire decorated by Diane Cleland - A freedom Cake technically delivered by Brian Behan - An IrnBru bonanza iced by Rebecca Balmforth - A piped saltire piped by Kellyanne McClymont The students were able to call upon advice on the day from the current Scottish Baker of the Year, Jane and Sara McIntosh, from Harry Gow Bakery based in Inverness.

Paul Little, Principal and Chief Executive at City of Glasgow College, said, “Our College has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in culinary arts and bakery, and I am delighted that our NQ level 6 bakery students are showcasing their skills for the launch of Scottish Baker of the Year. Our own City

Market, run by our bakery students and staff, have previously won a number of product prizes at regional and national level so we are very aware of the impact and value which this prestigious competition generates.”

The event marked the opening of customer voting for the “Customer Choice” awards.

Shoppers simply vote for their favourite baker and from these we will identify a “Customer Choice” winner in each of the four business categories; Craft Baker, Retail Craft Baker, Wholesale Baker and Bakery Café.

The competition now invites bakers to submit products of their own choosing across the familiar categories: Biscuit, Bread including traditional and sourdough, Individual Cake, Morning Roll including Buttery, Savoury, Scone including Potato Scone, Celebration Cake, Viennoiserie, including French and Danish style pastries and Free-from Bread, and Biscuits and Cakes.

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

SCOTTISH BAKER OF THE YEAR 2022/23 JUDGING

SCOTTISH BAKER OF THE YEAR 2022/23 JUDGES PUT SCOTLAND’S BEST TO THE TASTE TEST Scotland’s bakers were out in socially distanced force in Dunfermline on 16 March 2022 as they proudly delivered up to 10 of their star products to be taste tested by some 55 industry experts at the first Scottish Baker of the Year Judging Day since 2019.

With nearly 500 products from 57 bakers for the judges to assess, in a morning and an afternoon session, to ensure social distancing was maintained, it was a busy day for the judges who were looking at the appearance, the quality of the bake and the taste of each and every product.

With awards on offer in 13 categories for the best scones, loaves, savoury items, morning rolls, individual cakes and biscuits as well as the latest categories including French and Sweet Yeast Raised pastries and Free-from bread, biscuits and cakes, the competition was very hot in the judge’s chamber.

But the results will remain a secret until the Scottish Bakers Annual Conference & Awards on 6 and 7 May in Glasgow when the regional and national winners will be announced along with the ultimate title of Scottish Baker of the Year.

Customers had until 6 April to vote in the Customer Choice Awards. The results of this vote will determine who will be crowned the Customer Choice winner across the four categories: Bakery Café, Craft Baker, Retail Craft Baker and Wholesale Baker.

The winners will be announced at a glittering Gala dinner at the Hilton in Glasgow on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 May 2022 when the sector will come together to focus on Baking the Tomorrow taking a look at how bakers are adapting their businesses to explore new opportunities.

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

DOJO

SPRINGING INTO SPRING AND AVOIDING THE RATE INCREASE SQUEEZE As we move into the second quarter of the year, now is the perfect time to review your card services accounts.

Just like energy firms, most merchant account increases will be applied on 1 April. As 2022 shall see ever increasing costs across the energy sector I am happy to be able to give some good news.

Dojo with its rolling monthly contract, free PCI, next day settlement and real time reporting can still offer your business better value when it comes to taking card payments.

At Dojo we believe you should have the power to choose so we never tie you into a contract.

We allow you to give one months notice with no cancellation fees payable .

We will also buy out your current contract*.

We make our fees clear and transparent and we are here to help. From start to finish I will ensure your switch to Dojo is seamless.

To switch to Dojo, I require a copy of your current merchant statement so I can work out the volume of cards you take and to ensure you get the best value for the cards you take the most of. A recent example is a merchant who had an extremely low credit card % rate but high debit card %. No guessing which card they took more often…

With our free first month trial and exclusive offer for Scottish Baker Members of rebated terminal hire I can offer your business significant savings.** Another recent signing was a saving of over 30% yearly and one whose statements shocked me when I realised I could save over 51% for them .

Even without such significant savings,

these businesses are now benefiting from next day settlement seven days a week. No longer paying faster funding fees as our NDS is free.

me to four friends who had their own businesses. I was delighted when he told me he had donated £500 to the Red Cross Ukraine appeal and I matched his donation.

I hear many things when I am quoting new accounts and I always ask my potential new accounts to speak to my current merchants.

Being self employed and a business owner also I realise the value of others opinions.

When you switch to Dojo via me and you love Dojo which I’m sure you will, for every referral you give me it is worth £100 pounds cash to you.***

I work with the best to the best of my ability as my business is your business.

One merchant of mine made £1000 last month simply because he recommended

For more information on Dojo or the services I can arrange including advanced business funding, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Helen.jeans@dojo.co.uk *Minus VAT amount. **Only available if you sign via myself. *** Paid directly into your business bank account.

2022 PAY REVIEW – JOINT INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE Those of our members who have signed up to the Joint Agreement between Scottish Bakers and USDAW should take note that the new industry wage rates have been agreed with USDAW and are applicable from 1 April 2022.

More details on the 2022 wage rates are available in the members section of the website. You will need to be signed in to access – www.scottishbakers.org

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

MEMBER NEWS

BAKE FOR UKRAINE We have all watched in horror and disbelief at the situation that has unfolded in Ukraine.

We know many members are already baking special products to raise much needed aid, but we want to make it as easy as possible for bakers to come together in solidarity against the ongoing conflict.

If you share your bakes on social media please use the hashtag: #BakeforUkraineScotland

We’ve designed a poster to help you tell your customers that you’re supporting Ukraine and it’s people, by raising funds. Contact us for a downloadable link for the poster if you don’t already have a copy.

Our friends and colleagues at the Craft Bakers Association and the Bakers and Confectioners Association have joined with us in this campaign.

We would recommend all funds raised be donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee relief fund.

DAWN’S NEW CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES OUR NATION’S BAKERY HERITAGE Celebrating the fantastic bakes and inspirational bakers from around the UK and Ireland is the theme of this year’s marketing focus from Dawn Foods.

The ‘Celebrating Our Nation’s Bakes’ campaign will take bakers on a sweet treats tour of the UK and Ireland, discovering traditional and more unusual recipes from England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

If you are not already doing this, we would urge you to consider getting involved: it can be as simple as decorating a cup cake or doughnut with blue and yellow icing, or you may wish to source a recipe for a traditional Ukrainian product. Please do “Bake for Ukriane”.

Different ‘hero’ recipes featuring bakes, such as Empire Biscuits, Monmouth Pudding, Devon Apple Cake and Guinness Cake, all re-created using Dawn ingredients, will be unveiled on a specially created map on the Dawn website. Throughout the year there will be opportunities for bakers to get involved with the campaign, sharing their own local recipes, and taking part in the social media conversation around each region’s bakes.

There will be prize draws for bakers to win bakery related prizes such as oven gloves, Baker’s Toolkits and other campaign themed items. One lucky baker will also have the chance to go on a UK road trip where they

MACPHIE APPOINTS SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER

Kirsty’s arrival will help the business drive “sustainable, profitable growth” says chairman Alastair Macphie.

Food ingredients manufacturer Macphie has appointed a sustainability manager Kirsty Allan to drive forward its environmental agenda.

“We have ambitious growth plans and it’s vital that sustainability continues to be built into everything we do. From new products to new processes, Kirsty will be responsible for making sure that any future transformations are sustainable.”

In this newly created position, Kirsty will oversee Macphie’s growing environmental commitments and lead the company’s efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions ahead of government targets.

Kirsty Allan said: “I’m thrilled to be part of a business in which sustainability is at its heart.

We are making significant progress as we formalise our plans and work hard to bring

can sample some of our nation’s great bakes, as Dawn is also offering a voucher for a seven-day luxury holiday in a fully equipped motorhome as its top competition prize.

Students on the Bakery & Patisserie Technology degree course at University College Birmingham (UCB) will also be sharing bakery recipes from their home regions and how they can be re-imagined for the modern consumer. These may include making an item vegan, gluten free, reducing sugar or giving it a contemporary twist.

about measurable changes in how we operate.”

Macphie has been a certified B Corp since 2015, meaning it works to the highest standard of environmental and social performance. In 2008 it became the first UK food manufacturer to use a biomass boiler to produce and use steam power. And in 2014 it began using renewable energy from on-site wind turbines which were installed within the Glenbervie headquarters.

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For more information, contact Jordan Hughes at jhughes@americanpan.com or +44 (0) 1695 50500 | Locations: Irlam | Skelmersdale

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

NEW MEMBERS

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING BAKERIES AND INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS TO THE SCOTTISH BAKERS FAMILY BAKERY

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

MARCHBANK BAKERS Marchbank Bakers is family business with 11 stores in Dumfries and Galloway. They provide freshly baked produce using the finest ingredients.

CAFÉ AT KILCREGGAN Cafe at Kilcreggan is an eatery, a cafe, a restaurant, a focal point for their community, a getaway, a place to meet friends, and a view on the Clyde to have a morning coffee.

They brew fresh barista coffee and serve fresh food made on the premises.

BRAWSOME BAGELS Glasgow based Brawsome Bagels is a new and exciting bagel concept offering an irresistible selection of filled bagels, cakes and drinks, available in store daily! They make all their bagels in house, by hand, and bake them fresh each day!

They pride themselves in using locally sourced, fresh quality products to create sensational flavours.

CYBAKE IREKS IREKS is known worldwide for first-class baking ingredients and creative product ideas.

A team of over 2,900 employees is personally at the side of the bakers and confectioners all around the globe. This is mainly done by more than 500 highly-qualified Field Service staff from 30 nations – all master bakers and master confectioners.

First-class baking ingredients, made from the best grain and other high quality natural raw materials, are combined at IREKS with creative product ideas and attractive recipes.

In this way, they provide strong impulses with which each bakery can develop its own individual profile further.

Cybake® is a bakery management software system used by retail and wholesale bakers to control their operations, cut admin, improve efficiency and increase sales.

With a large user base and unrivaled customer support, Cybake manages everything from orders to invoicing, recipes, production, shop management, waste control, deliveries and more.

Cybake was founded by managing director Jane Tyler in 1998. They have served bakeries (and other makers of short shelf-life food products) with their specialist ERP solutions for 21 years. All of their software is developed in-house.

Whatever the size or scope of your bakery, they offer a smooth, hassle-free set-up, smooth migration from your old system, reliable and friendly support, and the perfect platform for your future plans.

ADM For more than a century, the people of ADM Company have transformed crops into products that serve the vital needs of a growing world. Today, they are one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, with approximately 40,000 employees serving customers in nearly 200 countries. With a global value chain that includes approximately 450 crop procurement locations, more than 330 food and feed ingredient manufacturing facilities, 62 innovation centres and the world’s premier crop transportation network, they connect the harvest to the home, making products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses.

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

IN MEMORIAM

GERALD CUNNINGHAM Past President of the Irish Association of Master Bakers and IREKS National Sales Manager for Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Scott Anderson, Training & Quality Manager

Gerald Cunningham (centre) pictured in 2020 when IAMB President, alongside then Scottish Bakers and CBA Presidents Ronnie Miles and Heather Fuller

We were shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death of Gerald Cunningham on 16 March 2022. He was a good friend of many Scottish Bakers members and had only recently attended our Glasgow Presidential Dance.

He is mourned by many across the UK and Ireland, including his colleagues at IREKS who were affected deeply by his sudden loss.

The announcement from his colleagues read: For more than 17 years, Gerald was involved in the successful development of IREKS’ business activities in Ireland and Northern Ireland as National Sales Manager. With over 40 years

MASTER OF THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BAKERS – SIMON SPRINGETT

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of experience in the baking industry, he was recognised for his great expertise as a competent and reliable contact for customers and colleagues.

During his career, he was characterised by his determination, his friendly cooperation and his passion for the craft of baking, which he used for the benefit of our industry beyond IREKS through his active participation in bakery associations in Ireland.

With Gerald, our company not only loses a long-standing and very successful colleague, but also a personality who was highly recognised and appreciated by colleagues

We were also saddened to learn of the untimely death of The Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers, Simon Springett, who was elected on 29 November 2021.

After a valiant fight against illness, Simon passed away in the early hours of Friday 11 March 2022. Our condolences and sympathy to Simon’s wife, Sandra, their children, James and Rebecca, and the whole Springett family.

and business partners for his open-minded nature and his exemplary commitment.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

TRAINING UPDATE

TRAINING TO SUPPORT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION The current “perfect storm” of Covid, rising fuel and energy costs and low labour uptake is hitting the sector hard.

Local authorities can aid and support employers looking to recruit employees via Scottish governments Employability Action Plan. One of these services is the No-One Left Behind Employability Funding Stream which used to be known as Scotland’s Employer Recruitment Incentive (SERI).

The stream is managed by your local authority. To find out who to contact please get in touch with your NFDT training advisor or contact Scott@scottishbakers.org for more information.

The No-One Left Behind Employability Funding Stream helps people of all ages gain skills and confidence. It is there to help people prepare for employment, training, education and/or volunteering. To take part participants must not be in a job, education or training Once employed, these new employees are eligible for the Modern Apprenticeship (MA)

training programmes delivered by NFDT. These programmes cover food safety, health and safety and many business improvement units. We normally suggest a minimum of 12 weeks for any new employee to be in place prior to enrolment onto an MA programme.

This ensures the employment suitability between the employer and employee prior to programmes commencing.

Training has never been more important to business and whilst Skills Development Scotland continue to support Scottish Business with a funded contribution to MA training programmes why not take advantage and upskill existing employees or recruit and train new employees into your business using your own operating policies, procedures, practices & company vision.

National Food & Drink Training, the training arm of YOUR Trade Association, is here to help with the training requirements to support recruitment and retention of staff which will help you start to combat the serious challenges we’re all facing.

RECENT CANDIDATE ACHIEVEMENTS LEVEL 3 MANAGEMENT DIPLOMA FOR GEARY’S EMPLOYEE MD Thwarequl Islam (Tareq), Night Shift Manager at Geary’s has been the first to achieve an ILM management level 3 diploma with National Food & Drink Training.

He has persevered through periods of furlough and lockdowns to finally gain his qualification.

Scott Anderson Training & Quality Manager

CONTACT DETAILS Scott Anderson - Tel: 07702 520524 - Email: scott@scottishbakers.org - Website: nfdt.org

ACHIEVERS AT REID’S OF CAITHNESS Congratulations to Robert Thompson and Iain Mackay from Reid’s of Caithness who received their certificates for Production and Processing Level 2 at the beginning of the year. They are pictured receiving their certificates from Senior Training Advisor, Jim McCormack.

He said: “I feel great now to be honest, at last I’ve completed it! I’ve learned a lot of things including loads of theories regarding management, which helped me in doing my daily tasks. It will also help a lot in future, I believe.”

Tareq’s Operations Manager, Adrian Apetrei added: “It has helped him to grow as a manager and we can see an improvement in his work. It has been a benefit to the business which is what we wanted to achieve from the course itself.”

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SCOTTISH BAKERS Bakers House 2 Halbeath Interchange Business Park Kingseat Road Dunfermline, KY11 8RY T: 01383 661 555 E: info@scottishbakers.org www.scottishbakers.org