Scottish Bakers Newsletter December 2018

DECEMBER 2018

“FOR THE GOOD OF ALL”

FEATURING: SCOTCH PIE AWARDS JUDGING ZERO WASTE SCOTLAND CASE STUDY – BETH BROWNINGS BAKERY NORTHERN DANCE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S WELCOME It’s my pleasure, as always, to introduce this edition of the Scottish Baker. For me, it marks the end of my first full year in post as your Chief Executive and another milestone in my journey of discovery in this noble trade. I thank everyone whom I’ve met this year for your outstanding hospitality, and the generosity with which you share your knowledge and insights.

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME As 2018 nears its end, so do my first 8 months as President of Scottish Bakers. Time flies when you’re having fun!

October saw Amy and I travel over to Ireland to attend the Irish Association of Master Bakers Biennial conference, in Co. Wicklow. The hospitality extended to us during our visit was fantastic and I must thank their new President Gerald Cunningham, immediate Past President Eugene Baker and FCBA Secretary, Sean Earley for making us feel so welcome.

At the time of writing, we are looking forward to returning to Dublin, for their Benevolent Gala Ball, which is always a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

The Irish conference was closely followed by the BSB’s autumn conference in Oxfordshire. Once again it was an informative and well organised event and I must congratulate Richard Hazeldine, on his election as Chairman.

For you though, it marks another busy Christmas season with mince pies hopefully flying off your shelves and customers looking for other seasonal treats. I hope it will also mark the end of a busy and productive year for you, especially in the face of so many outside pressures: rising costs of ingredients and utilities, recruitment issues, and pressure from government and the health authorities.

As we look forward to 2019 however, all of us here at Scottish Bakers are as resolute as ever in our commitment to supporting and defending our members. We are investing time and energy in new services and systems to help us better engage with you all. 2019 will see us launch an all new, dynamic website which will enable us to communicate with you in new and more responsive ways.

We are also planning our 2019 Annual Conference and already have some fantastic speakers lined up. Our focus is on customer service, consumer trends, marketing and design – all aimed at giving you tools to help you build your individuality and grow your business.

I would like to close by wishing you and your families a peaceful Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Alasdair Smith Chief Executive

In November, I attended the judging of the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. It was a great opportunity for me to catch up with many members, who were dropping of their entries to be sampled by over 50 judges. Once again, head judge Ian Nelson and the Scottish Bakers team ensured everything ran like clockwork and I would like to add my thanks to Martin Gill of BDO LLP for auditing the process, to guarantee complete anonymity for each product. There is still a mystery shop to take place, but I’m very much looking forward to finding out the winners in January.

It was unfortunate that the Northern Dance fell on the same weekend at the Irish Benevolent Ball and I was unable to attend.

Thank you to my Vice President Linda for attending on my behalf.

I hear it was a great evening up in Aberdeen.

Amy and I will also be attending the Worshipful Company of Bakers Election Banquet at Mansion House, London at the end of November. I’m very much looking forward to representing Scottish Bakers at this event.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Scottish Bakers members a wonderful Festive Season and very best wishes for 2019.

Ronnie Miles President

If you would like to place an article in the next newsletter please contact lucy@scottishbakers.org

CONTENTS 03 05 06 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

Industry News Peninsula Update Zero Waste Scotland: A Case Study World Championship Scotch Pie Awards Northern Dance President’s Member Visits J Gillespies & Sons 150th Anniversary Member News Centenary Club 40 Group National Food & Drink Training News

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The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

VEGAN-CERTIFIED CAKE AND FROSTING RANGE LAUNCHED Macphie has launched the first vegan-certified cake mix and frosting range aimed at the bakery sector.

The range includes both chocolate and plain mixes that deliver muffins, loaf cakes and traybakes, as well as complementary ready-to-use frostings in chocolate and vanilla.

Senior Category Marketing Manager Anna Massie explained why the company decided to offer a vegan bakery range “With the big High Street chains offering vegan cakes, and the supermarkets expanding their ranges every day, the bakery sector simply can’t afford to miss out on this key trend,” she said.

“As the ‘vital ingredient’ supplier, we wanted to consider everyone and produce a range for vegans that respects their choices without compromising on quality.”

Macphie has become vegan-certified, despite it being a long audit process.

Anna said: “Sometimes food trends come and go within months, but other times they create a fundamental change in how we live.

“Macphie believes that a diet free from animal derivatives is part of a long-term change in society.

“With over half the UK population adopting vegan-buying behaviours, it’s vital to understand their needs, so we made the decision to pursue full certification for our vegan product range.”

Vegan baking is complex, as ingredients derived from animal products are intrinsic to the stability and characteristics of the finished product.

CROP SHORTAGES AFFECTING PRODUCTION With the unprecedented hot and dry weather conditions we experienced in the summer, yield deficits on root crops have become evident, leading to major concerns over availability and overall quality. This has been exacerbated by late planting at the start of the year due to the cold and wet weather conditions.

Unfortunately, it has had a serious impact on several crops, in particular potato, which of course has led to an increase in market price, for potato based products, such as potato flake used for making potato scones, and fresh or frozen onions.

Sleaford Quality Foods has identified a solution to the shortage of fresh or frozen onions which may provides savings to bakers – dehydrated kibbled onion. 1kg or dehydrated kibbled onion can be rehydrated to yield approx. 4kg of chopped onion, which can be added to savouries in the same way as frozen onion. If you would like more information on this please contact Trish Fellowes trish.fellowes@sleafordqf.com Tel: 07789 004 246

The new mixes are robust and only require the addition of vegetable oil, glycerine and water for a light and airy plain or chocolate sponge that everyone can enjoy. The frostings are ready to use from the pail.

Macphie has invested significant resources in the development of the range, including an ethical approach to material sourcing.

Macphie has also welcomed new CEO Andy Stapley, who joined the company in November, taking over from Andy Underwood.

Scottish Bakers wishes him well in his new role and hope to welcome him to Bakers House soon.

The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

IAMB & BSB CONFERENCES Scottish Bakers President Ronnie, had a busy week in October with both the Irish Association of Master Bakers biennial conference and the British Society of Baking’s 64th Autumn Conference.

First stop was Ireland, at Druids Glen in Co.Wicklow for the IAMB conference. A highlight was meeting Martin Lundell who is CEO of the Association of Swedish Bakers and Confectioners. Ronnie has since featured in their magazine (see picture, however if anyone knows any Swedish and can translate, get in touch!!).

Congratulations to Gerald Cunningham, who was elected as President of the IAMB at the conference.

The Irish conference was closely followed by the BSB Autumn Conference, which took place at Heythrop Park Hotel in Oxfordshire. It was another well organised and informative event from the BSB and congratulations to Richard Hazeldine on being elected as chairman.

FORTIFYING FLOUR WITH FOLIC ACID: UK GOVERNMENT TO CONSULT Public Health Minister Steve Brine announced in October that the UK government will consult on the mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid to prevent fetal abnormalities.

The consultation will launch in early 2019 to consider the evidence around folic acid fortification as well as the practicality and safety.

Evidence from the Scientific Advisory Committee of Nutrition (SACN) suggests that expectant mothers can take folic acid during pregnancy to significantly reduce the risk of foetal abnormalities.

The consultation will also consider if there are any risks to other members of the general public. These include whether additional folic acid in the diet will mask the diagnosis of conditions such as pernicious anaemia, which is a deficiency in the production of red blood cell.

If any members would like to discuss this, please contact Alasdair Smith – alasdair@scottishbakers.org

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The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

PENINSULA 24-HOUR HEALTH & SAFETY ADVISORY SUPPORT In addition to support with HR and employment law challenges, Peninsula can also support Scottish Bakers members with health & safety questions and challenges. With Peninsula on your side, you can pick up the phone any time of the day or night thanks to our 24-hour advice line.

Our advice line is here to help you with any health & safety queries you may have as an employer. No matter how trivial or complicated you believe your question to be, Peninsula is here to provide instant answers. Included within your Scottish Bakers membership you have access to unlimited health & safety and food hygiene advisory 24-hour service.

Peninsula advisors Our team is handpicked, highly qualified specialists. Your query will be handled by the advisor who has the best knowledge and experience to answer your question.

Unlimited webinars Our programme of webinars health & safety webinars is available to Scottish Bakers members. You will receive regular e-mail updates with information regarding the webinar schedule.

Intelligent call routing We will identify the number you’re calling from to automatically direct you to the advisor you last spoke to.

The team will provide you with guidance on any H&S topics such as:

• What to do in the event of an accident and is it RIDDOR reportable?

• What should I include in my risk assessment?

• Do I have to provide safety footwear?

• We are looking at starting a new process, what should I consider?

• What do I need to include in staff inductions from a health & safety perspective?

• Do we need a driver policy for staff driving company cars / vans or their own vehicles?

Service level agreement We provide a 1-hour call back in the unlikely event that you cannot speak with your lead advisor immediately, and a 3-hour response time to your email queries.

Call our advice line 24/7 0844 892 2283 option 2 for H&S To access you need to be a bakery member of Scottish Bakers.

Quote the client code (available from Scottish Bakers) and let us know your business name to access support.

orth Ayrshire, wanted to modernise operations using tracking ftware to prevent avoidable food waste and save money. A The Scottish Baker and Scottish Government grant prevented food ee onsite audit aste and saved over £2,000 a year.

CASE STUDY For the Good of All

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esource Efficient Scotland initially assisted he bakery by conducting a site visit and ood waste audit; and then through the rovision of a Scottish Government grant BETTER DATA MEANS hich funded waste management MORE ‘DOUGH’ FOR oftware, staff training and generated dataBETH BROWNINGS BAKERY o measure waste and target Beth Brownings Bakery, a family run bakery based mprovements. in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, wanted to modernise

operations using tracking software to prevent avoidable food waste and save money. A free onsite esults include: audit and Scottish Government grant prevented food • Eliminating nearly a quarter of a a year. waste and saved the bakery over £2,000

• •

tonne of food waste per year Resource Efficient Scotland initially Reducing carbon emissions by over assisted the bakery by conducting a site visit and food waste audit; and 840 kilograms perthen year through the provision of a Scottish grant which funded waste Savings of £2,100,Government every year management software, staff training and generated data to measure waste and target improvements.

eth Brownings Bakery first heard about ur food waste prevention programme hrough the Scottish Results include:Bakers Association. It Eliminating a quarter of a tonne of food waste rovided •the idealnearly opportunity to reduce a per year • Reducing carbon emissions by over 840of kilograms ey business concern - the quantity foodper year • Savings of £2,100, every year aste being generated in the bakery.

Beth Brownings Bakery first heard about our food waste hey contacted us and arranged for a free prevention programme through Scottish Bakers. It provided the opportunity to reduce business concern - the quantity ood andideal drink waste audit.a key One of our food of food waste being generated in the bakery. aste specialists visited the site to speak They contacted us and arranged for a free food and drink waste audit. One of our food waste staff, specialists tour visited the site to speak ith management and the with management and staff, tour the facility to understand the acility processes to understand the processes involved, and observe the where, when, why, and how of food waste generation at the bakery. nvolved, and observe the where, when, hy, and how of food waste generation at he bakery. ood waste was generated in the form of nsold goods, which were not fresh enough o be sold two days in a row. The report rovided a range of practical ecommendations on how to prevent this ood waste from occurring.

Following the fact-finding audit, we compiled a detailed report for Beth Brownings Bakery. We put a figure on their food waste which was approximately 2,300 kg per year. Further, we identified that almost 40% of this food waste was generated in the form of unsold goods, which were not fresh enough to be sold two days in a row. The report provided a range of practical recommendations on how to prevent this food waste from occurring.

Following the fact-finding audit, we complied a detailed report for Beth Brownings Bakery. We One recommendation stood out as a starting point in the bakery’s waste reduction challenge.

Thiswaste was to utilise the sales putfood a figure on their food which wasdata to help the bakery better match production with expected sales. approximately per year.forFurther, Unsold goods are a2,300 key foodkg waste generator all bakeries we so it is important to reduce this waste stream because aside from the identified that almost 40% of this food waste cost of waste uplift, it’s also a waste of all the additional resources used to make them,in such as ingredients, watergoods, and energy. was generated the form oflabour, unsold which were not fresh enough to be sold two days in a row. The report provided a range of practical recommendations on how to prevent this food waste from occurring.

One recommendation stood out as a starting point in the bakery’s food waste reduction challenge. This was to utilise the sales data to help the bakery better match production with

The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

Before participating in the Resource Efficient Scotland programme, the bakery was operating with limited sales information due to dated Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) tills and a training gap with staff using the available software.

As a priority the business needed to upgrade its EPOS system and train staff, but as with other small independent bakeries, the main barrier to making changes was the cost associated with the upgrade and training. That’s where the Scottish Government grant funding came in handy.

We assisted the bakery in applying for the Waste Prevention Implementation Fund, which was supported by the audit report.

Funding of just over £3,000 afforded three new EPOS tills and a training session with the software manufacturer, to unlock its full potential.

The software uses information such as previous sales figures, the time taken for items to sell out, and the quantity of wastage.

Combining this data, the software provides a prediction of the number of items which should be produced, to optimise production and minimise unsold goods.

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The software will: • Produce waste reports for the shop and wholesale customers • Improve sales • Optimise raw material purchases

Barrie MacSween, Bakery Advisor at Beth Brownings Bakery had this to say: “The first step in tackling food waste is understanding it.

Unlocking the full potential of our technology onsite has helped us to do that”.

The modest investment will result in direct savings of £2,100 per year from better production, stock management and overall food waste prevention.

The new system also provides information to tackle other food waste issues, such as excess pie dough production. With the tracking software in place, exact quantities of waste dough are being logged and timely actions targeted.

The cost saving results have been immediately obvious. Less waste means more savings. Or as we like to say – less is more, especially when it comes to dough.

Get Involved

Do you want to reduce your food waste and save money?

Inspired by Beth Brownings Bakery success? Contact Resource Efficient Scotland for support for your business, on 0808 808 2268 or foodanddrink@resourceefficientscotland.org.uk

The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

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“I ONLY HAVE PIES FOR YOU” SAY THE JUDGES AT THE WORLD CHAMPION SCOTCH PIE AWARDS JUDGING DAY All ‘pies’ were on Dunfermline on the 14th November, as Scottish butchers and bakers lined up to deliver their premier pies into the hands of the judges of the 20th World Championship Scotch Pie Awards for a long day of product perusal – a day that saw them take a step closer to selecting the World Champion Scotch Pie.

The competition aims to highlight that bakers and butchers create high quality artisan pastry products. Recognising the “great and the good” in this way rewards excellence and raises the bar in the industry.

The winner will be announced at a prestigious luncheon on 15th January 2019 at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld.

“The Scotch Pie has long been an iconic product here in Scotland, with its roots in our industrial heartland as a manual workers daily fare and latterly its association with sport. However it was 20 years ago that the butcher and bakery sectors decided to get together and celebrate its provenance and so the World Scotch Pie Championships were born” said Alasdair Smith, Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers, which manages the competition on behalf of The World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. “And the competition has grown and grown. So, now in its 20th year, the competition does promise to be higher profile than ever before as we celebrate the peak of pie perfection with entries from far and wide.”

US entrant Kevin Haggard brought all of his family over to Scotland this year.

Pictured with Head Judge Ian Nelson

This fantastic competition sees butchers, bakers and other pie makers presented with the opportunity to become recognised as producing the highest quality savoury products around the globe with awards given to those producing the best products in each category. The winner of the Scotch Pie category will be declared as the WORLD CHAMPION. The judges with President Ronnie Miles and Chief Executive Alasdair Smith

The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

NORTHERN DANCE A fantastic evening was had by all at the Scottish Bakers Northern Dance in Aberdeen, on Saturday 17th November.

Unfortunately, President Ronnie Miles was unable to attend but his Vice President, Linda Hill, accompanied by husband Steve was delighted to represent him on the night - even with an eventful journey north, stranded with a flat tyre!

Following a three course meal, a raffle was held with some fantastic prizes. Thank you to all those who donated. After the raffle the dancing got underway to the sounds of local band Tumbling Dice.

Congratulations to Region 2 Chair, Pamela Chalmers and Secretary, Past President JG Ross and Cameron Ross on a very well organised event.

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The Scottish Baker Raising Champions within the Bakery Sector

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REGION 1 & 2 MEETINGS In September, President Ronnie Miles and CEO Alasdair Smith enjoyed a road trip to visit members across Regions 1 and 2. Their journey north up the A9 took them to Crieff where Iain and Ailsa Campbell welcomed them to their bakery and showed off some of their innovative Christmas products already in production.

Next stop was in Inverness where Paddy and Jane Murphy of Three Little Bakers spoke of their new bakery site and the refitting of their existing bakery and shop to include café facilities. We understand they’ve now got the keys and are working to get up and running.

After a brief call to Scottish Bakers Board member David Gow, the final stop of the day was in Forres where Lewis MacLean, of Maclean’s Highland Bakery, provided a tour of his bakehouse where again Christmas ranges were much in evidence.

Campbell’s Bakery

“Our members are the beating heart of Scottish Bakers, so getting around the country to visit their bakeries is always a pleasure,” commented Ronnie, “and it is wonderful to see and sample such a fantastic array of savouries and sweet treats baked fresh every day.”

The second leg of the tour took them to J. G. Ross in Inverurie, where George Ross hosted a meeting of around a dozen Region 2 members where, amongst other matters, planning for the Northern dance was progressed.

“Making sure our members feel they have a voice is an important part of our work,” said Alasdair, “so being able to attend these local meetings is an important way in which Scottish Bakers can reach out to its membership. It was a pleasure and privilege to join colleagues for this gathering.”

Ronnie and Alasdair aim to continue their tours to get around as many members as possible so please do let us know if you’d like to host a visit.

President Ronnie Miles, Patrick & Jane Murphy, Alasdair Smith

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Take out a 0% unsecured SME Loan from the Scottish Government to pay for upgrades and you’ll receive 15% cashback* - up to £10k.

Call 0808 808 2268 Email enquiries@resourceefficientscotland.com Visit www.resourceefficientscotland.com/SMEloan *Cashback for a limited time, while funds last, up to £10,000 per business, SMEs only.

Is that the real JG Ross?! President Ronnie poses with a life like cardboard cut out!

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The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

GILLESPIES CELEBRATE 150 YEARS OF BUSINESS 150 years ago, in 1868, the United States house of representatives voted to impeach president Andrew Johnston. Benjamin Disraeli was forced to resign as Prime Minister of the UK in the same year and a Glasgow baker, John Gillespie, travelled to Stranraer to visit his brother, who was headmaster of a local primary school.

He was so impressed with the potential of the town that he decided to relocate his business lock stock and barrel, from bustling Glasgow to sleepy Stranraer. So began 150 years of baking tradition in this South West corner of Scotland that was celebrated by around 70 family, friends and staff at a celebratory lunch in Port Patrick on Sunday 14 October 2018.

John Gillespie’s sons, Peter and Alexander, helped establish the business in King Street, Stranraer, where it is still located, and it quickly built a strong reputation for its bread and range of biscuits which were sold to locals as well as passengers and crew of the many boats docking at the local harbour.

Past Presidents Iain & Evelyn Gillespie cut their celebration cake

The first expansion came in 1898 with the opening of a tearoom in Hanover Street, where customers could enjoy a cup of tea and a scone for thruppence old money.

Further expansion in the area built the company’s fortunes and by the time Iain Gillespie, great grandson of the founder and current head of the business, took over in 1956 the business was an established feature of the local community.

Under the leadership of Iain and his wife Evelyn, who joined the business as a director in 1983, John Gillespie and Sons has maintained prize winning quality standards In the earlier years gold medals were awarded for their bread, and the company still secures accolades in the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards and the Scottish Baker of the Year competition.

Iain received the supreme accolade when he was elected President of Scottish Bakers for the year 1998/99. In 2003/2004 the same honour was bestowed on Evelyn when she became only the third female President in the then 114 years history of the association.

What’s more, they are, to date, the only husband and wife ever to have been elected to the presidential role to which they both made significant and successful contributions.

Chief Executive Alasdair Smith, his wife Louise, Evelyn and Iain Gillespie

The formula for the success over the past 150 years has been simple but consistent: an ethos of hard work, efficiency, excellent staff, good customer relations and complete dedication to quality ingredients and standards.

All of us here at Scottish Bakers from current President, Ronnie Miles, Vice President Linda Hill, the board and staff send our congratulations on reaching this milestone.

The Gillespie family with all of their guests who joined the celebration

The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

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MEMBER NEWS

LIVERYMAN MCPHIE

INCORPORATION OF GLASGOW BAKERS CHOOSING DINNER

Craig McPhie pictured after being made a Liveryman

The Choosing Dinner took place on 25th October, and a great evening was had by all who attended; a fantastic amount of over £1,500 was raised for the Deacon’s chosen charity which was St Andrew’s First Aid. National Food & Drink Training’s Senior Advisor, Jim McCormack, took the Oath of Membership and signed the Long Roll as part of the evenings events. Congratulations Jim! Training & Quality Manager, Scott Anderson will continue his role as Collector.

As previously reported, Past President Craig McPhie was recently honoured as Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Bakers, in London. We caught up with him to find out more about what this means to him.

“I’ve been baking since I was old enough to stand on top of an old milk crate and reach the counter,” he explained, “so this recognition from my peers of the life I’ve dedicated to the baking trade really is the ultimate honour.”

The Bakers Livery Company is the second oldest of around 50 trades guilds in London, and Craig’s new status gives him a formal license to set up shop in London should he choose to do so. As a Liveryman, he also has the right to vote for the new Lord Mayor of London though this must be done in person at Mansion House where Royalty and Presidents alike have made major speeches over the years.

Even now, Craig explains he sometimes can’t believe it.

“You can only become a Liveryman by invitation, and there’s a nerve-wracking process of selection whereby a formal court assesses your suitability; it’s all very formal.”

Regardless of the rigours of the process, Craig is clearly thrilled at his new-found status and wryly comments, “I’m the second member of my family to be recognised within the halls of Mansion House; one of my ancestors, Sir Andrew Lusk, was Lord Mayor in 1873/74 and his bust is displayed in the building.”

SUGAR & SPICE CALENDAR GIRL Claire Devlin of Sugar & Spice in Auchterarder has created a fundraising calendar akin to the famous Calendar Girls idea.

Claire has endured two jaw replacement surgeries which unfortunately both became infected and she spent a month in the hospital last year. Claire said: “The oral and maxillofacial department at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy led by my consultant Vicki Cook have been nothing short of incredible and have always gone above and beyond. I wanted to give something back and help other patients. I could not do anything dangerous as the risk of damaging my joint would be counterproductive, so my friend came up with the calendar idea.”

In less than a week the calendar had already raised over £1000. We hope the calendar sales continue to do well and that Claire is well on her way to a full recovery.

The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

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SCOTTISH BAKERS

CENTENARY CLUB REPORT ON THE CENTENARY CLUB VISIT TO THE CITY OF GLASGOW COLLEGE Members of the Centenary Club visited the City of Glasgow College in November. The visit was organised by Jim Brown and Amanda (Mandy) Davis, Curriculum Head, Bakery & Sugarcraft. Mandy met us on arrival and took us to the Construction Department and we were shown around by Workshop Manager William Rodgers.

This department is separated into workshops for a wide range of trades, being laid out to represent real life situations. Bricklayers can erect walls, painters can paint walls, skirtings, etc, decorators can paper walls and tilers can tile bathrooms, right up to the installation of central heating, electrical wiring and a host of other trades. It was great to witness the enthusiasm and pride from the tutors we met during our visit.

One of the teaching bakeries, with Mandy Davis in the centre.

After the construction department it was on to the bakery department. The Cake Decorating room was first port of call and although there were no students in on the day of the visit, we were able to see some of the students’ excellent finished and partly finished cake decorating work.

We then moved to the main teaching bakery, which is excellently furnished with up-to-date bakery equipment. There we met bakery lecturers Jason and Lisa Ross.

Jason discussed the courses the department runs, which are all fully subscribed, and the range of students they teach. Jason finds himself advising some students not to be over ambitious in wanting to open their own bakery as soon as they finish their course but to get some experience in a commercial bakery first.

After posing many questions we headed for lunch at the College’s Scholars’ Restaurant, run by cookery and catering students and lecturers. The lunch was excellent value for money and very enjoyable. It is open to the public and we would certainly recommend it.

Bakery lecturers Jason and Lisa Ross.

The visit encouraged some fantastic discussions over lunch. So much so, we plan to organise another visit in the new year.

From left: Jim Brown, David Briggs, George Stevenson; Robert Ross, Mandy Davis, George Wallace, Dennis Brown, Bob Chisholm & Andrew Chisholm.

The Scottish Baker Raising Champions within the Bakery Sector

40 GROUP VISITS FLEMING HOWDEN FOR SOME SPOOKY IDEAS Murray Barnett, Chair of the 40 Group, organised a late September trip to visit Fleming Howden in Edinburgh, to get some creepy ideas for some ghoulishly delicious treats for Halloween from baker Ian Nelson.

Recently acquired by AB MAURI, a global division of Associated British Foods Plc, Fleming Howden is dedicated to delivering the perfect mix of bakery ingredients and yeast products throughout Scotland and beyond.

Around 15 Scottish Bakers members took time out to hear about the business and enjoy a tour of Fleming Howden’s facilities at Newbridge. Ian had prepared a range of blood-curdling bakes to show what can be possible with little additional effort: “Everything we had on display was made from our own products, and from other standard supplies that most bakers will have easy access to. I really wanted to show how easy it is to re-purpose your existing products with some simple decorating techniques. Being seasonal doesn’t need to mean extra expense!”

Scottish Bakers CEO, Alasdair Smith, even tried his hand at piping a giant spider onto a cupcake which went just about as well as could be expected.

40 GROUP VISIT TO ANDREW INGREDIENTS: POSTPONED The 40 Group took the decision to reschedule the proposed visit to Andrew Ingredients in Ireland for early 2019. It became clear that the forthcoming Christmas season was already limiting many of our members’ ability to commit to spending three days away from their bakeries and so it was agreed that early Spring would ensure a bigger uptake of this fantastic opportunity.

Final dates have yet to be identified so watch out for more information as details are confirmed in due course.

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The Scottish Baker For the Good of All

NATIONAL FOOD & DRINK TRAINING CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RECENT TRAINING CANDIDATES ON GAINING THEIR QUALIFICATIONS! Northern Ireland

Proficiency in Baking Industry Skills Level 3 French Village Bakery: Lisa Crosby with her supervisor Charlie

Proficiency in Baking Industry Skills Level 2 French Village Bakery: Reece Caldwell with General Manager Gareth Ferguson

Proficiency in Baking Industry Skills Level 2 & 3 Linwoods: Dermot O’Hanlon (centre) wih Supervisor Sean Morgan Proficiency in Baking Industry Skills Level 2 & 3 Rosehip: Laura McKeown (right) with Supervisor Shirlie Henning

Scotland

Food Manufacturing Excellence Level 3 Linwoods: Sean Morgan (left) & Chris Crowe picture with NFDT Training Advisor Emmanuel McCann

Joe O’Connor

WELCOME BACK JOE!

Distribution Skills Level 2

Production & Processing Level 2

Real Food Source: Julie Callard (nee Twivey) with NFDT Training Advisor Graeme Ayton

Real Food Source: Rheanne Stirling with NFDT Training Advisor Graeme Ayton

NFDT and Scottish Bakers are delighted to welcome back Joe O’Connor. Joe is an experienced training advisor having joined Scottish Bakers in 2012. After a short time away perfecting his bakery knowledge and skills he re-joined us in November. We hope his second stint with us is as happy and productive as the first!

EVENTS 2018/19 EVENT

DATE

VENUE

Scottish Bakers AGM

4th December 2018

Bakers House, Dunfermline

World Championship Scotch Pie Awards Lunch

15th January 2019

The Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld

Regional Members Meeting

12th February 2019

Macphie, Glenbervie

Scottish Bakers Glasgow Dance

23rd February 2019

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow

British Pie Week 2019

4th – 10th March 2019

Scottish Baker of the Year Official Launch

6th March 2019

Scottish Baker of the Year Customer Voting Period

6th March – 20th March 2019

Scottish Baker of the Year Product Judging

17th April 2019

Scottish Baker of the Year Business Entry Closing Date

3rd May 2019

National Doughnut Week

11th – 18th May 2019

National Biscuit Day

29th May 2019

Scottish Bakers Annual Conference & Awards

7th – 8th June 2019

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow

Craft Bakers Association Presidential Election Dinner

19th October 2019

The Royal Armouries Exhibition Centre, Leeds

Craft Bakers & Butchers Extravaganza

20th October 2019

The Royal Armouries Exhibition Centre, Leeds

Brownings the Bakers, Kilmarnock

Carnegie Conference Centre

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from us all at Scottish Bakers

SCOTTISH BAKERS BAKERS HOUSE, UNIT 2 HALBEATH INTERCHANGE BUSINESS PARK, KINGSEAT ROAD, HALBEATH, DUNFERMLINE, KY11 8RY TEL 01383 661555 WWW.SCOTTISHBAKERS.ORG