Scottish Bakers Newsletter December 2019

THE SCOTTISH BAKER December 2019

In this issue: - Outlander star joins Pie Awards judging team - Fisher & Donaldson celebrates centenary - National Food & Drink Training Case Studies

Featuring: - ÂŁ125K Scottish Bakers Grant Scheme Announced - Scottish Baker of the Year - Annual Conference Round Up

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

WELCOME

RONNIE MILES

ALASDAIR SMITH

President

Welcome to this latest edition of The Scottish Baker.

The weeks since the last edition seem to have flown by, and it barely seems possible that we are approaching Christmas and the end of another busy year.

In October, I travelled with Alasdair to Oxfordshire to attend the British Society of Baking AGM, Dinner and Conference. This is always an enjoyable occasion and I was delighted to meet once again CBA President, Colin Lomax and Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers, Paul Morrow. The business programme was both challenging and engaging.

The same week saw us move from Oxfordshire to Yorkshire to attend the CBA AGM, Conference and Dinner at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Again, we met many old friends of Scottish Bakers and enjoyed a splendid evening of entertainment. There’s a full write-up of both these events in the pages that follow.

I was delighted to attend the Northern Dance in November. It was a real pleasure to see Scottish Bakers Board Member, Gary Reid (Reid’s of Caithness) take over the role of Regional Chair from Fraser Gow. It was a wonderful evening of good company, lovely food and fantastic entertainment from local band Torridon.

The following week I was honoured to be invited to the Irish Bakers Benevolent Ball in Dublin. Our ties with the Irish bakery trade are well established and it was fantastic to meet and talk to so many colleagues from across that Emerald Isle.

I joined the Bakers House team at the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards judging day.

I watched in amazement as trays of delicious looking products were delivered from across the country.

The awards luncheon is on Tuesday 14th January 2020, at the Westerwood in Cumbernauld, and bookings for this are now being taken through our website.

Wishing you all a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

CEO

This edition of The Scottish Baker will be landing on your doorsteps at what must surely be the busiest time of the year for our members, but I hope you are able to spare some time to have a read.

CONTENTS

In October, I was delighted to be asked by the BSB to chair the afternoon sessions of their conference in Oxfordshire. A full conference round-up is featured later in this edition alongside details of the CBA conference held in Leeds.

Allergens 07

Our own Scottish Bakers Northern Dance was also a great event, and I was delighted to attend this for the first time since joining the association. Local band, Torridon, ensured there were plenty of good dancing tunes to sweep us into the small hours of Sunday morning. It was also an enormous privilege to join President Ronnie Miles and his wife, Amy at the Irish Benevolent Ball. Like our own Scottish Bakers Benevolent Fund, the Irish Bakers Benevolent Fund steps in to help members of our trade in need of support.

Back at Bakers House we’ve been busy preparing for the World Championship Scotch Pie Awards. The new competition branding and website has been well received and I’m delighted to report a bumper field of competitors this year. We were delighted too, that online entries were up by a factor of three this year. Online applications are quicker and easier for our members to do and make the administration of the entries much easier for our team too.

The Scottish Bakers Capital Grant Scheme is now closed. I’m delighted to confirm 33 applications met the fund criteria and we approved grants totalling nearly £140,000 with a total project value of around £400,000.

We are grateful to the Scottish Government for providing additional funds to meet this extra demand. Grants are already being issued to applicants who have completed their projects and I’ve enjoyed meeting and talking to some of the successful applicants.

I trust that the festive season will keep all members busy but that you will all enjoy some quality time with your families and loved ones at Christmas and over the New Year.

Seasons greetings.

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Baking Trends: Veganism

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Autumn Industry Events Round Up

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Northern Dance 08 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards Judging

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Scottish Baker of the Year – Changes are Coming!

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Fisher & Donaldson Celebrates Centenary

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Centenary Club Visit to Scone Palace

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National Food & Drink Training: Case Studies 14

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

PURATOS

PURATOS UK CONTINUES TO ADD TO VEGAN RANGE Veganism is one bakery trend that is set to continue to grow and is now considered beyond a trend by many. Puratos UK’s 2019 Taste Tomorrow consumer study* shows that 20% of people buy vegan or vegetarian food on a weekly basis and 24% expect to buy more in the future.

To keep pace with the growing demand, Puratos UK has continued to add to its suitable for vegan range. Believing that following a vegan diet shouldn’t mean compromising on great taste and texture and that all customers should expect to enjoy the same delicious patisserie and bakery products, Puratos UK works hard to ensure that each new vegan launch delivers on taste, health and freshness, just as every other Puratos UK product does.

Recently, Puratos UK introduced two new Satin Vegan Cake Mixes, available in chocolate and plain flavours, to complement the existing iconic Satin range. Puratos UK has also launched a new vegan Scone Mix this year and a new vegan Granola Mix. The suitable for vegan range also includes Ambiante; a non-dairy cream with excellent stability and Cremfil Vanilla; a non-dairy custard style filling which can complement cakes and desserts. Puratos also offers a choice of specialty fats, suitable for creating vegan croissants and Danish pastries with the same texture as all-butter versions.

The Puratos UK fruit fillings are all naturally vegan and available in a wide range of delicious flavours.

Lee Burnside, Puratos UK Bakery and Artisan Sales Director, says; “Our ever-expanding vegan range enables bakers to tap into the growing trend for a plant based diet, with the same great taste, texture and quality, that our customers expect from Puratos.

Allowing bakers to create delicious patisserie; from cakes and scones, to croissants and Danish pastries, that are sure to delight both vegan and non-vegan customers alike.”

Taste Tomorrow is the world’s largest bakery, patisserie and chocolate consumer survey, carried out by international baking, patisserie and chocolate ingredients business Puratos.

Puratos worked with Ipsos, one of the largest global market research agencies in the world to create the report.

ABOUT PURATOS UK Puratos UK is part of a global baking, patisserie and chocolate ingredients business with close to 100 years of rich and varied knowledge. Servicing artisan bakers, food industry, retailers (private label) and high end foodservice businesses both in the UK and internationally, the business works with partners across 68 countries. Puratos UK offers a full range of innovative products and application expertise in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors.

Puratos UK uses technologies and experiences from food cultures around the world, offering creativity and new ideas through its highly regarded UK Innovation Centre, just one of 81 Innovation Centres that Puratos has globally.

This allows it to be a reliable partner in innovation for its customers, in turn enabling them to deliver nutritious, tasty food.

Puratos believe in offering ethics, quality, passion, courage and innovation throughout its business and products.

MORE INFORMATION Sales queries: e: info_uk@puratos.com t: 01280 822860 www.puratos.co.uk www.tastetomorrow.com Facebook: @Puratos.UK Twitter: @PuratosUK Instagram: @Puratos_UK

*Taste Tomorrow 2019, A Foodstep into the Future

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

AUTUMN CONFERENCE ROUND UP

AUTUMN CONFERENCE SEASON

British Society of Baking & Craft Bakers Association October was conference season for the British Society of Baking (BSB) and the Craft Bakers Association (CBA), and our President, Ronnie Miles, and Chief Executive, Alasdair Smith, were honoured to attend both events.

The BSB Conference began with its AGM and conference dinner on Wednesday 16 October. Richard Hazeldine, BSB Chairman, presided and CBA President Colin Lomax, and Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers, Paul Morrow, added their own welcome to the evening.

Branding St Pierre Group Thursday’s Conference programme presented an interesting and diverse range of speakers.

In the morning, hosted by Stanley Cauvain of BakeTran, Paul Baker, founder and owner of St. Pierre Group told the conference how he carried out a multi-million pound rebrand of his business from Carrs Foods. Key lessons in branding include: - Know your consumer - Get your packaging, PR and partners right - Think big, but act small - Be bold and brave - Get s**t done Market Insights Dominic Allport, Insights Director of the NPD Group, came next to analyse current consumer behaviour, what is driving it, and highlight opportunities for growth within bakery and other food-to-go categories.

- Growth in “out of home” consumption is generally slowing, but bakery goods are bucking the trend driven by 20% more breakfast visits.

- Healthier and lighter options are in greater demand - 1 in 3 bakery visits is related to some kind of deal or offer - Consumers are also responding well to technology driven improvements in customer service such as online ordering, instore terminals and contactless payment.

- Sandwiches and wraps were the top savoury products during the year - Cake and croissants/Danish pastries lead the field in sweet treats (though cookies were the fastest growing).

Louise Smith, Amy Miles, Keith Houliston, Ronnie Miles, Matthew Bingham and Alasdair Smith

DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE Scan the QR code to visit the BSB Conference page and download full presentation slides.

New Vice Chairman Mark Young with Richard Hazeldine

These are valuable insights for Scottish Bakers members, and we’d love to hear your own experiences and thoughts on how these insights could support growth in your business.

Session Chairman Alasdair Smith opens the afternoon sessions two

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

AUTUMN CONFERENCE ROUND EVENTS UP

Supermarket Sweep Ian Cummings, Head of Bakery at Asda, spoke to the delegates about what lies behind the success of its in-store bakery offering which led to them winning the prestigious title of 2018 BIA Supermarket Bakery Business of the Year.

He summarised their approach in one powerful sentence, “‘Freshness, consistent quality & availability throughout the trading day” – a sentiment our members will understand. In delivering on this promise they focus consistently on: - Understanding their customers - Investing in their bakeries & colleagues - Constant innovation - Strong supplier partnerships Health and obesity The pre-lunch slot was delivered by Samantha Montel, Registered Public Health Nutritionist, Team Lead, Out of Home, Public Health England (PHE). Samantha gave an overview of the government’s approach to obesity. This included an update on its reduction and product reformulation programme, which is designed to make food products healthier by reducing sugar, salt and calories.

There is clearly a problem with obesity – 64% of adults and 30% of children in England were overweight or obese in 2017 – but the government has reported mixed results in tackling the issue.

CRAFT BAKERS ASSOCIATION

AGM, Conference and Gala Dinner The CBA AGM, Conference and dinner took place at the Royal Armoury in Leeds on Saturday 19th October. Ronnie and Alasdair were present throughout, along with England Training Adviser, Louise West, representing Scottish Bakers.

It was a wonderful opportunity to meet old friends from across the trade in England and to chat to the many supplier partners in attendance at the exhibition. Great friend of Scottish Bakers, Ger Cunningham, from

A target of 20% reduction in sugar by 2020 was set and progress has been mixed across the different product categories, with overall reduction between 2015 and 2018 averaging just 2.9%.

Green-appeal and sustainability is the other major theme he believes will be important in supporting and targeting growth opportunities.

64% of US and UK consumers expect companies to invest in sustainability in some way.

This is an emotive and important issue that requires a considered response.

Wheat Harvest, Brexit and the UK Diet

Scottish Bakers in the Chair Scottish Bakers Chief Executive, Alasdair Smith, stepped in to chair the afternoon sessions from International Taste Solutions MD, Mike Bagshaw, and Alex Waugh, Director General, National Association of British and Irish Millers (NABIM).

A Decade of Deliciousness Owner and founder of thriving flavours business ITS, Mike Bagshaw revealed how the business went from kitchen table to full-scale global trading in just 10 years.

Mike’s key message was that the business is supported by its people; look after the team and the business will be rewarded.

He also provided some of his own insights into future trends. Unsurprisingly, health continues to be a major theme for consumers with veganism set to soar by over 300% in 2019. Dairy and meat substitutes will have an important part to play in product development to satisfy this market.

Alex Waugh brought proceedings to a close firstly with his overview of the wheat harvest and market.

- 2019/20 UK wheat quality broadly acceptable and supply good - UK expected to have a significant wheat surplus - Quality less good than initial figures suggest, owing to delays in harvest.

More variability becoming apparent as later crops delivered - Mycotoxin load low - Global wheat surplus, capping international prices - Some market disruption from Brexit Speaking of Brexit, uncertainty continues to be the major factor, but he did highlight that whatever the outcome of any deal exports to the EU were likely to become more difficult, and tariffs and regulation would be a challenge.

Finally, Alex presented a fascinating graph that showed while bread consumption fell, obesity levels grew.

Ireland was also in attendance and it was a pleasure to spend time in his company.

The day-time delegates were also treated to a keynote address from motivational speaker Nigel Risner. Nigel isn’t just a motivational speaker – he is a company turnaround specialist driving everyone from CEOs to school children to ignite excitement and action in their life.

For more than 20 years, Nigel has been sharing his techniques and tools to break through the boundaries we put up around us. His IMPACT code had us questioning our past motivations, considering our present, and creating our future, ensuring that we all make an IMPACT! The Gala Dinner took everyone back to days of old when knights were bold with a fantastic display of medieval armour-clad

Louise and Alasdair

swordsmanship during the drinks reception.

Dinner was delicious and following the formal investiture of incoming president Heather Fuller and Neil Woods on becoming President Elect 2021 the assembled crowd danced til carriages arrived.

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

AUTUMN CONFERENCE ROUND UP

MASTER OF THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BAKERS ELECTION DINNER President Ronnie Miles was a guest of the Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers Election Dinner held at Mansion House in the City of London on 25 November.

The dinner marked the occasion of the passing on of the title from outgoing Master Paul Morrow to new Master, Christopher Freeman.

Ronnie was accompanied to London by his Colleague, David Bell, Logistics Director at Bells Food Group and Scottish Bakers CEO, Alasdair Smith. Also in attendance from Scotland were: André and Rona Sarafilovic; Alan, Keith and Mark Stuart; and Mark and Stephanie Irons-Young.

IRISH BAKERS BENEVOLENT BALL

Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin President Ronnie Miles and his wife Amy travelled to Dublin with Scottish Bakers CEO Alasdair and his wife Louise to join our Irish friends and colleagues for their benevolent ball. Held in Dublin’s prestigious Shelbourne Hotel, this is the biggest industry gathering on the island.

It was a great pleasure to represent Scottish Bakers in such illustrious company from Ireland and the rest of the UK and in addition to wonderful hospitality and entertainment, the event raised over €10,000 for their Benevolent Fund.

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IT WAS A GREAT PLEASURE TO REPRESENT SCOTTISH BAKERS IN SUCH ILLUSTRIOUS COMPANY FROM IRELAND AND THE REST OF THE UK...”

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

ALLERGENS

ALLERGEN LABELLING CHANGES Members Workshop held at Bakers House Around 20 Scottish Bakers members attended an Allergens Labelling refresher workshop on 28 November, at Bakers House. Presented by Fraser Tait, of Food Tech Systems, attendees were reminded of the current regulations, and provided with an overview of the future direction these rules – specifically relating to foods pre-packed for direct sale – are likely to take following recent consultation on changes.

Pre-Packed for Direct Sale

Consultation & Future Legislative Changes

Foods pre-packed for direct sale are foods prepared on the same premises as they are being sold. For these products, the customer can ask the person who packed the product about allergenic ingredients.

The changes, due to come into effect in 2021, follow the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse in 2016. Natasha suffered a severe allergic reaction to undeclared sesame contained in a Prêt-a-Manger “artisan baguette” and died as a result of anaphylactic shock.

Loose Foods

The change is likely to introduce full ingredients and allergen labelling on all foods pre-packed for direct sale. However, at this time we do not have any further details on how this will be defined, including how to define applicable packaging and whether there will be any exemptions. FSS is aware that this is an important area to clarify before drafting the legislation. Members can be assured Scottish Bakers is working closely with FSS and as further details emerge, we will circulate this to all members.

Scottish Bakers is working with Food Standards Scotland (FSS) to help inform the new legislation regarding labelling for foods pre-packed for direct sale so that the needs of our members can be considered so that its introduction is as straightforward as possible.

The current regulations are outlined in brief below.

Pre-Packed Foods Pre-packed refers to any food put into packaging before being placed on sale.

Food is pre-packed when it: - is either fully or partly enclosed by the packaging - cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging - is ready for sale

This does not include food products made for sale at retail outlets in other locations and which already must feature full labelling.

Loose foods include everything that is not pre-packed. Foods which are wrapped on the same site as they are sold are also known as loose foods. If you provide loose foods, you will have to supply information for every item on the menu that contains any of the 14 allergens.

Rules for declaring allergens in loose foods: - provide information about the allergens used in these foods - allergen information should be available in writing or by speaking to staff - logos or symbols can be used when accompanied by words and numbers on menus For loose foods allergen information must be: - easily accessible to all consumers - accurate, consistent and verifiable

The new legislation is currently planned to be sent out for consultation in Scotland in the spring of 2020, with draft legislation following that process. Subject to any further changes through that process, the legislation will come into effect in the Autumn of 2021.

Get Advice This article can only scratch the surface of this important issue, and Scottish Bakers would always advise seeking expert help if you are in any doubt at all about whether you are compliant with all legislation and good practice.

There is a resource page on the members section of Scottish Bakers website that we will add to as further details are confirmed and emerge.

Pre-packed foods require Allergens (all 14) must be declared & clearly distinguished by using a font, style or colour which ensures they are easily distinguished.

Information should be indelible (permanent) where appropriate, for example on food labels where it needs to withstand handling.

The information should not be hidden, obscured, detracted from or interrupted by other written or pictorial matter or any other intervening material.

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

EVENTS

SCOTTISH BAKERS NORTHERN DANCE Another great night at The Kingsmills Hotel On the 9th November newly installed Region 1 Chairman Gary Reid welcomed bakers and allied trades to Inverness for the annual Northern Dance.

President Ronnie Miles and his wife Amy, Vice President Linda Hill and husband Steve and Chief Executive Alasdair Smith and his wife Louise all made the journey north for another enjoyable evening.

Back by popular demand were local band Torridon who had everyone up on the dancefloor. Thank you to all those who supported the event with their attendance and for the generous raffle donations. A fantastic ÂŁ1060 was raised for the Scottish Bakers Benevolent Fund. Thanks also to the reigning Scottish Baker of the Year, Harry Gow Bakery for generously supplying the dinner rolls.

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

21 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCOTCH PIE AWARDS ST

21 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCOTCH PIE AWARDS JUDGING DAY ST

Over 75 professional pie makers lined up to deliver their perfect products into the hands of the judges of the 21st World Championship Scotch Pie Awards for a long day of product judging on 20th November.

Entries were judged in 11 categories including Football Pies & Savouries, Macaroni Pie, Steak Pie, Sausage Roll, Cold Savoury, Hot Savoury, Vegetarian Savoury, Haggis Savoury, Bridie and Apple Pie with the ultimate accolade going to the best Scotch Pie in the world.

Guest judge, Outlander star and columnist for scotlandcorrespondent.com Scott Kyle said, “wow, I love a pie but to be surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of pies, savouries and bridies blew me away! I was a little worried about taste testing them all, but I got on just fine and I cannot wait for the winners of each category to be revealed.”

Also guest judging on the day was Ronny Davies who entered a competition to win a spot on the judging panel. Ronny is Sports Editor at Pulse 98.4 Community Radio and he is also a Director of the station.

“I am always travelling to football matches and encountering many pies, good and bad, said Ronny who knows the importance of a good pie at football matches as well as in the home. “The pie can transform a day at the match and any meal.”

As well as his Sports duties, Ronny hosts a music show every Tuesday on Pulse 98.4 at 10am. Ronny grew up in a home where food was important, his father is a chef and his great grandfather was a baker so pastry was not just something to hold in the filling to him.

“There are a few metaphors regards pies and life but in the end we all want a solid but light construction good, tasty filling and avoid a soggy bottom.”

The winner will be announced at a prestigious luncheon on 14th January 2020 at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld.

“Today we judged over 450 entries in the 21st World Scotch Pie Championships, a huge milestone for such an iconic Scottish product,” said Alasdair Smith, Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers which manages the competition.

THERE ARE A FEW METAPHORS REGARDS PIES AND LIFE BUT IN THE END WE ALL WANT A SOLID BUT LIGHT CONSTRUCTION, GOOD TASTY FILLING AND AVOID A SOGGY BOTTOM.” “And today has shown me once again that all the pie makers from Scotland and further afield who have taken the time to enter have once again excelled in the quality, innovation and passion they put into the products they produce for consumers every day. I would like to thank everyone who entered and I wish them ever success in the competition.”

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

EVENTS

GLASGOW PRESIDENTIAL DANCE It’s all change for the 2020 Glasgow Presidential Dance.

Scottish Bakers is excited to be taking this fantastic event to a new venue and we will have a new host too – Edward Reid!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

OUR NEW HOST EDWARD REID!

Our President Ronnie Miles is delighted to invite you to the last Glasgow Presidential Dance in his honour, as his time as Scottish Bakers President nears its end. Join him for an evening of fun, dancing, great food and company!

GLASGOW PRESIDENTIAL DANCE DATE: VENUE:

Saturday 22nd February 2020 Grand Central Hotel, Gordon Street, Glasgow

HOST: Edward Reid TIME: 6.00pm until late INCLUDES: 3 course Dinner, Charity Raffle & Auction, DJ TICKETS: £75 +VAT per person ACCOMMODATION: Scottish Bakers has an allocation of hotel bedrooms available to book up until Friday 10th January 2020. £145/£155 B&B Single/ Double Occupancy.

Please contact the hotel directly to book on 0141 240 3700 (Select Option 1 then 1).

Thereafter online discount code FUN 15% is available for the Fully Flexible Bed & Breakfast rate subject to availability.

EVENT PARTNER

BUY TICKETS NOW AT: WWW.SCOTTISHBAKERS.ORG

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

SCOTTISH BAKER OF THE YEAR 2020

SCOTTISH BAKER OF THE YEAR 2020: RINGING THE CHANGES The Scottish Baker of the Year awards have become a key feature of our Scottish Bakers calendar. It is an important part of our Annual Conference weekend and secures a significant level of media coverage for our winners and the wonderful products they deliver every day.

Following extensive feedback, consultation and discussion we’ve made some important changes to the process that we think will keep the competition fresh, open it up to more of our members and enhance the value of individual awards.

Free to Enter We’ve maintained the principle of “free to enter” for the Scottish Baker of the Year as a core member benefit. We of course will welcome non-members but will charge an entry fee of £195 (+vat) to take part (except in the business awards which is exclusively for members) … or of course they could simply sign up as members, participate for free and enjoy all the other benefits that come with membership.

My favourite baker is…

We have simplified the customer vote for 2020 and will be asking the buying public to vote only for their favourite baker. We are building a new and easy-to-use online voting system so that our members can direct their customers to their voting page through social-media links. We’d love to see all our members getting more engaged and creative with social media as it’s a great way to reach new customers and create conversations; we hope this will stimulate more members to get online.

We’ll also issue every member with a unique “QR code” they can print and display in store to enable customers to scan and vote instantly: most modern smart phones do this automatically from their built-in cameras. Try it by scanning this code with your smartphone’s camera – this code takes you directly to our member log-in page.

SCAN ME

And for those who are less comfortable online, we will provide traditional paper voting forms to collate and return to us, though we encourage all members to explore social media options for engaging with their customers. From these voting returns we will identify a “People’s Choice” winner in each of the four main categories: - Craft Bakery - Retail Craft Bakery - Bakery Café - Wholesale Bakery Up to three finalists per category, with one winner per category, will be awarded – ie delivering maximum 12 Finalists in total with four of them identified as winners.

These will be awarded on the Friday night of the conference after the regional product awards.

Product Judging and Categories Every entrant will be able to submit up to 10 products of their choosing, spread across the various categories as they please. There are two new categories for 2020 and we have also decided to split bread into traditional and sourdough sub-categories. The categories in full are: - Biscuit - Bread: traditional and sourdough - Individual Cake - Morning Roll (incl. Special: Buttery) - Savoury - Scone (incl. Special: Potato Scone) - Celebration Cake - NEW: Viennoiserie (ie French/Danish style pastries) - NEW: Free-from Entry will be through an easy-to-use online form, and judging will take place as before under the expert watchful eye of Head Judge, Robert Ross. He will preside over a wide range of judges from across the trade and beyond scrutinising the huge range of products presented on the day.

Scottish Bakers members choosing to not put any products forward would be made very welcome as judges: please contact us for more information.

Business Awards We are broadening the scope of information required as part of the business awards process for 2020 so that these appeal to a wider cross-section of our membership.

Previously we focused mainly on development, innovation and growth, but we’ve had useful feedback to ask that we consider other aspects of business such as product quality, customer engagement and communications.

We are not changing the categories and will still select our ultimate Scottish Baker of the Year from the finalists at this stage.

Awards Nights We know our members really value their awards whatever the level, and so maintaining their value and integrity is essential. Winners are rightly proud to display their certificates and trophies in their premises.

Feedback from members over the last two years suggests we’ve got the overall volume of awards about right – and so we don’t want to risk upsetting that balance on either the Friday or Saturday night.

However, with the additional categories to accommodate, we are limiting awards, in general, to one winner each in Bronze, Silver and Gold: Gold is now the top prize, badged as Gold Best in Region/Best in Scotland.

This would keep us within the limits of the awards previously issued across both nights (and will allow us room to award more than one winner in some categories ONLY if the judges felt strongly this was merited).

We believe this revised structure will also help us maintain a stronger pace during the awards ceremonies.

Great Coverage As always, we’ll be supporting winners with dedicated PR support, tailored to each winner’s needs.

Watch out for news of the launch of the 2020 Awards early in the New Year and for how to enter the competition.

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

MEMBER NEWS

100 YEARS, ONE FAMILY, FIVE GENERATIONS, SEVEN SHOPS, A ROYAL WARRANT AND MILLIONS OF FUDGE DOUGHNUTS...

Scottish Bakery Celebrates its Centenary

Baking in Fife, since 1919, Fisher & Donaldson is a Royal Warrant-holding institution.

Known for its traditional baking, most notably the ‘world famous’ fudge doughnut, the bakery’s delights are handmade in Fife and enjoyed by people from all over the world.

Now in its fifth generation, Fisher & Donaldson has been in the Milne family since it began in 1919. Taking its name from Willie Fisher and Davie Donaldson, the brothers-inlaw returned to Cupar from World War I looking to launch a venture of their own, buying a small premises on the Burnside in Cupar, Fife, just around the corner from where the business remains still.

Fisher’s nephew Alexander Milne assisted in the bakery for a number of its first years, before leaving to gain experience at other bakeries, returning in 1942 and buying the business from his uncle.

1965 saw Alexander’s only son, Grant Milne, take full ownership of the firm, after he expanded it into St Andrews and Dundee.

Grant and his wife Audrey had five sons, two of which, Sandy and Eric, joined the business in 1975, four years before the company’s 60th anniversary.

Eric’s eldest son Ben began working at the bakery aged just 10, and he has since gone on to manage the company with his father and uncle, overseeing further expansion and the awarding of a Royal Warrant in 2011. The family business currently has seven shops and cafes in St.Andrews, Cupar and Dundee, and 2019 sees the family celebrate the bakery’s centenary.

Business owners Sandy and Eric Milne said, “It is an honour to be at the helm as our family celebrates 100 years in business. We have always prided ourselves on the quality of our products and believe that the reason we are still a success a century down the line is down to our authentic traditional baking.

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All of our products are made in Fife, by hand, and we feel strongly that we provide what our customers want - authentic and traditional products, baked daily. We would like to thank our staff and customers, past and present, as without them we wouldn’t be here on your high streets 100 years later. Here’s to 100 more!”

Next generation manager Ben Milne said, “As my father and uncle prepare to pass the reins over to me, I am excited to take the business forward and secure a footing to allow us to trade for another 100 years.

No pressure! The whole team here at Fisher & Donaldson feels like a family, and I look forward to us building upon our past successes to take the business onto even better things. My hope is that when it’s my turn to retire, I can pass on an exciting prospect down to the sixth generation.”

ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE MADE IN FIFE, BY HAND...

AND BAKED DAILY.” To celebrate its extra special birthday, Fisher & Donaldson will be setting their sights on a Guinness World Record as we went to print, by creating the world’s biggest doughnut wall on St Andrews Day at The Big Hoolie in St Andrews.

The wall was made of over 1,200 doughnuts, and visitors were invited to take a free doughnut home, and enjoy some free family craft and confectionary activities. The bakery collected donations to TCCL (Tayside Children with Cancer and Leukaemia) to raise funds for St Andrews Lodge, a holiday house for children with cancer and their families.

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

CENTENARY CLUB

CENTENARY CLUB

Sectors 2 and 3 visit to Scone Palace Twenty-seven Help for Heroes members launched of‘Bake the Scottish for Heroes’ during Bakers Armed Centenary Forces Club Week met (22nd on Thursday – 29th 19th June September 2019), making at the theprestigious nationwideScone event Britain’s Palace, situated biggest two bakemiles sale!north of the City of Perth. Members from all three sectors Baking is proven and noted by many to be a were present and for the first time all three stress reliever and relaxing past-time, so with regional convenors Jim Brown, Clive mental health awareness growing across the Sangster and Robert Ross were present.

UK, it made sense to ask the nation to pick up Sector their whisks 2 convenor and crack Robert some Ross eggs welcomed for a good all cause. the members Who better and also to lead gavethe a special way in welcome the Highlands to Susan Whyte than Scottish from Scottish BakerBakers. of the Year Harry Gow? Lyn Brown, wife of Jim Brown, a Scottish Tourist During Blue the Armed Badge Forces Guide briefed Week, all the19 members of on Harry theGow’s history bakery of Scone stores Palace. got involved Lyn guided in the campaign, the members donating through 100% the palace of theirfollowing cupcake sales the footsteps to the Help of Kings, for Heroes viewing charity. tapestries, The oil incredible paintings, customers collections of Harry of porcelain, Gow’s raised ivory,a and collective Frenchtotal furniture. of £1,200 Lyn’sduring knowledge the bake of sale, where the Palace the iconic was exceptional flowers atop and ofwas the greatly cupcakes appreciated were coloured by to allred those andpresent. blue, matching the Help for Heroes branding.

After the tour, members enjoyed an excellent afternoon tea in the magnificent Montrose Room. The home baking by Scone Palace came under close scrutiny with several Scottish Baker of The Year judges present; the baking passed with flying colours.

SUCCESSFUL GOLF EVENT IN INVERURIE

After lunch Jim Brown, the sector 3 convenor, gave a vote of thanks to Lyn and also extended sincere thanks to Scottish Bakers for their assistance.

Robert Ross, Jim & Lyn Brown

Ian Dawson, Zena & Jim Duncan

The weather was beautiful, which gave the members the opportunity to visit the superb gardens and the famous Murray Star Maze.

I believe all members survived the maze and made it home in daylight. Moot Hill and Chapel, the crowning place of Scottish kings, was open to view and uncovered the story of the Stone of Scone.

The next event, where we hope to see as many members as possible, is the Sector 3 Christmas Lunch in December to be held at Haggs Castle Golf Club.

LYN GUIDED THE MEMBERS THROUGH THE PALACE FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF KINGS, VIEWING TAPESTRIES, OIL PAINTINGS, COLLECTIONS OF PORCELAIN, IVORY, AND FRENCH FURNITURE.”

Rachel & Clive Sangster and Rodger & Maureen Short

Sector 1 Clive Sangster, Sector 2 Robert Ross & Sector 3 Jim Brown

Jessie & Stan Smith

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THE SCOTTISH BAKER

NATIONAL FOOD & DRINK TRAINING

TRAINING IN SCOTLAND

Training the next generation of talented bakers Training the next generation of talented bakers has been at the heart of Scottish Bakers principles since our foundation in 1891, and it’s just as important to us, and our trade, today as it was back then.

Training in the 21st century is the responsibility of our Training and Quality Manager, Scott Anderson, and his team of roving Training Advisers who in Scotland this year are on track to register over 420 apprentices in bakery and other parts of the food and drink economy.

“At the heart of what we do is to add value to businesses, and help them invest in their future,” explains Scott. “We make sure the programmes we deliver work for everyone. We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach but design our delivery and support around each individual job role, learner and business.”

It’s a formula that works well, with Scott proud of his high completion rates (around 84%), compared to the Scottish national average (about 73%).

About a quarter to a third of our apprentices each year are in the bakery trade, but Scott’s great ambition is to see this increase significantly and he offers a no-obligation visit to any member who would like to know more about how we can support the development of their people.

“When we sit down with businesses and explain the process and benefits that apprenticeships bring, we more often than not secure sign-ups,” says Scott.

National Food and Drink Training A range of courses to help your employees develop their skills, and improve business effectiveness and efficiencies.

Business-focussed training suitable for new and existing employees, giving purpose and accountability to their role.

AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO IS TO ADD VALUE TO Tailored to meet your specific needs, job descriptions, standard operating procedures or to BUSINESSES, AND HELP THEM cover a specific shift pattern - day, night or split.

INVEST IN THEIR FUTURE.” Relevant to your day to day operations and delivered in the workplace at a time that suits you.

NFDT was created in April 2015, with the aim of widening the scope of Scottish Bakers’ training arm to offer workplace training solutions for the whole food & drink sector throughout the UK. NFDT courses are designed to help the food and drink industry become more competitive and sustainable by developing the skills and knowledge of its workforce. They are supported by a wide range of support materials, including an online food and drink training academy.

Qualifications at different levels cover all aspects of food and drink operations throughout the sector.

WhatDOdo offer?

WHAT WEwe OFFER? Scotland

Northern Ireland

Modern Apprenticeships in Food & Drink Operations

SCQF

Apprenticeship Standards

LevelLevel 2

Craft Bakery Skills

Level 5

Certificate for Proficiency in Baking

Level 2

Dairy Industry Skills

Level 5

Industry Skills

Distribution Skills

Level 5

Certificate for Proficiency in Food

Food Sales and Service Skills

Level 5

Industry Skills To contact Scott

Production and Processing Skills

Level 5

Brewing Skills

Level 5

for information about Certificate for Proficiency in Dairy Scottish Bakers Apprenticeship Level 2 Support Industry Skills contact him at:

Bakery Skills

Level 6

Certificate for Proficiency in Brewing Level 2

Food and Drink Operations

Level 6

Industry Skills

Supply Chain Skills

Level 6

Certificate for Proficiency in Food

Food Manufacturing Excellence

Levels 5 & 6

Manufacturing Excellence

MORE INFORMATION

Level 2

Tel: 01383 661 555 Email: Scott@scottishbakers.org Level 2

Certificate for Proficiency in Baking

England

Level 3

Industry Skills

Apprenticeship Standards

Level

Certificate for Proficiency in Food

FDQ Diploma in Bakery

Level 2 & 3

Industry Skills

FDQ Diploma in Food & Drink Operations Level 2 ILM Diploma for Managers Level 3

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NFDT has over 20 years experience in the delivery of work-based learning.

Certificate for Proficiency in Food Manufacturing Excellence

Level 3 Level 3

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

NATIONAL FOOD & DRINK TRAINING

MODERN APPRENTICESHIP Case Study: Uin Foods

The programme began with 15 places open to existing staff in production. Initial concerns that these places would be hard to fill proved unfounded and they soon doubled their ambition to 30.

The team at Uin Foods worked with NFDT’s, Scott Anderson, to refine the programme.

The approach was tailor made from the very beginning with Scott ensuring the learning outcomes matched the needs of the jobs in question.

Martin Stewart, Team Leader - Toppings Uin Foods

Glasgow-based pizza manufacturer, Uin Foods, committed to supporting SVQs around 2009, before the current Modern Apprenticeship Programme began. This was symbolic of a genuine commitment to upskilling the workforce across all areas of work.

“We really recognise the value of our workforce,” explained Managing Director, John Whalen, “but it’s not always possible to simply pay everyone more.

Instead we look for a range of different ways in which we can invest in our colleagues and training and development is key.”

The team at Uin Foods see benefits from all perspectives through their Modern Apprenticeship programme.

They see their staff working more collaboratively within their teams and developing a more acute sense of their role within the success of the business.

As HR Manager, Malwina Florjanczyk explains, “Individuals on the programme develop a wider sense of purpose in their jobs, a clearer understanding of Uin Foods own rules and procedures and a better understanding of how the food industry works in general.”

Ultimately the programme is about making Uin Foods a better business to work in, and a better manufacturer of high-quality products.

“It makes us, as a management team, more confident that our workforce is in control of everything we do from start to finish on the production line” says John.

Martin Stewart: Team Leader, Toppings. At Uin Foods is a successful apprentice who backs up this belief.

“As I worked through the units, I began to see how it related to my job and I understood that this was really going to benefit me as I developed my skills and knowledge,” said Martin.

Martin was promoted to Team Leader, Toppings as he worked through his apprenticeship, and he says that it directly helped him to be far more aware of all the important parts of this job.

In his words, “the process made me more mindful of my responsibilities.”

He is clear in his belief that working towards his apprenticeship had a wider positive impact on the rest of the line too, contributing to maintaining high-quality products, minimising waste and maximising productivity.

In short, “everyone benefits.”

MODERN APPRENTICESHIP Case Study: J. B. Christie

The focus on workplace learning and practical skills, he believes, delivers a workforce with a more rounded set of skills and a broader understanding of the trade in general.

Andrew. “The Modern Apprenticeship programme gives us a framework to do this, with external support from Scottish Bakers and National Food and Drink Training.”

“Our commitment to apprenticeships is all about ensuring we have a workforce that can deliver consistently what is required of our business,” says Andrew.

Andrew explained that NFDT Training Advisor, Jim McCormack, worked with him to map the qualification and training requirements to the job roles so that the programme was tailored to the precise needs of the business.

Preserving and Passing on Skills J.B. Christie employs nearly 50 staff across its three locations, with 26 of those in production at their dedicated bakehouse in Airdrie.

As a time-served bakery apprentice himself, owner Andrew Chisholm is a firm believer in the strong foundation such training delivers.

Modern Apprenticeships enable the business to recruit inexperienced young people to train and develop.

“Across our most experienced bakers, we have over 300 years of collective experience and we are all keen to ensure these skills are passed on to the next generation,” explained

A Better Business Christie’s apprentices have become great ambassadors for the business, seeing their role as more than just a job. Their knowledge of traditional craft bakery skills ensures consistently high standards and they take genuine responsibility for their actions and performance.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS EVENT

DATE

VENUE

World Championship Scotch Pie Awards Lunch

14th January 2020

Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld

Scottish Bakers Board Meeting

29th January 2020

Bakers House, Dunfermline

Scottish Baker of the Year Official Launch

11th & 12th February 2020

Inverness

Glasgow Presidential Dance

22nd February 2020

Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow

Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day

25th February 2020

British Pie Week

2nd – 8th March 2020

National Bakery Awards

11th March 2020

30 Euston Square, London

Scottish Baker of the Year Product Judging

25th March 2020

Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline

Scottish Baker of the Year Business Judging

15th April 2020

Bakers House, Dunfermline

Scottish Bakers Annual Conference

8th & 9th May 2020

Glasgow Hilton Hotel

National Doughnut Week

9th – 17th May 2020

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