Improve has cancelled the conference due to take place today, Tuesday, October 30 at the Bakers Hall in London. It will be rescheduled to take place during the Baking Industry Exhibition in April 6-9 at Birmingham NEC. Further details will be announced when the new date and time is confirmed.

Sandwich chain O'Briens says sales have risen by 14% across 50 stores, which have been redesigned in the past two months.

Bakers and butchers across Britain are gearing up for this year's World Scotch Pie Championships, taking place at Lauder College, Dunfermline, on 7 November.

As costs continue to rise, bakers are increasingly keen to find ways of cutting utilities bills.

New research by The Carbon Trust has revealed that lack of time and expertise to measure and reduce their carbon emissions is preventing the UK's small and medium businesses from achieving business energy savings.

While competing claims and methodologies are being bandied about, one research team has been toiling away to nail down the carbon impact of products specific to bakers by developing a supply chain framework for measuring CO2 emissions from plough to plate. The results suggest that the bakery chain can operate at extremely high levels of efficiency, whether using animal or vegetable products and whether the products are organically-produced or not. But there is scope to improve energy efficiency in all parts of the food supply chain.

Bakery retailers are increasingly turning to thaw-and-serve and bake-off goods to complement their own baked-from-scratch goods. This adds value with more upmarket offerings, helps diversification and enables bakers to accommodate an ever-more-discerning population hell-bent on premium novelties. Or as Arnaud Rannou of Traiteur de Paris succinctly puts it: "Bakers receive our products frozen and repack them in posh boxes."

Knowledge is power was the message from Tesco's in-store bakery category manager at the autumn British Society of Baking (BSB) conference. Neil Franklin, who probably has more of both these commodities at his fingertips than many others in the baking industry, said suppliers are not employing supermarket sales data enough.

Chester-based P&A Davies was named best craft bakery chain, scooping the Richemont Club 2007 Trophy at the Club's annual competition, held at Bakers' Fair North West in Bolton Arena.

More than 400 bakers and food-to-go retailers from all over the country travelled from as far afield as Devon to the Bakers' Fair North West on October 14.

Export meetings in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium indicate a strong demand for UK milling wheat in European markets this year, according to the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA).

Equipment company Aga last week agreed a £260m sale of its foodservice and bakery equipment division to Italian manufacturer Ali SpA.

Farmhouse Fare has won the competition to find a budding artist in the baking industry to create the Bakers' Benevolent Society's charity Christmas card.

I sometimes think we are all obsessed with 'trends'. But one thing is certain: if you are not aware of them, your business will stand still then start to die - and so will your customer base.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has this month criticised the government's decision to increase fuel duty by 2p per litre.

Half of bakers have put their prices up and plan further rises, due to rising costs, according to results from the latest British Baker poll on http://www.bakeryinfo.co.uk.

Three-quarters of the places for the One Voice conference on the future of bakery training and qualifications have already been snapped up.

Scottish bakery supplier Macphie has unveiled plans for an ambitious renewable energy plan that will involve cutting its carbon emissions by 2,000 tonnes a year.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is pushing through a review of the health impacts of trans fatty acids requested by Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson last week.

n Food Safety Week will take place next year from 9-13 June, the Food Standards Agency has announced. The UK-wide campaign aims to raise awareness of good food hygiene practice.

Sandwich chain O'Briens says sales have risen by 14% across 50 stores, which have been redesigned in the past two months.

Rising food prices are never far from the headlines these days with wheat playing a pivotal role in cost increases and providing a focus for the media.

Bakers and butchers across Britain are gearing up for this year's World Scotch Pie Championships, taking place at Lauder College, Dunfermline, on 7 November.

As costs continue to rise, bakers are increasingly keen to find ways of cutting utilities bills.

New research by The Carbon Trust has revealed that lack of time and expertise to measure and reduce their carbon emissions is preventing the UK's small and medium businesses from achieving business energy savings.

While competing claims and methodologies are being bandied about, one research team has been toiling away to nail down the carbon impact of products specific to bakers by developing a supply chain framework for measuring CO2 emissions from plough to plate. The results suggest that the bakery chain can operate at extremely high levels of efficiency, whether using animal or vegetable products and whether the products are organically-produced or not. But there is scope to improve energy efficiency in all parts of the food supply chain.

Bakery retailers are increasingly turning to thaw-and-serve and bake-off goods to complement their own baked-from-scratch goods. This adds value with more upmarket offerings, helps diversification and enables bakers to accommodate an ever-more-discerning population hell-bent on premium novelties. Or as Arnaud Rannou of Traiteur de Paris succinctly puts it: "Bakers receive our products frozen and repack them in posh boxes."

Knowledge is power was the message from Tesco's in-store bakery category manager at the autumn British Society of Baking (BSB) conference. Neil Franklin, who probably has more of both these commodities at his fingertips than many others in the baking industry, said suppliers are not employing supermarket sales data enough.

Chester-based P&A Davies was named best craft bakery chain, scooping the Richemont Club 2007 Trophy at the Club's annual competition, held at Bakers' Fair North West in Bolton Arena.

More than 400 bakers and food-to-go retailers from all over the country travelled from as far afield as Devon to the Bakers' Fair North West on October 14.

Export meetings in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium indicate a strong demand for UK milling wheat in European markets this year, according to the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA).

Equipment company Aga last week agreed a £260m sale of its foodservice and bakery equipment division to Italian manufacturer Ali SpA.

Farmhouse Fare has won the competition to find a budding artist in the baking industry to create the Bakers' Benevolent Society's charity Christmas card.

I sometimes think we are all obsessed with 'trends'. But one thing is certain: if you are not aware of them, your business will stand still then start to die - and so will your customer base.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has this month criticised the government's decision to increase fuel duty by 2p per litre.

Half of bakers have put their prices up and plan further rises, due to rising costs, according to results from the latest British Baker poll on http://www.bakeryinfo.co.uk.

Three-quarters of the places for the One Voice conference on the future of bakery training and qualifications have already been snapped up.

Scottish bakery supplier Macphie has unveiled plans for an ambitious renewable energy plan that will involve cutting its carbon emissions by 2,000 tonnes a year.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is pushing through a review of the health impacts of trans fatty acids requested by Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson last week.

n Food Safety Week will take place next year from 9-13 June, the Food Standards Agency has announced. The UK-wide campaign aims to raise awareness of good food hygiene practice.

Independent bakery Irwin's business development manager Brendan Lappin has unveiled 69-pub chain O'Neill's new Taste of Ireland menu, due to launch in October.

Millers in the UK are waiting nervously for the Australian wheat harvest to come in later this autumn, with high global wheat prices and volatility expected to continue.

Dave Roberts, Lucy Baylem

Healthy ingredient technologies for use in bakery will be at the forefront of this month's Food Ingredients Europe exhibition at London's ExCeL.

To a jounalist, the prospect of trip abroad to visit a newly-opened factory sounds jammy! Especially when the factory involved is a supplier of that sweet preserve.

The growth in supermarket convenience-store formats is paving the way for more impulse and top-up bake-off and finished goods. However, heavy promotions could devalue the category and, as inevitably happens when new launches occur, long-established key products become commoditised.

Some 84 past and present members of the British Confectioners' Asso­ciation gathered in Nairn, Scotland last month for an historic annual general meeting.

Alistair Darling delivered his first Pre-Budget Report (PBR) on 9 October, 2007. One of the related press notices begins with the sentence: "The government recognises the contribution that small businesses make to the economy and that business owners should profit from the success of their business." After reading that, small business owners might have looked forward to the rest of the PBR, to see how the government was going to recognise the contribution they had made, and help them to profit from the success of their business. Sadly, they will have been very disappointed.

Can pasties 'face' the challenge of cosmetic surgery? Before we answer this eyebrow-raising question, here are some interesting facts to consider:

The Netherlands is to launch carbon-based packaging tax, the first of its kind in Europe. The tax will be based on the estimated CO2 emissions produced in making particular packaging.

Two-thirds of retailers (62%) listed on the London Stock Exchange issued positive trading statements in the third quarter of 2007, with 100% of all food and drink retailers reporting an increase in like-for-like sales, according to a new report.

Tate & Lyle Mexico is selling its 49% stake in Grupo Industrial Azucarero de Occidente to ED&F Man Holdings, owner of Man Sugar, for US$93m (£46m), subject to shareholder and competition authority approval.

Greggs has started to roll out ideas it has been trialling at four stores around the UK, following some "quite encouraging" results.

"Summer? What summer?" is the general thought for 2007. What we will remember is the flooding that devastated businesses and displaced communities in some parts of the country.

What is the profile of the typical Starbucks customer? That was question posed by the IGD in its recent Café Culture report.

Northern Ireland bakery Genesis Breads has awarded a three-year contract to IPP Logipal to supply pallets from its Portadown depot for delivering the plant baker's products to major retailers in the UK and Ireland.

This week's issue of British Baker contains a reader research form and I would be most grateful if you could take a few minutes to fill it in. It will tell us what you want to see more of, less of and any new directions you want us take the magazine in or whether you would rather we leave it pretty much as it is at the moment. We really do value your readership and your opinion.

Morrisons has become the first major multiple to introduce a range of regional breads baked in-store from locally grown wheat.

I didn't used to go in to baker's shops all that often, apart from on the odd occasion when I fancied my absolute favourite - carrot cake. There's a particular carrot cake, which is sold from a baker's stall in Blackpool, and I swear it's the best in the world!

Supplier BakeMark UK has launched a new Learning Resource Centre, offering employees training courses in subjects ranging from IT and numeracy to literacy and modern languages.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is to petition Chancellor Alistair Darling, to ease the tax burden on small businesses following his announcements in the recent Pre-Budget Report. Changes to capital gains tax, which were designed to target private equity groups, will also hit owners of smaller businesses, it says.

The Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) has confirmed that the latest results from this year's Cereals Quality Survey suggest the quality of wheat has dropped compared to last year.

Scratch baking will play a more important role at Tesco's in-store bakeries as the supermarket rolls out a souped-up training programme across its entire estate.

n ADM has announced that Ian Pinner has been named managing director, ADM Pura (the edible oils and fats business), adding this responsibility to his current role as MD of ADM Milling.

Ingredients

The following 'shock freezing' technique, which creates thin, flexible sheets of chocolate, is perfect for decorating Christmas logs. But be warned, this only works with real chocolate, not with baker's coating.

The first Maltese bakery in Scotland has recently opened, specialising in pastizzi - the Maltese equivalent of the British meat pie or Cornish pasty.

Rising utility costs, changing legislation and the increasing environmental awareness of consumers all present challenges for the baking industry. But these issues could equally be viewed as opportunities for businesses to create competitive advantages.

Recently I read an article which implied that small companies should think and act 'big', if they want to actually become big. The writer then proceeded to tell readers to hire people that they would not actually need until the following year, once the company had grown.

Wholesaler Bako London recently welcomed over 70 guests to its Wimbledon premises for a seasonal-themed open day.

Environmental concerns mean that businesses are under increasing pressure to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, as part of an overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) package.

Logistics company Christian Salvesen is to be sold to French rival Norbert Dentressangle Group for £254.4m, ending a decade-long saga of takeover bids and restructures.

McVitie's has been forced to change the packaging of its fig rolls for the Irish Republic after rival supplier Jacob Fruitfield (Jacob's) argued it was a copycat of its own packaging.

A former Fine Lady Bakeries worker has been sentenced to life for the murder of a colleague who died after an argument at work.

Have you put your prices up yet? Whether you are a baker, confectioner or ingredients supplier, I hope you have crunched the numbers and worked out the necessary increases. Otherwise, I fear for your survival.

It has certainly been a newsworthy couple of months in wheat markets, with prices reaching record levels in September.

Sausage and frozen food company Glendale Foods has announced plans for the Great British Pudding Company - the Northampton-based savoury and sweet puddings business it acquired in August.

Allied Bakeries says its Kingsmill brand is actually growing faster than Warburtons, fiercely rebutting claims to the contrary in Warburtons recent Bakery Review 2007.

Following British Cheese Week, which ran until last Sunday, new research suggests that when it comes to sandwich, pasty and pie fillings, British cheese may be more of a selling point than Continental varieties.

Invest Northern Ireland has pledged business development and marketing support to bakeries that explore export opportunities in confectionery goods, such as cakes, biscuits and buns.

Retail baker Greggs said this week that its prices were increasing 4.5% a year on an ongoing basis as ingredients' costs mounted.

Warburtons is expanding its Scottish operation with the creation of a new 20,000 sq ft distribution depot at Eurocentral Business Park, near Glasgow.

Improve and William Reed, publisher of British Baker, are joining forces to hold a training conference on 30 October.

A return to sales growth for its bakery division was one of the highlights for Northern Foods as it reported a 2.6% increase in group revenue for the half-year ended 29 September. Sandwiches and salads also did well, despite slower year-on-year growth due to the unseasonably poor summer weather.

High street bakers need to target young consumers, adapting range and approach, to ensure long-term survival, according to new independent research supplied exclusively to British Baker.

n Greencore has appointed Jonathan Hodgson as commercial director of its cakes and desserts division. The previous commercial director, Paul Rhodes was appointed as MD of Greencore Cakes & Desserts in 2006. Hodgson joins from Young's Seafoods where he was account group director managing a team looking after the major multiples.

6.30am

Despite stories of an increasing number of businesses recognising the value of grey hair - aka 'wisdom' - the mean age in this country's boardrooms is constantly falling. At this rate, the Justin Kings [CEO, Sainsbury's] of this world will soon be the norm rather than the exception.

"Everybody should stop moaning about bakery skills shortages and learn to love the new skills framework." This is not what Improve's CEO Jack Matthews said of the new 'employer-led' qualifications, but he might have done in a more private moment than speaking at last week's launch of the new framework.

Product quality and provenance are becoming increasingly important to retailers and consumers. Yet, for some suppliers, the sourcing of raw ingredients comes well down the list when formulating products.

Bakery ingredients supplier Holgran is to work with an Italian-based ingredients specialist.

Tate & Lyle's shares fell by over a quarter to 398.75p last week, wiping around £670m from its market capitalisation, after it announced that profits in its sugars division were "sharply lower" than in the comparative period last year.

Anyone interested in bakery training and how it affects their company, workforce or college is invited to attend a free one-day conference on Tuesday, October 30, at Bakers Hall, Harp Lane, off Lower Thames Street, London EC3 from 10am-12.30 pm.

A British Bakeries survey has found that more than 10.5 million crusts, weighing 209 tonnes, are thrown away each day in the UK.

Equipment supplier Double D Food Engineering has been acquired by the Bonspiel Group, a Scotland-based specialist engineering group.

Ethnic bread manufacturer Honeytop Speciality Foods, announced last week that turnover is up by 29%, from £20.5m to £26m on the previous year.

Staff at Warburtons may be heading for strike action after they rejected a below-inflation wage offer and changes to their working terms and conditions.

Supermarket Morrisons has acquired the whole of the Rathbone Kear plant bakery business, buying out bakery entrepreneur Harry Kear's 20% stake.

The UK's two major millers have announced an unprecedented second round of steep price rises on flour as the global wheat price continues to soar.

Bakery group Finsbury Food Group has acquired Weight Watchers low-fat cake manufacturer Anthony Alan Foods as a rapid expansion programme continues.

n Farmers, producers, suppliers and retailers of all sizes are being encouraged to take part in the ninth annual Farmhouse Breakfast Week campaign. Organised by the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA), the campaign highlights the high-quality regional breakfast foods available throughout the country. Farmhouse Breakfast Week 2008 takes place from 20 to 26 January next year under the strapline 'A Great Start!'