Recipe by The Tiny Cake Company

There are many recipes for gingerbread, varying from decorated biscuits that are made into shapes, as in gingerbread men, to pale dry-ish cakes, which need a good thick spreading of butter or dark, moist sticky cakes, which last well and do not need any help in the way of icing or butter.

Don Williams, CEO of brand and design consultancy Pi Global discusses the influence of the boutique on the mainstream

David Powell, Deputy Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers

Following the article in 16 July BB, on organic certification, you either are baking organic, or you are not. It is too easy to make the statement, "we are organic", but a lot less easy to produce the tedious paperwork, follow the strict procedures and have the discipline required to be certified organic.

Bakers across the country took part in the Lammas Day celebrations from 31 July to 1 August, baking special loaves to mark the festival of the wheat harvest.

SA committed to small businesses

Sand Cake is one of the recipes in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. The cake is made using a mixture of cornflour and rice flour or ground rice, and the tin is dusted with crushed ratafia biscuits. The cake is flavoured with lemon zest and the resulting texture is quite close and moist, but gritty.

Richard Hamilton of HamiltonBIG, a creative retail and brand consultancy, talks through the three Ps of a shopfit

I have a confession to make. Before I was allowed to be a baker I used to be a banker. Not just any old banker, but an RBS banker. Back in 1969, when a strawberry tart cost 6d, I failed to satisfy the dons at Aberdeen University and also to persuade my father to give me a job in our bakery business, so I went to work for the same people who would later take on good old Freddie Goodwin, ex-RBS chief executive.

I joined The Bakery School online with a year's subscription, and also registered three of my staff members to complete the training. I would like to say what a good learning tool this has been for us. We are situated relatively remotely, so attending a college is fairly unrealistic for us, but the online school has definitely filled the void, and more. Not only have the modules been informative and helpful, the support offered by the school has been fantastic.

Cake: a global history

Baker Sarah Gayton has issued a call to all small artisan bakers to stand up and be counted when the Olympic organisers come to awarding food contracts. She commis-sioned special Olympian Oatie mugs and sent them to David Cameron and Nick Clegg along with her biscuits to remind them of their commitment to a sustainable legacy.

These delicious little cakes suffer from having a name which makes them sound unappetising. In fact they are like a crumbly version of fruit scones and are delicious. They evoke childhood memories of baking at home or at school. They look quirky and distinctive against other cakes, buns and scones.

Don Williams, CEO of brand and design consultacy Pi Global, looks at the pointers or 'equities' that make your brand stand out

Umer Ashraf is a young entrepreneur who owns the Glasgow-based iCafé chain of shops, as well as smoothie and juice bar Paradise Bay, in Oban, Scotland

The report in British Baker (4 June) highlights concerns over the possibility of increased wheat prices, due to currency fluctuation and the increased use of wheat for biofuel production.

Who You Callin' Cupcake? Michelle and Vinny Garcia

Madeira Cake is traditionally flavoured with lemon zest and juice and is decorated with candied citrus peel. It does not originate from Madeira, but was served to accompany Madeira wine, which was popular in the 19th century. In texture it is similar to a pound cake. Large pieces of sliced citrus peel are pushed on to the top prior to baking. This recipe is flavoured with orange and cinnamon, instead of the more expensive citrus peel.

Richard Hamilton of HamiltonBIG, a creative retail and brand consultancy, discusses the benefits of a good shopfront

Tom Herbert is a fifth-generation baker and director of Hobbs House Bakery, a multi-award-winning craft bakery, based in Gloucestershire

Don Williams, CEO of brand and design consultancy Pi Global discusses the intricacies of brand naming and the importance of getting it right

Lemon tarts have become very popular and are based on the classic French recipe Tarte au Citron, which tastes so fresh and tangy that it is impossible to imagine the calories hidden inside.

Translating sustainability

Jo Fairley is co-owner of Judges organic bakery and grocery shop in Hastings and co-founded and sold Green & Black's chocolate firm, with hubby Craig Sams

52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning and a Perfect Crust

Madeleines are small shell-shaped sponge cakes from Northern France and were made famous in Marcel Proust's book Remembrance of Things Past. They are different to English Madeleines, which are small sponge cakes cooked in dariole moulds, coated in raspberry jam and rolled in desiccated coconut. The French variety are quick to make and it is worth investing in the shell-shaped moulds, as they make the finished little cakes look pretty and they are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee or tea.

British Pie Awards are a tremendous achievement

Don Williams, CEO of brand specialist Pi Global, reckons that in both the US and the UK lessons on how to create excitement in retailing grocery brands need to be learned

By Steve Wells of Food bakery, Minehead, Somerset

Hand-raised pies were historically made using wooden moulds to shape the pastry prior to filling and baking. Nowadays, it is possible to make them using other shapes for moulding. For example: honey jars, small soufflé dishes or anything that is straight-sided and not too deep. Hot water crust pastry is easy to make and very forgiving. The pies we are used to seeing, encased in hot water crust pastry, are pork pies, such as Melton Mowbray pies, and veal and ham pies. When handmade, these can look spectacular and you can add different flavours to them.

Richard Hamilton of HamiltonBIG, a creative retail and brand consultancy, considers how to be efficient in your build project

Umer Ashraf is a young entrepreneur who owns the Glasgow-based iCafé chain of shops, as well as smoothie and juice bar Paradise Bay, in Oban, Scotland

Don Williams, CEO of brand and design consultancy Pi Global advises staying in touch with the real world when it comes to innovation

The Scots are very good at baking and shortbread is one of their best recipes. It is made using three parts flour, two parts butter and one part sugar.

We've all seen them, clinging to the sides of buildings like fading relics of a bygone age. Many of these hand-painted ads still survive, but are quickly disappearing, as weathering and property development overtake them. For the last year a nationwide effort has been under way to archive these 'ghost signs'.

Carrots have been included in cakesfor many centuries because of their sweetness. During the Second World War, carrots were used to add sweetness to dishes because of the shortage of sugar and rationing, which made everyone become inventive with their food.

Richard Hamilton of Hamilton BIG, a creative retail and brand consultancy, considers whether going solo is worth it in shop-fit project management

Umer Ashraf is a young entrepreneur who owns the Glasgow-based iCafé chain of shops, as well as smoothie and juice bar Paradise Bay in Oban, Scotland

Dawn van Rensburg, Richemont Club of Great Britain

Isidora Popovic´ 's debut baking book arrives complete with a front cover endorsement from none other Liz Hurley. But don't let that put you off. The Serbian-born Popovic´ is the baker behind the niche Popina brand. Established as a market stall 10 years ago, it has since been sold through higher-end retailers from Waitrose up to Fortnum & Mason the first retailer to spot Popina.

Scones are the staple of the tea table. Whether served with clotted cream and fresh strawberries or butter and jam, they are an integral part of a very British institution. There are many different varieties of the plain and not-so-plain scone. The recipe for scones is thought to have originated in Scotland and would have been baked on a stone or griddle in a round, before being cut into wedges.

Don Williams, CEO of brand and design consultancy Pi Global, bewails bad statistics

David Powell, Deputy Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers and global director innovation/bakery, Rich Products

Top 100 tea/coffee recipes

Seen in the Innovations section of Europain, the latest flaky idea from France Bread Flakes! France's five-day bakery show, for bread, confectionery and chocolate closed on Wednesday, 10 March. So could flakes catch on? Well, if it is a toss-up between toast or bread flakes, at least bread is the winner, say makers Paillasse International.

Tea breads are very simple to make, but need a little planning ahead. They are traditionally made by soaking sultanas, raisins and sugar in Indian tea overnight, before mixing in eggs, spices and flour. The Welsh form of this is called Bara Brith or 'Speckled Bread'. As it contains no fat, it is best served spread with butter.

Richard Hamilton of HamiltonBIG, a creative retail and brand consultancy, considers the costs of building a store

Jo Fairley is co-owner of Judges organic bakery and grocery shop in Hastings and co-founded and sold Green & Black's chocolate firm, with hubby Craig Sams

Chelsea Buns were originally made in London in the early 1700s. They are a sticky, sweet treat and are either finished with glacé icing or sugar syrup. They usually contain dried vine fruits, mixed peel and mixed spice. The method for Chelsea buns can be used with all sorts of other fillings, both sweet and savoury. This recipe uses almonds and apricots, but you could use chocolate and dried cherries, pecan nuts and dried peach or cranberries and orange. Try making a savoury version using some Parmesan cheese, basil and roasted strips of pepper marinated in garlic flavoured olive oil. The buns can be baked side by side on a baking sheet, so that they have to be pulled apart or baked in a round cake tin. The apricot glaze gives a lovely shine and a sweet, but tangy, finish.

I enjoyed reading Tom Herbert's report from the Real Bread Conference, but I recently returned from a conference on Quality and Safety of Grain Crops and Foods, in South Africa. There, the availability of wholesome, reasonably-priced bread from plant bakeries using the Chorleywood Bread Process makes the difference between being able to put sufficient food on the table for your family or not.

By David Mizon of Pin Point Training & Consultancy

Don Williams, CEO of brand specialist Pi Global, says a real-world picture of your target audience is key to effective pack design

Let's define why we offer value

Also known as cobnuts and filberts, hazelnuts are grown in Europe and America. Inside the shell, the nuts are encased in a dark brown, slightly bitter skin. This is usually removed before it is used in cooking. Put them on a baking sheet in a medium oven for about 10 minutes before rubbing in a clean teatowel to remove the skins. They are particularly good if they are roasted before use, but if they are to be used as ground hazelnuts, always allow them to cool down before grinding, as they can become rather oily, which will have an adverse effect on the cake, meringue or biscuit.

I have long since lost count of how many articles I've read, or presentations attended, over the past 24 months concerning skills levels within the baking industry. The message has always been fairly clear and consistent: the number of people who have core and practical baking knowledge are becoming few and far between and, overall, there is a serious lack of the basic craft skills that underpin all bakery production. Until this is universally addressed, the industry will be heading for Armageddon.

Brand owners spend their lives trying to increase the size and value of their brands. Of course they do, it's business and what matters most in business is profit and loss (P&L). What can happen, though, when the P&L becomes the primary focus of any company providing goods or services, is that quality of output is compromised. And when the passion is transferred from the brand to the balance sheet, the brand can suffer.

The pecan tree is indigenous to North America and the nut it produces has a smooth shell, but an appearance like a long walnut inside. Like the walnut, it is high in omega 6 fatty acids. Also called hickory nuts, pecans are best-known as the main ingredient in pecan pie, but can be used in many other baked goods. They go particularly well with chocolate and are a good addition to chocolate brownies, chocolate and pecan pie or chocolate and pecan cookies.

As much as I look forward to my delivery of British Baker and have welcomed its change to include much more content that is relevant to smaller, independent bakeries, there is still one matter which I do not understand: what is your definition of "craft baker"?

If even one, tiny, undeclared enzyme in your body is interested in the future of bread and baking, then your internal buzzer will be going off. This alarm trills louder and louder until answers are found. At the end of last year, I attended the first Rise of Real Bread Conference. A veritable fermenta levain of well-cultured interested parties assembled, a throng of approximately 150 souls, each having parted with £38 or at the very least a whole Saturday, to consider the future of bread.

Sourdough is typical of artisanal baking: the art of encouraging wild yeast cultures to ferment just at the right time and for so long you could probably read War and Peace. I have worked with many bakers who are so proud to boast of starters that have been in the family business for generations.
The varieties of sourdoughs are unique, depending on the catalyst starter, type of flour used and also geographical location. All these factors will impact on flavour and texture. San Francisco Sourdough is a good example of this, as the wild yeast culture Lactobacillus sanfrancisco in that region gives a sharper, more acetic punch than a typical French levain.
The recipe below is made with an authentic wild yeast starter culture called crème de levain, a ready-made live starter culture ideal for artisanal loaves.

Macadamia nuts are native to Australia but are also cultivated commercially in Hawaii. They are very difficult to crack out of their shells, but are well worth the effort. They have a creamy flavour and crunchy texture, which goes well with semi dried fruits such as cranberries, cherries and blueberries. Although low in carbohydrate, they are quite high in fat. They work well in biscuits such as White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies and can also be added to Brownies and Blondies instead of walnuts.

Richard Hamilton of HamiltonBIG, a creative retail and brand consultancy, reflects on style and substance in shop design

The look of the store obviously needs to reflect your own personal ambitions and being guided by a store designer is certainly of benefit. But of course I would say that.
To begin with, however, you must have your own idea of what style your operation can work within and how you want to be perceived. The role of a good designer is to translate your words into images and ideas, which can be developed into a 3D built store.
One point to constantly bear in mind when thinking about a look is to remember that, at all times, your eyes may well see differently to those of your customers, as design is inherently subjective. Some operators opt for a fashion-led design approach, which is exciting, fresh and fast-moving, but also expensive and short-lived. This requires you to be prepared for regular refreshes and the need to constantly stay in touch with what's new.
The healthy and hearty approach was in vogue a couple of years ago, with Daylesford leading the farm shop revolution. Urban minimal was pioneered by Pret A Manger in the 1980s and EAT softened this with a highly styled timber-and-white approach a decade or so later.
However, the classic approach can be of great success; take Caffè Nero, a classic Italian coffee house, which, in my view, easily outranks Starbucks' watered-down American approach. It's not just the pale blue contrasted with the rich mahogany-style timber, it's also what's behind that façade that adds to the feeling of quality: the coffee, the authenticity and, most importantly, feeling secure both in store and in brand.
The emotion of a store is the ultimate challenge and the look is part of determining this. Once you've encouraged customers through the door, fed them well, offered value for money and they've subliminally recognised the store is clean that's when the emotion needs to kick in.
The store needs to offer more than your competitors, it has to feel safe and conjure positive associations in the customer's mind. The look has to have broad appeal without being bland or niche. It's a fine line but, executed correctly, it is one of the ingredients of success.
richard@hamiltonbig.com
l Next month: how to allocate your budget

Umer Ashraf is a young entrepreneur who owns the Glasgow-based iCafé chain of shops. He recently opened smoothie and juice bar Paradise Bay in Oban, on Scotland's west coast