Peter’s Foods has just signed 10 new contracts with major professional football and rugby clubs to sell its Premier range of pies, pasties, rolls and slices in their grounds.

A new complete project management company is offering bakers a support package to boost their business.

The Baked Snacks Company (BSC) has gone into administration after facing financial difficulties and staff disputes.

Consumers are spurning basic biscuits for premium varieties, according to new research.

Brian Clarke, who has over 30 years of industrial and instore bakery experience including international consultancy work in Europe and Australia, is now heading up a consultancy: European Food Consultants.

British Baker will no longer be sold at newsagents from the end of September.

Cadbury Cocoa House is gearing up for the launch of the first of 50 planned outlets and is currently looking to work with a London-based specialist bread supplier.

The Village Bakery, Melmerby, is hoping to spread some happiness with a new campaign, which involves consumers suggesting how they would use £250 to make someone smile.

Brace's Bakery is to scale back its logistics operation, with the potential loss of 37 jobs.

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have succeeded in decoding the genome of wheat in a breakthrough which could help crop breeders increase the yield of British wheat varieties.

According to The Independent, an increasing number of retailers are introducing 'apps' designed to give customers personalised offers. Sainsbury's launched its app for the iPad and iPhone earlier this month. As well as offers, it allows users to collect Nectar points to use in-store. Other retailers reportedly using apps include Ocado, Waitrose and French chain Carrefour.

production stays low

Matthew May

Greggs has extended its lead over rival bakery, café and takeaway outlets in the BB75 league table.

Recent rainfall has delayed the UK harvest, with over 40% still to come in and the quality of the wheat now in question.

Bakery manufacturers making premium goods are better-placed to ride out the commodities pricing storm, according to a leading ingredients supplier.

Dorset bakery Fudges has teamed up with the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) to encourage people to get out and enjoy the British countryside.

A new UK cupcake delivery system – directcupcakes.co.uk – is looking to recruit more bakers, with a view to launching sales to the public within the next month.

Warburtons is using a new electric-powered truck to make greener and quieter deliveries across central London.

Proper Cornish has set a new world record for the heaviest handmade pasty, weighing in at almost 1 tonne.

A Surrey hotel is to open an in-house bakery in October this year, which will also offer bakery masterclasses.

Millie’s Cookies has crowned employee Vicky Pullen as its Creative Cookie Designer of the Year.

Bako North Western is holding a seasonal showcase to help bakers’ festive products stand out.

The Ukrainian Government announced yesterday (18 August) that it is to delay its decision on whether to limit wheat exports for the rest of the year, until a Government session on 25 August, according to the news service APK-Inform Information.

Tickets for the Baking Industry Awards 2010 have now sold out, as the industry prepares for the event of this year this September.

TV presenter and producer Esther Rantzen CBE will host the circus-themed black-tie event at the Park Lane Hilton, London, which takes place on Wednesday 8 September.

Northern Irish bakery Pattons has invested £375,000 in new premises, which will enable it to meet increased demand from retail customers, such as the Henderson Group and Musgrave Retail Partners.

Thurso-based bakery Reids of Caithness has secured two potentially lucrative export orders for its range of biscuits and oatcakes with wholesalers in Singapore and the US.

Clayton Park Bakery has agreed a deal with Blackburn Rovers, which will see it become the football club’s official bakery.

Aryzta subsidiary IAWS Group has reached an agreement with Tim Hortons, its 50/50 partner in the Maidstone Bakeries joint venture, to acquire its 50% share for consideration of C$475m (£290m).

Bakery manufacturers have welcomed the government's decision to appoint an independent adjudicator to regulate the relationships between supermarkets and their suppliers.

The price of dried fruit seems set to remain high, with bakers looking to pass on the costs to consumers. It has been affected by a combination of the strength of the pound, weather and speculation, as well as increased global demand, especially from China, said Mark Setterfield, MD of ingredients supplier RM Curtis.

Artisan miller Bacheldre Watermill is in supply talks with several plant bakers that are looking to develop speciality breads, highlighting provenance and local links.

The Bakers Food and Allied Workers' Union has postponed a series of strikes at the Maple Leaf bakery plant in Walsall as discussions with management at the company continue.

David Bennett of the Sunshine Bakery in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, is the newly crowned Cupcake Champion of Great Britain 2010.

Here we go again, you might think, as press hysteria mounts around wheat prices. How did this come about, given that we are not facing touch wood a repeat of the terrible harvests of 2007/2008? The past two years have seen record stock levels high enough to handle the predicted drop in wheat supply following problems in Canada, Russia and the EU.

Almonds: The 'objective' estimate of 1.65bn lb 6% higher than the May 'objective' of 1.55bn lb confounded all expectations. Although there is disbelief at the numbers for California crops, it caps any likelihood of a major almond price increase and also presents almonds as the cheapest tree nut among this basket.

ourcing on eating out

Ian Storey

Nicholas & Harris (N&H) has launched the first marketing campaign for Vogel's bread in a bid to almost treble the brand's turnover from £3.5m to £10m in two years.

Bakers' Fair is to host several live talks at Bolton Arena on Sunday 3 October. Confirmed speakers include Edward Chatwin from Chatwins, who will be giving a marketing talk, including tips on shop display and how to promote yourself locally. Mike Holling, National Association of Master Bakers chairman and Birds of Derby retail and sales manager, will speak about two recent fires at Birds, including insurance issues and crisis plans.

Greggs is to extend its concept store format, which gives shoppers more space to shop, to further outlets in London ahead of a national roll-out.

British Baker's Andrew Williams speaks to the newly crowned Cupcake Champion of Great Britain 2010 - David Bennett of the six-month-old Sunshine Bakery in Chapel Allerton, Leeds - and discovers the secrets to his success.

Bread production at Warburtons Hereford Street bakery is due to restart in September, following a fire at the site on 29 July.

Pressure on plant bakers to meet the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) 2012 salt targets has prompted new research into the role different wheat varieties could play in producing lower-salt bakery products.

Within-based Raven Patisserie has changed its name to Tiptree Patisserie following the purchase of 100% of its shares by Wilkin & Sons, manufacturers of Tiptree fruit conserves, in April this year.

Rank Hovis is to increase the price of flour by £89.37 per tonne, effective 6 September, Lawrence Watson, head of sales and marketing, revealed exclusively to British Baker earlier this week.

Greggs has announced a slim like-for-like sales increase despite seeing meal deal sales up 167% for the 26 weeks to 3 July.

It managed to survive two World Wars and several recessions, but 112-year-old Welsh bakery chain Ecclestons Confectioners closed its doors for the last time earlier this month, following the retirement of the company’s owner David Eccleston.

Buxton Spa Bakery has become the latest victim of the recession after administrators were unable to find a buyer for the struggling firm.

Suffolk-based bakery Palmers (Haughley) Ltd has successfully won its battle with Haughley Parish Council, over an access road to its bakery, almost six years after the dispute began.

Organic bakery products including bread, tarts, scones, muffins and biscuits are part of a relaunch of the Duchy Originals brand by Waitrose next month.

North Yorkshire deli and cake producer Lewis & Cooper has signed a deal to supply Selfridges with its handmade luxury fruit cakes in the run-up to Christmas this year.

Food minister Jim Paice has called on food businesses to voluntarily do more to improve country-of-origin labelling.

Premier Foods has reported mixed results for it Hovis business, with branded sales up 1.1% but non-branded sales down 26%, for the six months to 26 June 2010.

Volumes continued to fall at Maple Leaf Bakery UK, as parent company Canada Bread announced declining sales across frozen bakery.

Jim (Shay) Humphries sadly died in Dublin, recently. He was a friendly and respected character, one of the best-known in Ireland’s baking industry.

Lees Foods has achieved record sales in both its Lees of Scotland and The Waverley Bakery businesses, for the six months to June 2010.

Julian Hunt

Carr's Milling has continued to trade ahead of expectations since its interim results, largely driven by its agricultural and engineering operations.

Snack manufacturers across Europe are being urged to produce 30g snack packs to help consumers meet dietary guidelines on calorie intake.

Scottish company Johnstone's Bakers claims its turnover has more than trebled since 2007, following a major investment in a state-of-the-art factory.

United Biscuits (UB) could be looking for a new owner, according to media reports.

North-west bakery chain Sayers is counting on shopper feedback to give it a competitive edge.

Stowmarket-based malt business Muntons has been named as the UK's 20th greenest company in a recent survey.

Tesco has had to withdraw an advertisement about its in-store bakeries after a complaint by the Real Bread Campaign was upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

A B Tech Expo, the next bakery exhibition this calendar year, will take place at Fieramilano in Milan, Italy from October 23-27.

Transferring the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) work on nutrition to the Department of Health (DoH) will not adversely affect bakers, say industry figures.

Bakers' Fair, the autumn event aimed mainly at craft bakers, takes place at Bolton Arena on Sunday 3 October.

Following an article in British Baker, small bakeries are being encouraged to apply for organic certification with a new cut-price offer.

Coffee Republic has opened the doors to its first new-look store, in Hove, and has revealed plans for revamping the coffee chain's bakery range.

Battenberg cake may have won a reprieve, after the Food Standards Agency (FSA) lost its fight to ban six demonised food colourings, but bakers will now have to label products that contain them.

British Baker is delighted to announce the finalists for this year's Baking Industry Awards.

Only five of the 21 foodservice businesses trialling calorie labelling at the point of choice have decided to continue with the scheme.

Strong sales at Renshaw and Hayden’s Bakeries has helped parent company the Real Good Food Company (RGFC) achieve “good trading progress” over the six months to 30 June, 2010.

A fire stopped production at Warburtons’ Hereford Street bakery, in Bolton, as 60 firefighters fought to put out the blaze, which is thought to have started in an industrial oven.

Celebration cakes sales continue to fall at Finsbury Food Group as consumers opt to trade down. Group revenue for the cake, bread and morning goods manufacturer has fallen by 4.1% to £168.3m for the financial year to 30 June 2010, after adjustments for the 53-week year.

North-west bakery chain Sayers is counting on shopper feedback to give it a competitive edge.

Scottish Bakers, the newly rebranded Scottish Association of Master Bakers, has appointed Irishman Alan Clarke as its new chief executive.

The UK’s gluten-free market looks set to be worth the most in Europe over the next five years – valued at £242.719m. However, independent research analyst Datamonitor has predicted that growth will continue to slow.

Stowmarket-based malt business Muntons has been named as the UK’s 20th greenest company in a recent Sunday Times table.

United Biscuits (UK) is to launch a rewards scheme for its McVitie’s brand biscuits. McVitie’s VIP Club will offer consumers the chance to claim tea break treats, using a unique code, or to build up a collection of points in order to claim larger rewards. The firm claims it will be the first-ever consumer biscuit collect and reward scheme.

Tesco has had to withdraw an advertisement about its in-store bakeries after a complaint by the Real Bread Campaign was upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The UK government has confirmed its intention to retain the Food Standards Agency (FSA), though a number of its former policy areas will become the responsibility of other government departments.

Tameside College bakery student Cameron Potts has been selected for the Hovis Scholarship Award, which enables students to obtain first-hand bakery experience through working with industry professionals.

Johnstone’s Bakers has announced that its turnover has more than trebled since 2007 following a major investment in a state-of-the-art factory.

The planting of wheat in Britain has increased in area by 10% compared to last year's figures, according to the HGCA's Planting and Variety Survey for the 2010 crop. Conducted by the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board's cereals and oilseeds team, it revealed wheat planting has risen from 1.803m hectares (ha) to 1.992m ha, with the Group 4 wheat variety now making up over half (51%) of the total wheat produced in the UK. Group 1 plantings, the varieties that produce consistent milling and baking performance, were up 1%, to 17% of total wheat plantings. However AHDB senior cereals and oilseeds analyst Michael Archer said Group 1 plantings were up by 10% in the south east. Group 3 plantings, which contain soft varieties for cake flours for example, were 4% down.

l World salt talks have been taking place in London. A salt reduction forum, hosted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the World Health Organization, looked at what is necessary to set up a successful salt reduction strategy. The link to the report will be made available on the FSA's website: food.gov.uk.

Jim Winship

Broadway Bagels of Dungarvan, Co Waterford, has won its first export deal to mainland Europe, for its frozen, pre-sliced bagels.

The Fabulous Bakin' Boys plans to invest £6m in a new fully automatic snack cake line, which will enable it to double capacity at its Oxfordshire bakery.

Braeside Country Pies has announced its first listings in the UK multiple and independent retail sector, and is seeking to expand its UK business further.

Warburtons saw a respectable rise in profits last year despite an "unprecedented" hike in commodity prices.

Free-from bakery firm Droppa & Droppa Specialist Foods has won a contract to supply gluten-, wheat- and dairy-free breads to London firm The Bread Factory.

Sales of muffins, cookies and cake slices bounced back from the recession in the past year as consumers began trading up to premium products.

Bakery products including muffins, flapjacks, rye bread and gluten-free loaves are available to buy through Amazon's new grocery website, which launched earlier this month.

Dublin-based Broderick's looks set to be a new contender in the UK cake and snack bar market after it secured its first UK listing, which will see the brand stocked in 200 WH Smith stores.

Artisan bakeries the Flour Station and the Bread Factory have won listings with Union Market a newly launched retailer that combines elements of a farmers' market with the convenience of a supermarket.

A new online salt calculator has been launched by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to help craft bakers reduce the amount of salt in their bread.

Supermarket enthusiasm for bread made with 100% British flour continues to grow, with Morrisons looking into making the switch in its in-store bakeries and Tesco launching an advertising campaign highlighting the use of home-grown wheat in its in-store farmhouse loaves.

The Richemont Bakery School in Lucerne, Switzerland, is to host a special course on decorative breads, marzipan modelling and chocolates, from 17-21 October.

Greenwich bakery Paul Rhodes London has opened a second upmarket shop in Notting Hill and hopes to open two more next year in the capital.

The baking industry has to wait until autumn to discover whether the Food Standards Agency (FSA) will be axed as part of the government's cost-cutting agenda.

Despite the Met Office announcing the sunniest June since 1929, the rise in wheat prices in the past few weeks could mean a significant increase in flour costs.

Costa is turning its coffee shops green to reduce carbon emissions and conserve water.

Bakery chain Greggs has called time on one of its late-night stores after a trial failed to pull in enough customers.

Bakery sales at Northern Foods dipped 5.6% in the first quarter of the year, after promotions were put on hold during the World Cup.

Starbucks insists it is on the road to recovery in the UK despite the latest dismal results. Figures filed at Companies House for the 12 months to 27 September show it made a loss after taxation of £52.1m compared with a loss of £46.9m the previous year.

Warburtons has become one of the first brands to simplify on-pack dates.

Scottish bakery ingredients manufacturer Macphie of Glenbervie has launched its first-ever consumer brand as it looks to double its turnover to £80m in the next 10 years.

A sandwich of smoked cheese, pesto, roasted peppers and onions with sundried tomatoes and rocket leaves has been named as the tastiest in Northern Ireland.

A sandwich of smoked cheese, pesto, roasted peppers and onions with sun-dried tomatoes and rocket leaves has been named as the tastiest in Northern Ireland.

Exhibitor spaces at this year’s Bakers’ Fair in Bolton are filling up fast, with several companies taking stands at the one-day show for the first time.

Robotics and automation expert CenFRA has been working with Melton Mowbray pork pie manufacturer Vale of Mowbray to reduce the cost of a planned expansion project.

A new online salt calculator has been launched to help craft bakers reduce the amount of salt in their bread and reach government salt targets within six weeks.

There’s just over one week left to get your entries in for Britain’s Best Cupcake Baker 2010, so make sure you get them in the post.

The fourth International Bakery Exhibition (ibex) is to be held from 17-20 October 2010 at the International Permanent Fairground in Tehran, Iran.

Kingsmill is to continuing in its bid to reduce carbon emissions with the introduction of new eco-friendly delivery trucks to its fleet.

Patisserie Valerie is inviting customers to celebrate France’s Bastille Day at its new Knightsbridge outlet, which opens on the same day.

Community-supported business The Handmade Bakery has achieved a national co-operative accolade.

Braeside Country Pies has announced its first listings in the UK multiple and independent retail sector, and is actively seeking to expand its UK business further.

Free-from bakery firm Droppa & Droppa Specialist Foods has won a contract to supply a number of its gluten-, wheat- and dairy-free breads to London-firm The Bread Factory.

Raisins: California has significantly increased exports this season from a reduced total crop. The development of the new crop in Turkey is not quite as good as earlier reports suggested. Given Turkey's major loss of raisin business to California this season, weather permitting at harvest, it is highly likely that Turkey will aim for optimal raisin production.

Researchers from California and Spain have concluded that regular peanut consumption improves cholesterol levels and contributes to heart health, following data collated from 25 nut consumption trials across seven countries.

Alan Stuart

The standard rate of VAT will increase from 17.5% to 20% from 4 January 2011, announced Chancellor George Osborne in his first Budget, but zero-rating for most food remains in place.

The Food Standards Agency's (FSA) position as the nation's nutritional guardian appears to be slipping as fellow government quango the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) publishes conflicting advice on saturated fats.

Honeytop has more than doubled capacity at its bakery and claims to have the world's largest and fastest tortilla line.

Consumer demand for healthier breads has led malted ingredients supplier Muntons to double output at its flake manufacturing site. The firm is now capable of supplying more than 10,000 tonnes of malted flakes per year.

Many independent sandwich shops and cafés would go out of business if they were obliged to serve food that was healthy, fair, and green, according to a damning new report from the New Economics Foundation (NEF).

Desserts have shown stronger growth than many frozen cate-gories during the recession, as they are seen as better value for money.

The European Parliament (EP) has been forced to quell fears that bakery businesses would be banned from denoting the number of products on multi-packs, after a proposal for the continuation of selling by number was rejected by MEPs in a recent vote.

Linlithgow-based designer cake business Truly Scrumptious is to open a Cupcake Café Bar alongside its newly opened Cake Decorating School later this month.

The new government looks set to simplify the planning system and encourage coffee shops to open stores in high streets.

Goal for Jaffa Cakes

Roberts Bakery has bought Aldreds the Bakers after parent company D&G Food Group put its four bakeries up for sale earlier this month.

Hayden's Bakeries has opened bigger premises in Devizes, with the aim of creating 150 new jobs over the next three years.

The members of the UK team that will be representing the nation in the SIGEP Bread Cup, in Rimini, Italy next January can now be confirmed.

British Baker is delighted to announce that renowned TV presenter and producer Esther Rantzen CBE is to host this year's Baking Industry Awards on Wednesday 8 September at the Park Lane Hilton, London.

Leading UK cake experts will judge entries for Britain's Best Cupcake Baker 2010, part of the build-up to National Cupcake Week, running from 13-19 September. They are: John Slattery, Slattery's Patissier and Chocolatier; Chris Bachmann, Bachmann's Patisserie and Chocolate Creations; and Eric Lanlard, Cake Boy.

Cornish pasties could be granted PGI status within seven months, after the case was published in the Official European Union Journal.

Helen Gregory

Scullions Wholesale Bakery, a subsidiary of the McGhee Group, has bought fellow Scottish firm Fords Bakery out of administration, saving 87 jobs. However, the East Lothian firm's nine shops have closed, with the loss of 41 staff, and another 26 have been made redundant from the bakery in Prestonpans.

Wrap manufacturer Mission Foods has teamed up with the hit West End Musical We Will Rock You for its latest on-pack promotion.

From today (1 July) all pre-packaged organic produce will need to carry the new Euro-leaf logo. The new EU organic logo was designed by German student Dusan Milenkovic after a pan-European competition was held by the European Commission.

Hayden’s Bakeries has opened bigger premises in Devizes, with the aim of creating 150 new jobs over the next three years.

Leading UK cake experts will judge entries for Britain’s Best Cupcake Baker 2010, part of the build-up to National Cupcake Week, running from 13-19 September.

Biscuit maker Bahlsen is to take on McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes with a new six-figure advertising campaign for its Messino cake – an “upmarket oblong Jaffa”.

All flour bought by government departments will soon have to conform to British farming and manufacturing standards. Under a new government plan, flour used in hospitals, schools and prisons will have to meet production standards such as the Red Tractor scheme or LEAF Marque scheme.

The European Parliament (EP) has been forced to quell fears that food businesses would be banned from denoting the number of products on-pack, after a proposal for the continuation of selling by number was rejected by MEPs in a recent vote.

Irwin’s Bakery will invest €1m into its Irish supply chain network during the next three years to create a direct route to retailers in the Dublin area.

Linlithgow-based designer cake business Truly Scrumptious is to open a Cupcake Cafe Bar amd Cake Decorating School later this month.

In honour of playing in the World Cup we've designed a fun-style cake to share while you watch the match!

Scullions Wholesale Bakery, a subsidiary of the McGhee Group, has bought fellow Scottish firm Fords Bakery out of administration, saving 87 jobs.

Unifine Food & Bake Ingredients is to support UK participants in the Amoretti 2010 World Pastry Team Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, in July.

The standard rate of VAT will increase from 17.5% to 20% from 4 January 2011, announced chancellor George Osborne in his first Budget earlier today, but zero-rating for most food remains in place.

Roberts Bakery has purchased Aldreds the Bakers after parent company D&G Food Group put its four bakeries up for sale earlier this month.

Almonds: There has been a more favourable May almond estimate of 700,000mt+, over 100,000mt better than was previously estimated after the bloom. For now at least and up to the next estimate, the trend is for lower pricing, but this would be immediately reversed by a more negative new crop figure in June.

Alex Waugh

Swiss-based baker Aryzta has unveiled two acquisitions that it hopes will strengthen its market position in Europe and the US.

Mono Equipment has purchased the exclusive rights to manu-facture Bluebird Packaging Machines' product range, after the firm went into liquidation in April.

Warburtons has announced a long-term extension to its UK milling wheat contract with farmer-owned business Open-field, as it continues to maintain its support of British wheat.

Subway has taken the number one spot for UK sandwich sales, according to a report published by the British Sandwich Association (BSA).

Renshaw looks set to grow by over a quarter as the bakery ingredients supplier reported spring sales matching those of the Christmas peak.

Clark's Pies is targeting business growth by merging its two Cardiff bakeries.

It has to be one of the most talked-about television shows on a bakery in history. The first episode of the new series of Mary Queen of Shops, screened on 7 June, saw retail guru Mary Portas come head-to-head with Maher & Sons bakery owner Angela Maher in a battle of wills. This culminated in Portas and her crew being asked to stop filming and leave the premises.

Consumers would welcome a national food hygiene rating scheme for cafés, restaurants, shops and bars, reports the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Almost 1,000 entries were submitted for competition classes at the Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees' (ABST) Annual Conference, held at the Alton Towers Hotel from 11-13 June, up from over 700 last year.

Almost 60 jobs have been lost after D&G Food Group called in administrators and put its four bakery companies up for sale.

Think you're the cupcake king or queen? Now's your chance to let your cakes shine, as British Baker launches its search for Britain's Best Cupcake Baker 2010.

Rich Products has announced it is to spend over £1m on a new toppings and icings factory in the UK, marking a "significant investment" for the firm.

Waitrose has restructured all of its buying teams, with food-to-go and bakery merged under one head of department.

Sainsbury's and Asda have welcomed several new faces to their bakery teams in recent weeks.

Staff at the Maple Leaf bakery plant in Walsall are to be balloted on industrial action, following a breakdown in negotiations over pay rates.

Patrick McGuigan

The media spotlight fell on craft bakers and the role they play in the community last week, with National Craft Bakers' Week generating a host of positive newspaper stories and features on TV and radio.

The hunt is officially on to find Britain's Best Cupcake Baker 2010. Cake specialists, craft and in-store bakeries across the UK are invited to enter the competition to find the nation’s most outstanding cupcake baker.

MEPs have rejected the inclusion of a provision in the Food Information Regulation (FIR) directive, which would allow bakers in the EU selling wrapped products by number to continue doing so, following a vote at the European Parliament yesterday (16 June).

MEPs have thrown out a proposal for ‘traffic light’ values on food packaging, but have backed plans for food labels that feature mandatory nutritional information, defeating the UK Food Standards Agency’s wish to see traffic light labelling adopted universally.

Staff at the Maple Leaf bakery plant in Walsall are to be balloted on industrial action, following a breakdown in negotiations over pay rates.

The European Parliament is to vote on the inclusion of a provision in the Food Information Regulation (FIR) directive, which would see UK bakers selling wrapped products by numbers allowed to continue doing so.

A bakery producing sourdough breads and homemade cakes is set to be at the heart of a new local food shop and café in Exeter, which is to be financed entirely with investment from the local community.

Bristol-based eco-bakery The Thoughtful Bread Company has moved to a new purpose-built bakery at Farrington’s Farm Shop.

It has to be one of the most talked-about television shows on a bakery in history. The first episode of the new series of Mary Queen of Shops, screened on 7 June, saw retail guru Mary Portas come head-to-head with Maher & Sons bakery owner Angela Maher in a battle of wills. This culminated in Portas and her crew being asked to stop filming and leave the premises.

Swiss-based baker Aryzta has unveiled two acquisitions that it hopes will strengthen its market position in Europe and the US.

Mono Equipment has announced the purchase of Bluebird Packaging Machines after it went into liquidation in April.

Hobbs House Bakery has claimed it sells the most expensive loaf in the UK, at £21 a pop – if it's sold in a gift box that is. Its Shepherds Loaf was created by Tom Herbert, a director at the Circencester-based bakery, as part of the BBC 4 programme ‘In Search of the Perfect Loaf’, which aired in March this year.

Warburtons has announced a long-term extension to its UK milling wheat contract with farmer-owned business Openfield, as it continues to maintain its support of British wheat.

Entries for California Raisins Bread Competition 2010 need to be sent to Bako North Western by 30 June, not Bako Northern as previously stated.

Subway has taken the number one spot for UK sandwich sales according to a report published by the British Sandwich Association (BSA).

National Craft Bakers’ Week (NCBW) has got off to a flying start, with cakes already sent to a number of national TV and radio stations, from bakers across the UK, in order to promote the week.

Pinenuts: further hit by the impact of the weak sterling, prices remain extremely high and, given that replenishment from the Chinese new crop is still some six months away, it is hard to see how there can be any major price correction this side of January 2011. Global demand for pine nuts overall has declined at these historically high prices.

Grain prices in 2009/10 have been much below the level of the previous two years. During the months before Easter, wheat prices drifted further along, with good news about the area planted for the coming harvest and the condition of crops emerging from winter; consequently expectations are for a large world crop in 2010.

Paul Catterall,

Lees Foods has seen its year-on-year pre-tax profit increase more than two-fold from £379,000 in 2008 to £843,000 in 2009.

Flintshire firm Tasties has landed a deal to supply 13 Tesco stores in North Wales with a new range of sandwiches.

Strong sandwich sales and consumer demand for meal deals has helped Greencore to raise its operating profit by 31.8% to E25.9m (£22m) for the half year ended 26 March 2010.

Roberts Bakery has announced a pre-tax profit increase of 37% to £6.92m as it filed its accounts for the year to 29 August 2009.

Maple Leaf Bakeries UK is to relaunch its New York Bakery Co brand in the autumn following news that its sales have dipped.

Waitrose is set to launch a 13-strong range of crusty loaves, made with only English flour, in a bid to "make English bread great again".

Walkers Charnwood Bakery was awarded the Supreme Champion title for its pork, chicken and ham creation, at the British Pie Awards, held recently.

The directors of Sunfresh Bakers Ltd were asked to stump up more to buy their business out of administration after a revaluation by their bank.

Pre-tax profit may be down, but Northern Foods has said it is investing for growth, with the planned relaunch of its Good-fella's pizza brand this year.

A community bakery hopes to open its doors before Christmas, after raising thousands of pounds from local shareholders.

A new law to clamp down on illegal computer file-sharing will not initially target coffee shops and bakeries offering WiFi to customers.

Maher & Sons Bakery is to feature in the new series of Mary Queen of Shops, to be broadcast from 7 June on BBC2.

Chilled speciality breadmaker New Primebake is on a recruitment drive to help meet demand for its products.

Stephen Ort, previously a regular contributor to British Baker, died recently after a long illness.

National Craft Bakers' Week (NCBW) is just around the corner, so make sure you have all your point-of-sale (POS) and promotional materials at the ready, and posters up in your windows.

Helen Gregory

New bakery qualifications will not replace NVQs in September, as widely thought. Instead, bakery colleges have been told they will be able to run NVQs and the new IPQs (Improve Proficiency Qualifications) in tandem.

The Real Good Food Company has announced a return to fortunes following a flat year in 2008, with Hayden's Bakery and Renshaw leading the revival.

Roberts Bakery has announced a pre-tax profit increase of 37% to £6.92m as it filed its accounts for the year to 29 August 2009.

Maher & Sons Bakery is to feature in the new series of Mary Queen of Shops, to be broadcast from 7 June on BBC2.

Pre-tax profit may be down, but Northern Foods has said it is investing for growth, with the planned relaunch of its Goodfella’s pizza brand this year.

Waitrose is set to launch a 13-strong range of crusty loaves, made with only English flour, in a bid to “make English bread great again”.

Craft bakers are using an innovative website as a low-cost way to help advertise their business.

Square Pie has announced that its Pie World Cup is to return to coincide with the Football World Cup this summer.

Lees Foods has seen its year-on-year pre-tax profit increase more than twofold from £379k in 2008 to £843k in 2009.

Strong sandwich sales and consumer demand for meal deals has helped Greencore to up its operating profit by 31.8%, to €25.9m for the half year ended 26 March, 2010.

Flintshire firm Tasties has landed a deal to supply Tesco’s 13 stores in North Wales with a new range of sandwiches.

Stephen Ort, previously a regular contributor to British Baker, died recently after a long illness.

Walkers Charnwood Bakery walked away from Melton Mowbray with an armful of accolades, including Supreme Champion, at the British Pie Awards on Wednesday.

Raisins: With provisional prospects looking increasingly optimistic for both optimal Californian and Turkish new crops from August, raisin pricing over the next four to five months will be largely determined in California, by their ability or willingness to compete with Turkey.

Matthew Goodman,

Edinburgh-based artisan bakery Peter's Yard has announced that its handmade Swedish crispbreads will now be available on the shelves of Selfridges' food hall.

West Sussex firm Prosperity Brownies has started supplying nine Waitrose stores in Sussex with its brownies and flapjacks this month.

Scottish bakery companies McGhee's and Pars Foods expect to sell half a million of their new reduced-fat Scotch pies in the next year, after launching the product at the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park stadium.

French boulangerie and patis-serie chain Maison Blanc has announced that it has won new business with Sainsbury's.

Manchester-based GH Sheldon plans to boost sales with the supermarkets and expand into other channels after investing nearly £4m in a second bakery.

Training and education were at the forefront of the National Association of Master Bakers' achievements last year, outlined by chairman of the board Mike Holling at the annual conference.

Trading Standards Officers (TSOs) will spearhead a project to test the salt levels of bread in craft bakeries across the UK and provide advice on how to reduce salt content in products.

Sixth outlet for Gail's

Cheap and 'recession-busting' sandwich ranges threaten to undermine consumer perceptions of quality and value for money in the category, according to a new report from the British Sandwich Association.

Co Londonderry-based artisan bakery Genesis Crafty has launched a new Irish Bakery range in Marks & Spencer, after successfully gaining supplier accreditation by the store.

A leading gluten-free bakery supplier has warned that the category could become commoditised if supermarkets continue to push their own-label products.

Bakery retailer Greggs has revealed that it has found a piece of land which it believes is the right location for its planned new bakery in the south.

Marks & Spencer is the first British supermarket to launch a range of whoopie pies the latest bakery craze from the US with over 20,000 products sold in the first weekend.

Just over one year on from Délifrance's acquisition of Le Pain Croustillant and Sofrapain from Premier Foods, the integration is now complete.

A Belfast bakery has closed down less than two years after moving to a new 16,000sq ft factory, which was part-funded with government money.

Manchester-based Martins Foods has purchased craft bakery Mellors out of administration, saving 50 jobs. Mellors Ltd went into administration on 22 April, and was bought by Martins the next day.

by Georgi Gyton

Newly-formed bakery firm Mathiesons Foods Limited is already making plans to streamline operations at its three bakery production sites in Scotland.

Canadian coffee and doughnuts franchise chain Tim Hortons, which operates 290 self-service kiosks in convenience stores in the UK and Ireland, is set to expand its international operation with fast-growing China and India seen as potential targets.

There are only two days left until the deadline for all entries to the Baking Industry Awards 2010. So if you haven’t sent your entry form in yet, make sure you do it by end of Friday, 21 May!

Warburtons has announced that no compulsory redundancies are set to be made in the first phase of its £25m Bolton bakery redevelopment.

Bakery products sold by number, such as four-packs of crumpets and six-packs of rolls, are under threat because proposed EC labelling legislation only makes provision for products sold by weight.

Co Londonderry-based artisan bakery Genesis Crafty has launched a new Irish Bakery range in Marks & Spencer, after successfully gaining supplier accreditation from the retailer.

A cupcake bakery and café, which creates training and job opportunities for people who have been made homeless, is part of a £10m scheme to improve a Birmingham-based housing and support group.

It is with regret that British Baker announces the death of Ronnie Mackay, aged 92, on 25 April.

By Max Jenvey of Oxxygen Marketing Partnership, a strategic business agency, specialising in the bakery, foodservice and convenience retail sectors

Délifrance UK has announced the launch of 80 new product lines from May.

Pieminister has launched a new flavour in response to demand for original vegetarian pies. Its Mean Bean Pie is filled with Mexican three-bean chilli, butternut squash and fresh coriander.

Bakehouse has launched a new range of fully baked pastries called Patisse, designed to meet the demand for premium sweet pastries reminiscent of those found in high-end patisserie outlets.

Almonds:

US machine supplier United Bakery Equipment (UBE) is on a mission to crack the UK market.

Dutch firm Sonneveld, which produces bread improvers, mixes and release agents, is to become part of Orkla Food Ingredients (OFI) in Norway.

Starbucks sales climb

Nick Harris

Worldwide bakery supplier CSM revealed falling demand in its bakery supplies for the first quarter of the year, with a 1.2% drop in volume compared to Q1 2009.

Poor bakery sales in the UK have helped to cause a decline in Maple Leaf Food's fortunes.

Bakers and manufacturers are being warned of possible egg shortages when new EU legislation takes effect.

Hummingbird deal

Ginsters aims to drive forward growth in the snacking and sharing occasion with the launch of new savoury products in time for summer. The Cornish firm has also made further investments in automation at its Lynher bakery in Callington in order to increase production at the site, and has just completed the commission of a Schubert pick-and-place machine an investment of £1.2m.

The deadline is looming for entry into the competitions to be held at the Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees' (ABST) Annual Conference, on 12 June. The conference takes place at the Alton Towers Hotel, Alton Towers, from 11-13 June.

New Covent Garden has made a break away from fresh soups and has launched its first range of chilled quiches. The firm, which also offers a range of risottos, has made the decision to diversify in order to strengthen its brand's all-year-round appeal.

Following a huge overhaul of the French boulangerie and patisserie chain, Maison Blanc's 14 shops are now positioned for the growth of the brand planned over the next three years.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is carrying out a review of its high workplace temperatures policy, with a view to drawing up sector-specific guidance for bakery workers, and is looking for craft bakers to voice their views.

Hovis is to make at least 115 workers redundant as it attempts to reduce its debts.

A revised deadline of 21 May has been given for all categories in this year's Baking Industry Awards. So make sure you get your entries in as soon as possible. The Awards, now in their 23rd year, celebrate the best of the British baking industry, and are attended by key players from across the industry.

Scottish conference

Paddy Garvey, a renowned figure in the Irish bakery trade, has lost his battle with cancer. He died in a Dublin hospice at the end of April, having been seriously ill for over a year.

Chevler has announced it is to introduce a new production planning system, in order to cope with soaring demand for its baking cases and muffin wraps.

Sylvia Macdonald

Unifine Food & Bake Ingredients has signed a sole UK distribution, sales and marketing agreement with pastry-maker Pruvé.

Don’t forget to make the most of National Doughnut Week 2010, which kicks off this Saturday. The week, sponsored by CSM UK, runs from 8-15 May and raises money for charity The Children’s Trust, through the sale of doughnuts.

Following a huge overhaul of the French boulangerie and patisserie chain, Maison Blanc’s 14 shops are now positioned for the growth of the brand planned over the next three years.

New Covent Garden has made a break away from fresh soups and has launched its first range of chilled quiches. The firm, which also offers a range of risottos, has made the decision to diversify in order to strengthen its brand’s all-year-round appeal.

Poor bakery sales in the UK have helped to cause a decline in Maple Leaf Food’s fortunes.

Bakers and manufacturers are being warned of possible egg shortages when new EU legislation takes effect. From January 2012, it will be illegal in EU countries to produce eggs from traditional battery cages. Instead, producers must convert to new enriched cages, which have more space, perches, a scratching area and nest boxes.

Chevler has announced it is to introduce a new production planning system, in order to cope with soaring demand for its baking cases and muffin wraps.

Costa Coffee has revealed its plans to open another 130 stores in the UK during 2010/2011, although its main focus will be on expanding its international business.

Dutch firm Sonneveld, which produces bread improvers, mixes and release agents, is to become part of Orkla Food Ingredients (OFI) in Norway.

Make sure you get your entries in for the Baking Industry Awards before the May 7 deadline. The Awards, now in their 23rd year, celebrate the very best of the British baking industry, and are attended by key players from across the industry.

An unusual fruit from a native African tree, the baobab, is now available for use in bakery products such as cereal bars, muffins and cakes.

Nortech Foods has joined up with New Britain Oils Limited (NBOL) to offer fully certified sustainable palm oil in a packaged format to food manufacturers.

Fox's has re-launched its Cookie Bars with no artificial colours or flavours. Available this month, the new bars will be targeted at "family chocolate biscuit bar buyers", said the firm.

CSM United Kingdom has launched a new Craigmillar Cookie Mix, designed to give bakers flexibility and add variety to their cookie menu.

Gordon Polson

The bakery option on a new advanced diploma in Artisan Food Production is over-subscribed as people look to retrain and set up their own businesses.

The low-carbohydrate Atkins diet, which encourages followers to virtually give up eating bread, has been relaunched, with a new book outlining a revised version of the diet and a £200,000 campaign in national newspapers promoting Atkins food products.

Tromp sales office

The qualifying and selection rounds for the 2011 UK SIGEP Bread Cup Team will take place at the Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees (ABST) annual conference on 12 June.

Two former Dublin bank wor-kers, Graham Clarke and Sophie Morris, who started their own company Kooky Dough, are now supplying 20 stores across Ireland, including four branches of the Superquinn supermarket.

Organic bakery producers have come forward with stories of sales growth in response to the Organic Market Report, which revealed that sales of organic bread and bakery items had plummeted during the recession.

Make sure you get your entries in for the Baking Industry Awards. The Awards, now in their 23rd year, celebrate the best of the British baking industry, and are attended by key players from across the industry.

Scottish firm Tunnocks has invested £4m in new machinery to improve efficiency at its Uddingston site, which produces caramel wafers and teacakes.

Oaty breads are set to become the new battleground in the bread fixture, after Hovis revealed an ambitious £30m 12-month sales target for its Hearty Oats loaf.

NAMB conference

Exports of sweet and savoury biscuits and cakes rose in 2009, according to new report on UK Food & Drink Export Perfor-mance, published by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

The Scottish Association of Master Bakers has assumed the new corporate identity of Scottish Bakers, as part of a revamp of the organisation's operations. "As part of this, we wanted to create a fresh public image," explained chief executive Kirk Hunter. "We felt it wasn't obvious to the public what the SAMB was all about."

Supermarket sales of speciality bread have bounced back from the recession as shoppers opt to save money by cooking at home rather than dining out.

The Scottish Association of Master Bakers has assumed the new corporate identity of Scottish Bakers, as part of a revamp of the organisation’s operations.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is in the process of carrying out a review of its high workplace temperatures policy, with a view to drawing up sector-specific guidance for bakery workers, and is looking for craft bakers to voice their views.

Scottish-firm Tunnocks has invested £4m in new machinery to improve efficiency at its Uddingston site, which produces caramel wafers and teacakes.

Make sure you get your entries in for the Baking Industry Awards before the 7 May deadline. The Awards, now in their 23rd year, celebrate the very best of the British baking industry, and are attended by key players from across the industry.

Devon-based Pipers Farm has signed a deal potentially worth £20,000 to supply a range of bespoke pies to Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Capital FM radio presenters Johnny Vaughan and Lisa Snowdon are fronting a new £3m marketing campaign to promote Kraft’s new Belvita Breakfast brand – a range of biscuits targeting the breakfast market.

Convenience food group Uniq has announced its first quarter group sales were up 4.2%, compared to the first three months of 2009.

Bread is one of the most commonly bought items from local stores, but shoppers are often disappointed with the shops’ quality and choice, according to a new report from YouGov SixthSense.

Starbucks has teamed up with dairy company Arla Foods to launch two new coffee drinks in the UK.

Sales of organic bread and bakery items have plummeted during the recession, according to the latest Organic Market Report.

There were sparkles to make cupcakes shimmer, hand-raised pork pie demos for purists, ovens with small footprints and big clear programming panels, plus a Smart car for smart buyers of a smart new dough processing line. And the latest craze? Let's hear it for whoopie cakes! Yes, BIE had plenty to interest and entertain, so in the following pages we start to look at some of the new launches and speak to the people behind them.

Pine nuts: The Chinese home-grown crop was smaller than forecast, and the expected supplemental supply from Russia has dried up. With globally warmer weather also apparently impacting on the yield itself, there has been an estimated 60% reduction in supply and prices are now trading at levels over 125% higher than previous highs.

Britvic Soft Drinks Report 2010

Kirk Hunter

Aberdeenshire shortbread and biscuit producer Dean's is seeking to increase its turnover by £3m to £10m by 2012, following a re-launch of its core biscuit range this spring.

Highland-based Nevis Bakery has more than doubled capacity after investing £500,000 in a move to larger premises, enabling it to meet growing demand for its premium biscuits, shortbread and loaf cakes.

The 2.2% rise in the national minimum wage, due to come into force in October 2010, has been slammed by bakers, who argue that it could hamper economic recovery and put jobs at risk.

US franchise sandwich chain Quiznos has seen its retail estate in the UK shrink by nearly two-thirds in the past two years, with its store in Crawley, West Sussex, the latest to close down.

Rumours that Waitrose is in talks to acquire 102-shop sandwich chain EAT fits well with the retai-ler's strategy of moving from being a conventional supermarket to becoming a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brand.

The Europain exhibition, which took place on 6-10 March in Paris, has not issued a final figure for visitors. However, while very busy, the organisers state that, with industry turnover down 30% in France in 2009, it was not surprising French visitors declined by 11% and international by 15% .

New coffee chain Love Coffee is stepping into the gap left by BB's Coffee & Muffins, with a goal for 25 outlets by the end of the year. Former BB's Coffee & Muffins franchisee Shashi Patel, of DJ & C Foods, is planning to roll out the new chain in shopping centre locations across the UK.

Meat pie and pasty producers are unconcerned that they could be forced to disclose ingredients' origins if European legislation gets the go-ahead.

Doughnut Week deal

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has unveiled the first raft of its recommendations for reducing saturated fat and added sugar in bakery pro-ducts, following its consultation last summer.

Fresh produce supplier Country Fresh is looking to build up its new bakery arm into a £1m operation in the next two years.

ISB bread criticism

Warburtons has announced the purchase of North East Bakery's former site in Newburn, after the retail and wholesale business went into administration in December last year.

The Worshipful Company of Bakers is asking employers to urgently put forward candidates for three awards for expenses-paid trips to the renowned Richemont School in Switzerland.

Former Avana Bakeries and Memory Lane Cakes MD Mike Woods has set up a new firm making nut-free celebration cakes.

Jobs at Sunfresh Bakers are safe, after bosses bought the business out of administration.

Hovis hopes to persuade more people to have toast for breakfast, by reminding them of the health benefits of Hovis Wholemeal.

Jackson's MD change

By Patrick McGuigan

Iconic US doughnut brand Krispy Kreme plans to double its number of stores in the UK in the next five years and increase sales through Tesco, as part of a massive £12m expansion plan.

The qualifying and selection rounds for the 2011 UK SIGEP Bread Cup Team will take place at the Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees (ABST) annual conference on 12 June.

Jobs at Sunfresh Bakers are safe, after bosses bought the business out of administration.

Directors Stephen and Mark Taylor bought its assets and goodwill, safeguarding 140 jobs, and will now trade as Taylors the Bakers.

New coffee chain Love Coffee is stepping into the gap left by BB’s Coffee & Muffins, with a goal for 25 outlets by the end of the year.

Bakery and sandwiches are among the top three performing categories for Northern Foods, which announced group like-for-like sales were up 1% on last year.