Baking Industry Awards 2024 winners revealed

A baker from Cumbria, a Cardiff craft bakery, and the UK’s biggest bakery brand are among the winners of the Baking Industry Awards 2024.

The awards, which took place at the Royal Lancaster in London on Thursday 24 October 2024, recognise excellence in the baking industry. The winning people, products, and businesses were chosen following months of judging, which included site visits, interviews, and product testing to ensure they were worthy of these accolades.

These awards have been going for nearly 40 years and recognise the best and brightest the industry has to offer, from skilled artisan bakers to large-scale manufacturers, nationwide retailers, and up-and-coming bakery brands,” said British Baker editor Amy North.

“Following a trying few years, bakery has further cemented itself as a pillar of the food & drink industry. Our latest collection of winners showcase why it is such a driving force as they demonstrate innovative thinking, successful strategy at all scales, and unmatched passion for the baked goods they produce whether they’re the nation’s daily bread or an occasional afternoon pick-me-up.”

Here’s the full list of the Baking Industry Awards 2024 winners – click on each one to find out more about what made them shine:

Baker of the Year: Aidan Monks from Lovingly Artisan

Sponsored by Brook Food & Bakery Equipment

Aidan hasn’t let complacency sink in since taking home the Baker of the Year trophy in 2019. He has maintained a position of being ‘front and centre’ of Cumbria-based bakery Lovingly Artisan, including a hands-on role in production and helping to build relationships with suppliers and customers. It was his passion and continuous drive for improvement which saw him secure title ahead of a three other highly talented finalists, with judges lauding his “outstanding” output, adding that the products were “as usual, very good”. 

Bakery Brand of the Year: Jason’s Sourdough

Sponsored by Zeppelin Systems

Jason’s Sourdough has quickly secured itself a decent slice of the UK bread market by focusing on the premium pre-packed bread segment with a range of sourdough loaves and rolls. Its objectives for the past year were to increase availability, awareness, and penetration in order to grow retail sales values – something it has undoubtedly achieved. Its products are now in more than 3,000 stores nationwide and the brand has proved so popular that owner Geary’s Bakeries is investing £8m in a new manufacturing facility in Leicester to keep up with demand. It also wowed the judges with a “fantastic brand story”.

Bakery Manufacturer of the Year: Montana Bakery

Sponsored by Rademaker

Exceptional product quality, flexibility, speed to market, and a focus on developing the skills of its employees were among the attributes that saw Montana Bakery rise to the top of the manufacturers this year. The Berkshire-based business, which has reached £57m in turnover, runs two adjacent units at its site just a short hop from Heathrow airport, in which it manufacturers a range of premium tier focaccia, flatbreads, pizza bases, and more for discerning customers including several major supermarkets. Over 50% of the products are still finished by hand with toppings such as peppers, olives, and marinated onions.

Bakery Retailer of the Year: M&S

Sponsored by IFF

M&S continues to prove itself as a leader in bakery retailing having previously taken home the trophy in this category in 2022. Not resting on its laurels since the previous win, the team at M&S have been working hard to elevate its operation further to deliver a best-in-class operating model which is profitable for the business. This includes investing in its in-store bakeries with new space added to fixtures and ‘market-leading’ ovens rolled out. It has also revamped ranges and recipes for several core lines, including muffins, cookies, and handcrafted rolls.

Celebration Cake Maker of the Year: Elaine’s Creative Cakes

Sponsored by Finsbury Food Group

Elaine Hamey drew inspiration from local riverbanks and woodland for her winning cake which showcased techniques including marzipan and sugar paste modelling to airbrushing, hand-painting, brush embroidery, using boiled sugar to create rocks, and isomalt for a realistic water effect. “Every single element has been thought about meticulously,” noted the judges, who praised the innovative use of materials to achieve a realistic effect. A particular highlight was the use of semolina on sugar paste to make the bulrushes.

Craft Bakery Business of the Year: Pettigrew Bakeries

Sponsored by Dawn Foods

Family-run Cardiff sourdough and pastry specialist wowed the judges with exceptional products, a well thought out business model, and passionate staff. The business operates three sites across the city and the judges were particularly impressed with the use of different models for each one, designed to suit the location and customers of that area. The staff impressed the panel ensuring a positive atmosphere at every site. “The passion of every single member of staff shone through – they were engaged and excited to work for Pettigrew Bakeries and shared this excitement with the customers,” commented the judges.

Free-from Bakery Product of the Year: Gluten-Free Soft White Pittas, Warburtons

The Bolton-based bakery giant has created a gluten-free pitta that judges found indistinguishable from a standard one – describing it as “so soft, easy to fill, versatile, and fluffy” with a good crumb structure. Described as high in calcium and a great source of fibre, the Coeliac UK-certified pittas are produced at Warburtons’ gluten, wheat, and milk free bakery site in Newburn, Tyne and Wear.

Online Bakery Business of the Year: Cutter & Squidge

The dedication to online was what swung the judges in favour of this London-based sweet treat specialist, including a revamped website, lowered delivery prices, and specialised customer service team. Co-founded by sisters Annabel and Emily Lui, Cutter & Squidge pivoted to the online space during the pandemic and now completes 95% of its sales through its website. Products were said to be delicious and exceptionally presented upon arrival, looking exactly how they did on the website. “It was a genuine treat to receive through the post,” commented one judge.

Outstanding Contribution to the Baking Industry: George Stevenson

Sponsored by Délifrance

George Stevenson has been in the baking industry for nearly half a century during which time he has delivered growth for his family business and many others like it, and helped develop a programme which has become the backbone of training at many Scottish bakery businesses. His dedication and passion for the next generation of bakers is described as “unparalleled” and that his “leadership, determination, and energy delivered not only the training material but also the trainers and assessors.

New Bakery Product of the Year: Kimchi & Smoked Cheese Bear Claw, M’s Bakery

Sponsored by Baker & Baker

The Bournemouth-based business followed up on its Cube Croissant success in the category last year by applying its laminated croissant dough to a savoury offering. Judges remarked that they had never seen the combination of kimchi and cheese before, especially in a pastry format, but found all three components to be “really well executed” with excellent technical skills demonstrated. 

Rising Star Award: Naomi Spaven, Coleg Cambria

A finalist in this category last year, Naomi has triumphed following 12 months of work on her baking skills to fill the gaps in her knowledge. She has also taken on a new role as lead baker & patisserie chef iâl Restaurant at Coleg Cambria in Wrexham. The judges were blown away by her passion for all things bakery, adding that her “enthusiasm is infectious”. 

Speciality Bread Product of the Year: Sprouted Ancient Grain Sourdough from Stir Bakery

Sponsored by Bako

Described as nutrient dense and high in fibre, the loaf is comprised of 30% sprouted grains – emmer, einkorn, spelt, and rye – which provide a bittersweet and nutty flavour. It uses natural leaven, gentle kneading, and a long slow rise to preserve the strength of its softer wholegrain flours. Judges found the “incredible texture and flavour” of this sourdough was elevated even further with the bespoke presentation of its own baked plywood stable and branding on top.

Sustainability Initiative of the Year: Recyclable baking paper by Linwood Raker with Biffa and Greggs

Sponsored by Macphie

The collaborative partnership between baking paper supplier Linwood Raker (Food Paper), bakery giant Greggs, and waste management firm Biffa sought to divert thousands of tonnes of used baking paper into the recycling stream, avoiding alternative means of disposal. The trio faced many challenges along the way, particularly when it came to ensuring the paper was certified as recyclable but their dedication and tenacity saw the paper achieve On-Pack Recycling Labels (OPRL) approval last year.