Baking Industry Awards 2025 winners revealed

A female head baker from Oxfordshire, the manufacturer behind Jason’s Sourdough, and a regenerative agriculture specialist are among the 14 winners of the Baking Industry Awards 2025.

The awards, which took place at the Royal Lancaster in London on Thursday 23 October 2025, recognise and celebrate 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.

“Our latest collection of winners showcases the unbounded passion and talent that can be found within the baking industry,” said British Baker editor Amy North. “Not only this, but it demonstrates why bakery is such a force to be reckoned with in the food & drink industry, as our winners also stand as beacons of efficiency, sustainability, and unparalleled standards at all scales.”

Here’s the full list of the Baking Industry Awards 2025 winners – click on each one to find out more about what made them shine:

Baker of the Year: Tona Erreguin, Imma the Bakery

Sponsored by Brook Food & Bakery Equipment

As founder and head baker of Imma the Bakery in Stoke Row, South Oxfordshire, Tona is hands-on in the daily operation, always striving to make it better. She lives by the oath to “keep baking no matter what, to be better today than yesterday, to generate community, and to constantly re-invent ourselves” and this can be felt in the bakery. An array of sourdough loaves and pastries are on offer at the bakery, with the judges lauding the “quality and finish” of the products available.

Bakery Brand of the Year: Wildfarmed

Sponsored by Craggs & Co

“A masterclass in how to introduce a brand with impact, clarity, and momentum” was how the Baking Industry Awards judges described Wildfarmed’s entry into the bread market. The brand, which is on a mission to take regenerative agriculture to the mainstream, hit the wrapped bread and in-store bakery aisles in early 2024 with a five-strong range of products, including white sliced and seeded loaves, as well as rolls.

Bakery Manufacturer of the Year: Geary’s Bakeries

Sponsored by Fritsch Bakery Technologies

The Leicester-based company showcases “a strong heritage rooted in traditional craft baking, combined with impressive investment in modern facilities”, according to judges, who visited its new £36m production site shortly after it opened in May. This third bakery provides the manufacturer some much needed capacity for its vibrantly coloured Jason’s Sourdough range. In addition, the judges found the Geary’s team to have “a collective enthusiasm for their process, products, and growth which was truly impressive and demonstrated a clear strategy for the future”.

Bakery Retailer of the Year: Gail’s

Sponsored by IFF

Gail’s fought off stiff competition from three former category champions. Having been named a finalist last year, the business forged ahead on its strategic vision to ‘make exceptional craft baking a part of every community’, making some serious progress on the way. This includes adding more than 30 new sites to its estate, revamping its menu with a focus on diverse grains, and championing British farming. What’s more, it’s continued investment in recruitment and training resulted in our judges being greeted by “knowledgeable and enthusiastic” ‘Breadheads’ at every store visited.

Craft Bakery Business of the Year: Grant’s Bakery

Sponsored by Dawn Foods

“This is the sort of bakery everyone wishes they had in their town” – that’s how the Baking Industry Awards judges described Grant’s Bakery. Nestled in the heritage village of Corbridge and led by Andrew Cotterell, the business is on a mission to be known as “the best quality bakery in the north”. Since it took the title in 2020, Grant’s Bakery has invested in its operations, expanded its site, and also its range, resulting in a boost in revenue and average basket spend but crucially not at the expense of its product quality and standards.

Free-From Bakery Product of the Year: Original Vanilla Bean Glaze Doughnut, Borough 22

Borough 22 founder Ryan Panchoo may have taken years to develop an allergen-free fried doughnut, but it was worth it. Having proved successful among a loyal band of consumers, both online and at its concession in Selfridges London, it has now been named Free-From Bakery Product of the Year 2025. Judges were blown away by the doughnut during the tasting panel, highlighting its “fantastic structure” and aroma, and calling it an “impressive product that would get repeat purchase from consumers, not just those seeking gluten-free products”. 

New Bakery Product of the Year: Dirty Chai, Chocolate & Pistachio Babka, Patisserie Mark Bennett

Sponsored by Baker & Baker

The “perfect coffee shop treat” is how the judges described the Dirty Chai, Chocolate & Pistachio Babka from Patisserie Mark Bennett. The babka is made with the bakery’s house brioche dough and is infused with cinnamon, black pepper, clove, cardamom, and ginger before being rolled up with a chocolate filling to prove and then bake. It is then topped with a coffee icing and sprinkled with roasted chopped pistachios for added colour and texture.

Online Bakery Business of the Year: Mademoiselle Macaron

Sponsored by IRCA Group

The Edinburgh-based business says its offer of highly customised and bespoke macarons has been made possible by “investing heavily” in its website, which creates a unique customer journey and garners an unmatched standard of online reviews. Judges were won over by the “clean and easy to use” website and found it pleasantly straightforward to build a box of mixed flavours. There were also clear instructions on how to customise orders, with the resultant macarons “beautifully presented upon arrival”.

Outstanding Contribution to the Baking Industry: Peter Wenzel

Sponsored by Délifrance

Peter Wenzel’s career spans half a century. Having trained as a master baker, he established the first Wenzel’s the Bakers in Sudbury Hill, London in 1975. The business is currently celebrating its 50^th anniversary and has grown to operate more than 100 shops across London and the Home Counties employing 1,200 people. Peter has sought to embed them in every community, spearheading charity endeavours and community support initiatives, donating more than a million baked goods to local schools, and offering employment opportunities to those with disabilities. His “dedication and support go far beyond anything we could have dreamed of” said a trustee from one of the charities Peter supports.

Rising Star Award: Emily Anderson, Coopland & Son (Scarborough)

Sponsored by Rademaker

In her role at Scarborough-headquartered Cooplands, Emily is responsible for the bakery’s product development across all categories from sandwiches to confectionery. In the first half of the year, she took more than 65 products through the process with one of the most successful being the redevelopment of the bakery’s pies through a partnership with a local brewery. The judges were blown away by her ability to bring “passion, potential, and practical skills to the table”, with one adding that she “embodies what the baking industry truly needs right now”.

Speciality Bread Product of the Year: French Onion Soup Loaf, Patisserie Mark Bennett

Sponsored by Bako

This innovative and eye-catching loaf tasted exactly how it was described, to the delight of the judges who were already on board with the melted cheese topping and “nice chunks of onion” throughout. Mark Bennett, founder of the eponymous Dorset-based bakery chain, developed the recipe off the back of a customer competition to suggest new bread flavours. It uses scratch-made French onion soup instead of water to make the dough, which is yeast and bulk fermented for a lighter spongy texture. “Flavoursome” and “moreish” were just some of the compliments that judges gave the loaf.  

Supplier of the Year: Bako

By bakers for bakers – that’s the Bako motto. It was this ethos, present throughout Bako’s operations, which saw it crowned the first-ever Supplier of the Year. Its growth over the past year, partly driven by the acquisition of Finlay’s Foods, to become a full UK and Ireland-wide supplier with improved capabilities impressed the judges. As did the “the level of energy put into every aspect of the business”, from investments in efficiency to supporting the future of the industry, and steps on its sustainability journey. 

Sustainability Initiative of the Year: Regen flour brand and product launch, Wildfarmed

Sponsored by Macphie

“Sustainability is their raison d’etre,” commented a judge on Wildfarmed, adding “there is no one else that is doing as much to help spread awareness of regenerative agriculture, push its adoption, engage businesses of all sizes, educate all sectors of society, and even make it cool”. Clearly the brand hasn’t rested on its laurels since winning the category two years ago. It launched its first branded bread range in May 2024, which gained retail listings in Waitrose, Ocado and Tesco, and more recently teamed up with academic and commercial organisations to measure the biodiversity, carbon, and water health of its fields. 

Team of the Year: Ginger Bakers

Sponsored by Lavazza Coffee

This Kendal-based manufacturer stood out as a “heartfelt and authentic reflection of what a truly values-driven business looks like”, with judges particularly impressed by the sense of unity and mutual respect that runs through every aspect of its work. Ginger Bakers maintains a close-knit team of 10 including chefs, bakers, and assistants, plus managers for dispatch, customer services, sales, and marketing – all overseen by founder Lisa Smith who set it up in 2006. Everyone in the company is encouraged to contribute ideas, from cost savings, alternate suppliers, and process efficiencies, to brand new recipes such as gluten-free mince pies.