Baking Industry Awards 2025: Ginger Bakers takes home Team of the Year

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The Team of the Year category seeks solid examples of teamwork driving growth and efficiency at bakery businesses. It looks at how strong communication helps achieve common goals and how the team works together to upskill individual members and as a whole.

Winner: Ginger Bakers

The 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. They also appreciated the way staff moved around the different functions at Ginger Bakers, noting that this is good for broadening skill bases and for understanding the challenges faced by other colleagues.

“This team seems to radiate care, creativity, and pride in what they do.”

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. It said it maintains its dynamism through “constant open communication and observation”.

Last year’s strategic recruitment of a dedicated accounts manager helped improve profit margins, while a newly created sales and marketing role led to a 16% rise in web traffic and a 57% jump in online revenues. An open office setup allows colleagues to communicate freely, and when a team member left, they were able share out tasks among existing personnel to avoid the need to re-recruit the role.

In addition, the business has a commendable policy of bringing in volunteers with a variety of special needs like Down’s syndrome and autism, which it says helps teach staff to slow down and foster a more inclusive workplace. This shows “a deep commitment to people as the heart of the business” said a judge, adding “this team seems to radiate care, creativity, and pride in what they do”.

Finalist: Proper Cornish

A team effort at the Bodmin-based savoury pastry manufacturer resulted in its biggest contract win in 36 years of operations, which required a redundant 1990 machine to be converted from analogue to digital and a significant amount of recruitment.

Everyone across Proper Cornish’s 240-strong workforce played their part in the specific growth project – production staff and engineers were flexible to shift changes, the HR team helped find around 60 new workers, and leadership kept everything on track. The company said it prided itself on strong team engagement, utilising the likes of daily briefings, feedback schemes, and company newsletters and mail shots to support this.

The way the team at Proper Cornish “rose to the challenge with real professionalism and energy” was something impressing the judges. They noted that bringing new business on board was a great achievement, requiring tightly connected teamwork through disciplined communication.

Finalist: Rainbow Dust

It’s been quite the turnaround for cake decoration specialist Rainbow Dust, which was on a “downward spiral” prior to being acquired by the Albex Group in November 2023. The team of 11 has helped the company go from strength to strength since, including accommodating production of its new sister brand Squires Kitchen at its Preston site.

The ‘can do’ attitude and problem-solving desire of Rainbow Dust’s employees has enacted significant positive changes, such as increasing service levels as well as sales by 30%, and rebranding almost 300 product lines. Individuals are noted to often take on tasks outside their nominated functions, with healthy debate promoted and quarterly lunches keeping everyone updated on latest developments.

Judges found the firm to radiate a “deep-rooted culture of respect and shared purpose”, with collaboration and agility of employees in aiding successful major launches standing out. “Each employee is honest and open, lifting each other up and celebrate wins together,” commented one judge.

Finalist: Simply Doughnuts

Blackburn-based manufacturer Simply Doughnuts was back among the finalists this year after previously triumphing in the category at the Baking Industry Awards 2021.

It reported that its well-established team had supported significant growth over the past 18 months, including a 50% increase in production capacity of its long-shelf life doughnuts which had been demanded by new retail deals. This brought its volumes up to 1.5m units per week.

Staff churn is said to be extremely low at Simply Doughnuts, and a number of workers have been recruited via publicly funded employability programmes. The company makes a real effort to share feedback results and recognise successes of its team members with rewards, and its chairman plays a central role in encouraging skills development.

The resilience and commitment to continuous improvement shone through for judges, who highlighted that the team was “built not just on skill, but on care, trust, and shared values”. This helped elevate the firm’s strength of collaboration across all levels, from factory floor to the boardroom.