Baking Industry Awards 2025: Tona Erreguin lifts Baker of the Year trophy

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The Baker of the Year award celebrates individuals with a true passion for baking, exceptional technical skills, and an understanding of customers’ needs.

Winner: Tona Erreguin, Imma the Bakery

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.

When visiting, the Baking Industry Awards judges noted a constant stream of happy customers eager to get their hands on the delectable baked goods that lie beyond the doors.

She describes herself as “one of the gears that keeps the vision alive”, although believes the bakery’s success is down to the contribution of every single team member. “From dough mixing to looking after the team to dealing with suppliers to speaking with every customer who’s walked into the bakery – I like to think I’ve made an impact on everyone who’s come through,” she said.

Tona grew up in Mexico, studied philosophy in Argentina, but was always drawn back to food. She opened a fine dining restaurant with her partner in her hometown before they moved to the UK just before the pandemic and opened Imma (which means ‘mum’ in Hebrew) three years ago.

“Tona is the driving force behind the bakery’s success”

Her lived experience can be felt through the products as the judges praised how her “skill is demonstrated in the quality and finish” of the goods available, noting that “everything has a story to it” with consideration taken over every ingredients, the texture, appearance, and more.

Staples such as the Oxford Country Loaf (which topped the Plain Sourdough category at Britain’s Best Loaf in 2024) grace the menu alongside other award-winning items such as the Miso & Sesame Loaf and Old Granary. There’s also plenty of ‘new and interesting’ flavours, particularly in pastry, with recent limited editions including the Orange Curd & Meringue, Fig & Mascarpone, Asparagus & Stracciatella, and Pedro Ximenez ones.

“Tona is the driving force behind the bakery’s success,” the judges said, noting that there is “attention to detail and importance placed across all areas but especially around customer feedback and product development”.

Her ambitions don’t stop there though, as she wants “to complete the production chain from growing our own grain to milling it to baking it, all ourselves”. “We want to be able to develop, mix, bake and create soul-touching baked goods for our local community with the most local products we can get. To become a bakery that provides a life-changing experience and engages with our community making sure that bakeries are still a core part of society.”

Finalist: Gary Kadas, Seven Seeded

Gary Kadas, head of production at London-based Seven Seeded, is back for another shot at the trophy having been named a finalist in the Baker of the Year category in 2024.

He said being a finalist was a “monumental moment”, describing it as “humbling and unexpected”. It also gave him the drive to keep learning and improving, particularly as he aims to bake the very best croissants, sourdough, and bread.

His role and team have grown over the past year, and he now leads 25 bakers, 20 pastry chefs, and 15 packers, creating bread and pastries for wholesale customers, including Michelin star restaurants. Being in the bakery is what Gary describes as his “happy place. “My focus is simple,” he said. “Lead from the floor, back the team, and make sure we’re proud of every product that leaves the bakery.”

Recent product innovation from Gary and the team includes a Spring Onion & Feta Swirl, Gruyere & Caramelised Leek Croissant, and Raspberry & Pistachio Danish.

The judges described Gary as “a knowledgeable baker who is leading from the front”. “He has excellent technical skills and knows his product inside out,” they added. “The products were spectacular, and they have to be because of Seven Seeded’s customer base.”

Finalist: Matt Townley, Most Bakery

A former teacher, Matt Townley took the plunge and founded Most Bakery in Altrincham, Greater Manchester in June 2022. Alongside his wife Suze, he has grown the business to be a bustling independent artisan bakery committed to creating outstanding bread, viennoiserie, patisserie, sweet treats, and sandwiches for the local community.

Co-owner and co-founder, he remains hands-on in the business, heading up the bread team. Here, he is ‘instrumental’ in training new team members, developing recipes, refining techniques, and troubleshooting issues all while maintaining high levels of quality. Beyond the bakery floor, Matt fosters a strong team culture based on skill development, pride in work, and mutual respect.

This extends to customers who, thanks to Most’s layout, can see Matt and the team hard at work allowing him to field questions and build relationships with customers coming through the door. These conversations can spark big changes, or interesting product suggestions.

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“You can feel his influence on the products and the business,” said the judges. “Matt knows his audience and is delivering a great range of products for them,” they added, pointing towards the Deli Rye Sourdough with Swiss cheese, pickles & dill, as well as the bagels as particular highlights.

Finalist: Tom Martin, The Bread Factory

Tom Martin is the second finalist from last year’s cohort to make it through. There have been some big changes over the past year as, following his success in creating Britain’s Best Loaf 2024, he’s stepped into a head baker role at The Bread Factory in Manchester.

He made the move as he to push himself and continue developing his skills within a much bigger organisation. At The Bread Factory, he plays a key role in the daily running of the bakery, manages a team of 17 bakers, and develops new products for northern customers.

The first to be launched is the M11 Ancient Grain, Honey & Sunflower Sourdough made using a traditional scald method incorporating honey from the north’s youngest beekeeper. This, he said, “marks an exciting shift toward regional innovation within the company, something they haven’t done before and which shows the confidence they have in me”.

On his days off he can be found visiting bakeries and will soon be working part-time alongside his wife Emily again at Peak and Stone artisan bakery in Chesterfield.