Meet the 2025 Rising Star Award finalists

If the five finalists for the 2025 Rising Star Award prove anything, it’s that the baking industry has an exciting future ahead of it.

The Baking Industry Awards category, sponsored by Rademaker, celebrates up-and-coming talent regardless of the career path they have chosen. As such, this year’s selection of worthy finalists includes a fourth-generation baker, product developer for a major craft bakery chain, and a banker-turned-baker.

Here are the five talented individuals hoping to take home the trophy:

Ella Muddiman, Ial Bakery

A finalist in 2024, Ella Muddiman has built on her success from last year to drive innovation and make a difference at Ial Bakery within Coleg Cambria. She currently works as a baker and patisserie chef for the bakery, which provides baked goods for the college cafes and restaurants as well as wholesale clients, and is also studying for her Level 3 Diploma in Proficiency in the Baking Industry.

Progress includes conquering ‘significant personal challenges’ to attend the Artisan Bakery Course, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Bakers, where she honed her practical skills, initiated a collaboration with Wrexham Lager to explore the use of it in sourdough, and took a leading role in the organisation of the Wales Bakery Conference in February.

Looking to the future, she plans to step into a ‘guiding role’ where she can use her experiences to inspire and support others on their learning journeys.

“Ella’s passion for the baking industry is clear, and she brings genuine enthusiasm and commitment to learning,” noted the judges, adding that she has “made significant progress” since last year. They also commended her work within the local community, particularly that with a homeless charity.

Emily Anderson, Coopland & Son (Scarborough)

In her role with Scarborough-based Cooplands, Emily Anderson is responsible for the bakery’s product development across all categories from sandwiches to confectionery.

Her passion for bakery was sparked after she embarked on a work placement at Warburtons aged 15. Here she became fascinated with the science behind bakery. Having finished GCSEs and A-Levels, Emily progressed to a food science degree before joining Cooplands two years ago.

Since January this year, she has taken 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. In her role, she works with suppliers and internal teams to create the products, then connects with the bakery teams at Cooplands’ manufacturing sites in Scarborough and Durham to ensure products can be scaled up consistently and land in its 160 stores to delight customers.

Emily brings “passion, potential, and practical skills to the table,” according to the judges who felt assured that these skills would continue to flourish.

Kate Byrnes-Cook, Sprout Kitchen Garden

Kate, who is head baker at Sprout Kitchen Garden in Ledsham, West Yorkshire, believes “baking is not just a career for me, it’s a passion that keeps growing”.

Baking runs in Kate’s family – she’s a fourth-generation baker and daughter to Peter Doughty Cook (founder of Peter Cooks Bread who was crowned Baker of the Year in 2022) – and believes watching her parents as well as talented chefs throughout her career have instilled her with the confidence to know that the “baking industry is where I belong”.

Having spent time working in the family bakery, Kate branched out with time spent at The Chester Grosvenor before joining Sprout Garden Kitchen. Here, she has refined and expanded the cake and bread offering and is constantly looking for ways to evolve the café’s line-up. Away from work, she spends time visiting bakeries around the UK from rustic countryside bakehouses to artisan patisseries in the big city.

Her passion for baking shone through during the interview, and the judges praised Kate noting that her “humility, strong work ethic, and willingness to learn” stand out.

Luke Jenneson, Luke’s Bakery

A career change saw Luke Jenneson swap banking for baking and he entered the industry in 2022. He jumped in with both feet, setting up his business Luke’s Bakery from scratch starting off as a ‘one-man band’. Now he leads a team of 12 to produce sourdough for homes, shops, and hospitality venues in East Yorkshire.

This dream job has been a long time in the making. His journey started off in 2017 when he gained a Diploma in Boulangerie at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in London, although it would take five years for him to put these skills to use in a professional capacity.

Now, Luke’s Bakery is ‘shaking up the local bakery scene, one sourdough at time’. His mission is to bring great bread to the north – a goal which will be aided by a new bakery premises which will help the business triple production and expand its product range and reach.

Luke has a “passion for baking, is dedicated to his community, and committed to producing quality baked goods”, according to the panel. “It’s obvious he cares deeply and throws his whole heart into every project,” they added.

Soraya Akbari, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Dawn Foods

Originally from Iran, Soraya moved to the UK to complete an MSc in Food Science before choosing to specialise in the baking industry at Zero2Five, Cardiff Metropolitan University’s food and industry collaboration facility where she could combine academic learning with hands-on baking skills.

Alongside this, she is one of Dawn Foods’ 2025 student ambassadors which sees her collaborate on product innovation, marketing, and industry advocacy to inspire the next generation of bakers. This, Soraya describes as ‘one of her proudest achievements’, and has also given her a platform from which she can advocate for innovation and diversity in baking.

In five years’, she wants to be an established leader in the baking industry, bridging the gap between innovation, product development, and marketing. She also hopes to be able to continue to blend her Persian heritage with modern baking techniques to create innovative products.

The judges admired the “determination Soraya has shown in reshaping her life and pursuing a new path”. Her passion for baking was evident and they were excited by her scientific background and continued interest in understanding bakery ingredients and how they interact.

Join us for a night of celebration

The winners will be revealed at a black-tie ceremony on Thursday 23 October 2025 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. The ceremony will be hosted by a yet-to-be-revealed celebrity guest.

Tickets for the awards are available now via the Baking Industry Awards website. Individual tickets cost £350+VAT and a table of 10 costs £3,325+VAT.

The event includes a dazzling drinks reception, a three-course dinner with wine and coffee, and an afterparty complete with snacks and entertainment to help you celebrate into the early morning.

Get your tickets here: https://bakeryawards.co.uk/live/en/page/attend