Meet the businesses shortlisted for Team of the Year 2021

Teamwork makes the dream work as these businesses, of varying sizes, demonstrate.

New for the Baking Industry Awards 2021, this category, sponsored by Unifiller, highlights solid examples of teamwork that drive success for their businesses.

Here are the finalists for Team of the Year 2021:

Carr’s Flour Mill

The nine-strong team who entered this new category in the Baking Industry Awards were noted as very adaptable and cohesive by the judges. They commended the team’s slick and quick approach to new product development and ability to quickly distinguish the winners from the maybes. They also praised the team dynamic that allowed multiple priorities to be managed with ease. An example of this was the launch of Carr’s branded flour into a national retailer’s estate of stores within a matter of weeks when the pandemic struck. The team deftly handled all the commercial, technical and logistical requirements as well as getting the flour on-shelf in a process that would normally have taken six to 12 months.

Evendine Sourdough Bakery

The judges said the team of two behind Evendine Sourdough Bakery were unbelievably cohesive as well as having very well delineated roles in order to get through the workload and all of the challenges that the pandemic threw at them as they built up their bakery business. The husband and wife duo supply three shops as well as numerous individual customers via a home delivery service. They also take part in the Soil Association’s Organic September, The Real Bread Campaign, and celebrations such as Polish Heritage Day to promote diversity and the cultural background of minority groups. “We support each other in every aspect,” they say.

Simply Doughnuts

“Dynamic,” said the judges of the close knit and quality-focussed 36-strong team at Simply Doughnuts. Staff turnover at the company is extremely low due to significant investment in personal development and training, but also by allowing individuals to progress and learn each other’s roles, strengths, and responsibilities. As the company comments: “There is a strong sense of shared responsibility and proactivity driven by strong communication. Staff are given progress updates via weekly briefings. They also share team reports including KPI data on production volumes and waste-saving and willingly contribute to all reports.”