Up-and-coming bakery talents Ella Muddiman and Jamie Howie have seen their skills, passion, and dedication honoured with prestigious national awards.
Muddiman – a Rising Star finalist at last year’s Baking Industry Awards – was given the Hugh Weeks Award by the Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees (ABST), while Howie triumphed in the Renshaw Cup competition which returned after a 21-year hiatus.
The Hugh Weeks Award honours the memory of Hugh Weeks, a former ABST president and influential figure in the bakery and confectionery industry. It is given to a student who not only excels in their craft but also shows outstanding commitment to the industry and their peers.
ABST executive committee member and past president Sara Autton travelled to Coleg Cambria in Wrexham to present Muddiman the award, where she works in the college’s Iâl Bakery. The young baker also collected a cash prize of £250 and a set of baking textbooks from the Richemont Centre of Excellence.
“Ella has a mentoring approach for others that guides and leads rather than dictates and demands,” commented Autton, who received the Outstanding Contribution to the Baking Industry Award 2023.
“She is an advocate not only for the Tasty Careers Campaign (which seeks to promote food industry education and careers) but also The Burnt Chef Project as it provides support for, and awareness of mental health issues in the high-pressure environment of the hospitality and catering industries. In all that she has achieved so far, Ella has embodied the true spirit of the Hugh Weeks Award. She is proactive in her pursuit of learning, and not afraid of taking a leap of faith into diverse opportunities that may have been daunting for her only a few years ago,” added Autton.
Muddiman said she was “incredibly proud and honoured to receive such a prestigious award”, thanking the ABST and giving particular praise to Autton for her continued support. “I’m absolutely thrilled,” she added.
A Scot above the rest
Glaswegian bakery student Howie, 22, was selected as the overall champion in the Renshaw Cup, which took place earlier this month at British Bakels’ site in Liverpool.
The three-day competition brought together 19 of the UK’s most promising students attending bakery colleges nationwide, who completed technical challenges including having to create six identical sweet treats fit for a coffee shop display. They also received expert-led tutorials on the likes of cake covering, icing, and piping, plus a behind-the-scenes factory tour with hands-on experience in a commercial bakery environment.
The organisers said that Howie – who studies at the City of Glasgow College – showcased exceptional creativity, technical skill, and commitment to his baking career.
“Jamie was a deserving winner of the champion title, his final bake displayed true craft and style,” commented British Bakels MD James Cawthorne. “The event was a true celebration of young talent in the industry, and it was great to see the energy and dedication of all the students.”
Howie expressed how it was “such an honour” to represent Glasgow at the Renshaw Cup. “Being the only Scottish student at the event made winning even more special,” he said.
The competition is to be held again next year, confirmed British Bakels.
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