All British Baker articles in February 2008
View all stories from this issue.
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News
Waterfields’ way
We are living in an age when consumers want to be associated with outer beauty and inner vitality, and just like the guests on the Channel 4 TV show 10 Years Younger, Waterfields bakery has been undergoing a dramatic facelift.Reaching out to the young, affluent and urban professionals, Waterfields ...
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viewpoint
The wheat market at the moment can best be described as volatile (pg 4). Prices in North America have shown sudden escalation - a consequence of low global wheat stocks coupled with an increase in speculative fund activity in soft commodity markets.Over the past two weeks high-quality wheats, such as ...
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On vegetarianism
Dr Allinson refused to eat meat as a point of principle, and that principle was safeguarding the health of his bowels. If you’re thinking of turning veggie for ethical reasons, then think again. On vegetarianism: “The vegetarian who eats a bit of cabbage may destroy hundreds of lives on ...
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Reporting in
Gundula Azeez, policy manager, The Soil AssociationGundula Azeez, policy manager, The Soil AssociationThe food chain contributes 18% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions and agriculture makes up around half of this. Wheat production has a lower carbon footprint than the livestock sector, but milling, bread-making, packaging and retailing all produce ...
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People
Malcolm Proctor, Ciaran O’KaneIrwin’s BakeryNorthern Irish bakery firm Irwin’s, based in Portadown, has made two new appointments.Malcolm Proctor joins the company from Ulster Carpets as health and safety officer. He holds responsibility for health and safety compliance across the company, including both internal and external clients.Ciaran O’Kane is ...
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Oven training
Bakery oven supplier Rational has set up an academy for bakers to learn how to use its Self-Cooking Center."Our feedback suggests that many users of the SelfCooking Center use only a small proportion of its features," said Paul Anderson, sales director of Rational UK. "Bakers might have chosen it for ...
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Support needed
Having spent a lifetime in the trade - many of those years in training - we seem to have endlessly thrown the skills ball around, with few willing to take on the challenge. So what are these skills: are they craft, process, or apprenticeship and where are they coming from, ...
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Vegan indulgence
Take a passion for food, stir in a desire for indulgent treats to fit a vegan lifestyle and top it off with a concern to cater for those affected by food allergies and you have the recipe for the success of London-based Heavenly Cakes.Husband-and-wife team Nzila and Luzolo Ntima have ...
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Health watch
Consumers are growing increasingly sceptical of health claims on food and drink packaging, according to a report from Datamonitor.But Michael Hughes, consumer market analyst and author of the study, said: "Current market conditions suggest the functional food market will continue to witness impressive growth rates in the future."The international market ...
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Show guides
There is a fine line between brilliant innovation and the utterly bizarre. This was evident from the Hotelympia 2008 exhibition, which showcased a vast range of products, including aluminium teabags and juice made from flowers.== Snacks ==In the snacking category, hand-cooked crisps with a high mark-up price are all the ...
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NewsTop toasters: The Glide Toaster
No, this is not a skeleton fashioned as a toast rack. It is in fact an award-winning toaster designed by student George Watson of Northumbria University, made with slip-moulded bone china. The bread glides through heating plates and drops onto the rack. Comments from Watson show him to be nothing ...
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Real Food Fest
Daylesford Organic will support the Real Food Festival in London from 24-27 April.The organic store is well known for its award-winning sourdough and produces a wide variety of cakes and biscuits.Carole Bamford of Daylesford Organic said: "We are delighted to be a partner in the Real Food Festival and to ...
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Public happy to pay for Fairtrade
Research conducted by Café- direct found that almost nine out of 10 consumers said they would pay a few pence more for quality Fairtrade products.Out of 2,500 consumers that took part in the online survey at [http://www.bbcgoodfood.com], 87% of respondents bought Fairtrade every week or every month. Sales of Fairtrade ...
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Face to Face
How and when did you become involved in the baking industry?A I started in the baking industry in 1977, as a trainee manager at Skeltons in Hull.Prior to that, though, I had a background in retail. I’ve never been a baker as such.My forte is retail, and I am currently ...
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Pret A Manger deal to fuel overseas growth
Sandwich chain Pret A Manger has been taken over by private equity firm Bridgepoint in a deal valued at £345m, which will accelerate Pret’s expansion plans in the UK and internationally.Bridgepoint will buy the entire company, including the 33% stake acquired by McDonald’s in 2001, and will retain a majority ...
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Earning a crust
There’s a certain amount of faith required when following the recipes in Richard Bertinet’s new book Crust. The French baker, who runs a bakery and cookery school in Bath, is a firm believer in using a high percentage of water in his bread recipes, which he argues makes for light ...
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Maple Leaf UK rides out cost pressures
Canadian-owned Maple Leaf Foods has announced fourth-quarter results for 2007, which revealed an 11% increase in Bakery Product Group sales to $393m (£200m) up from $355m (£180m) in the last quarter of 2006.The group does not separate out the earnings of its UK divisions. In the past ...
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No poor relation to cookery
Despite being a continually evolving industry, that has survived and adapted to modern technologies and ever-changing consumer tastes, bakery is often considered the poor relation to cooking.Gordon, Delia and Nigella dominate our TV schedules, top 10 book lists and even tabloid pages paint a "glamorous" portrait of cookery. ...
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Pie plant may close
The future of a pie and pasty plant in the Midlands is in doubt following a downturn in trade.Management at the Apetito plant in Dudley has entered into a consultation process with staff. One of the options being considered is a closure of the plant where 80 people work.The management ...