All British Baker articles in February 2009 – Page 2

  • News

    Pret A Manger targets recession-hit consumers

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Sandwich chain Pret A Manger has introduced a 99p filter coffee as part of a package of measures to tempt in recession-conscious consumers.The 200-outlet chain had "looked at the price architecture" on its sandwich range, with prices reduced on some lines and new cheaper ones added, director of food ...

  • News

    Directors consider future of Patisserie UK

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    The future of Patisserie UK’s place within Lees Foods’ group of companies has been put into question by directors, following a "disappointing" performance in 2008.According to a trading update, Patisserie UK suffered due to the loss of "a major customer" last year. Directors were said to be considering Patisserie ...

  • News

    Student conference details revealed

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    The Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees’ (ABST) Annual Conference is to take place over the first May Bank Holi- day weekend.Students and members of the baking industry are encouraged to take part in the three-day event, from 2-4 May 2009, to be held at the TLH Leisure Resort ...

  • News

    CMC shows ’modest’ model

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Espresso machine manufacturer, Rancilio has added a new 1-group machine to its existing Classe 6 range. The new machine, along with the rest of the line, is imported from the Milan-based firm by The Coffee Machine Company, based in London. It is aimed at smaller outlets with a "modest demand" ...

  • News

    Special week to celebrate ’Shop that Never Sleeps’

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    British Baker can announce that a new promotional event called National Craft Bakers’ Week is to take place from 8-13 June this year, in support of the indepen-dent craft baker. It has been designed to celebrate the specialist skills and the pivotal role craft bakers hold in their communities.Specially organised ...

  • News

    Caught in the web

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    * Soviet Russia cross-bred cats and puffins to bake bread... tinyurl.com/cls36m * Winnie’s Bakery in Weston-super-Mare pays polar bears and penguins to fight in the street... tinyurl.com/dn4anj * How do customers react if you try to short-change a blind person in a bakery?... tinyurl.com/ab484v * The Shane Williams pie ...

  • News

    Walkers retains Carbon Reduction label

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Walkers has become the first food company to retain its Carbon Reduction label, after reducing its carbon footprint by 7%.The snacks brand was also the first to display the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label in March 2007, when it committed to cut its carbon footprint by 3% by 2009. Companies ...

  • News

    Top Greggs man to take part in Café+ debate

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Greggs group business director Martin Kibler will share the secrets of the chain’s success at Café+ Live.He will be presented with a special certificate for heading up the prestigious British Baker magazine Top 50 list, before taking part in the panel discussion, ’Sandwich Debate: Sandwiches, Health, Sales & Profitability’ at ...

  • News

    Café connection

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Whether you’re thinking of entering the food-to-go market for the first time or are one of the country’s 18,000 café and sandwich shop owners looking to beef up your offer, Café+ is an important date for your diary.A new part of the established Convenience Retailing Show, Café+ provides an opportunity ...

  • News

    In my world - the café owner

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Umer Ashraf is owner of Glasgow-based iCafé. He has three shops and plans to expandPeople often ask me what impact the recession is having on my business and I answer, "We’re actually not that bad." The truth, though, is that we are as bad as the business next door or ...

  • News

    Our deli bread

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Wastage of unsold products can be a problem with bread, and even more so with higher-cost items, such as pies and pastries. But in the deli trade, it can mean the difference between being in business and out of it.Stocking potentially dozens of high-cost lines, each of which has a ...

  • News

    Service may boost spend

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Findings by consultancy him! have shown that, despite the fact customers who spend 15 minutes in coffee shops spend £4.78 on average, those who spend over an hour only spend marginally more - £5.24 on average.Him! said the research suggested staff in coffee shops are not proactively repeat-selling to customers. ...

  • News

    Book review: Chocolate: a Healthy Passion

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Shara Aaron and Monica BeardenPrometheus Books, 215 pages, approx £13.50If you can get past any trust issues you might have about a book on chocolate that is written by two authors with only-in-America-ultra-blindingly-bright toothy grins adorning the inside dust jacket, Chocolate provides a handy guide to all things chocolatey, ...

  • News

    BSB golf day returns to Belfry course

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    The British Society of Baking’s (BSB) annual golf day will be held at the world-famous Belfry on Tuesday 28 April, teeing off at 1.30pm in a shotgun start. As last year, it will be played over the Brabazon course.The day costs £125 per person and includes coffee and bacon rolls ...

  • News

    Bars take on muesli base

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Dorset Cereals has launched a new cereal bar range, based on its muesli recipes.The bars come in three varieties: Berries & Cherries; Fruit, Nuts & Seeds; and Super High Fibre. They are all made with the same toasted flakes, nuts, seeds and dried fruit as the ...

  • News

    Brothers combine Indian and bakery

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Combining Indian food with a traditional bakery offer is proving a hit with customers of Hurst Bakery & Provisions, based in Berkshire. Owned by brothers Jitu and Duras Miah, it produces bread, rolls, cakes, morning goods and sandwiches – but Indian food is also on the menu. The brothers bought ...

  • News

    SAMB moves bakery training south of border

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    The Scottish Association of Master Bakers (SAMB) is set to offer bakery training in England for the first time, after securing financial backing from government to roll out its training programme.The SAMB received the green light from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in north-east England, which provided £200,000 ...

  • News

    Naked Baker moves into second outlet

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    The Naked Baker has officially opened its second shop and café in Hedge End, Southampton, as part of a wider expansion plan, which has seen the firm relocate its bakery production site.The bakery, previously based in Botley Mills, has relocated production to a larger premises in Shamblehurst Lane, Hedge End, ...

  • News

    Bagel giant sees profits drop

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Canada Bread’s frozen bakery division has seen profits fall almost 50% despite an overall increase in sales for the year. Its frozen bakery division, made up of its North American and UK frozen bakery businesses, including Maple Leaf Bakery UK, which owns the New York Bakery Co brand, saw adjusted operating earnings fall 48.6% to $21.1m, from $41.1m in 2007. The company said these figures reflected the significant impact of higher commodity prices and production costs in 2008.

  • News

    Bad news for employers

    2009-02-27T00:00:00Z

    We have been advising members for a long time that the issue of holiday accrued while on long-term sick leave was a "grey area", while we awaited the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) decision on whether those on long-term sick leave should accrue holiday during their absence. (In the specific ...