Bakers, their suppliers and other industry experts offer advice on a range of topics.

Safety measure

“The true situation with flour dust can only be highlighted by the use of personal dust monitoring equipment. This type of equipment has been used in the mining sector and  has proved to be a positive way of identifying problems and improvements.”

Stephen Larkin, director, Sealpump

A flavour bomb

“Puree California prunes with a little water to replace some of the fat in tea loaves and cakes. The puree holds on to moisture, so makes cakes super moist and last longer. Prunes can also be soaked in almost any alcohol for fantastic flavour bombs in desserts, cakes and cookies.”

Paul Young, chocolatier and ambassador, California Prune Board

Puffed up

“We use a ‘ruff puff’ pastry for our Chunki sausage rolls. Like all pastry, the top tip is to keep it cold. Our ruff puff is made using a ‘book fold’ – chunks of butter evenly spread and the pastry folded three to four times to evenly spread the fats and flour, making sure they are mixed well – all on a cold surface. Be patient – don’t rush a great puff.”

Suzi Bryon Edmond, joint founder, Chunk of Devon

Herb your enthusiasm

“Cupcakes scented with thyme, lemon, verbena or mint are on-trend, and pairings such as gin & lavender, peach & prosecco, and pineapple & coconut are increasingly popular. Matcha, yuzu and pandan are indicative of high-end cupcake offerings, often topped with exotic fruit frostings, fresh flowers or even gold leaf.”

Jacqui Passmore, marketing manager UK and Ireland, Dawn Foods

Dough it right

“When it comes to doughnuts, it’s all about attention to detail. Use quality ingredients, respect the mixing, and proving times are essential. We change our frying oil every day to ensure a lovely crisp, clean taste.”

Matthew Jones, founder, Bread Ahead