In this series, British Baker talks to people from across the baking industry to find out about their career path, what their job involves, and the latest trends that are shaping their work.
We’re looking to showcase a diverse range of talent and job types across the industry, so if you’d like to be involved, please email dan.riley@wrbm.com.
Name: Danny Parsons
Age: 39
Job title: Senior concept Developer
Company & location: Bells of Lazonby, Cumbria
Education: HND Culinary Arts & Hospitality, University College Birmingham
Tell us about your career so far:
I’ve been involved with food and produce for as long as I can remember, with a particular interest in bakery. I started as a chef in Birmingham’s Michelin stared Simpsons. The attention to detail I learnt definitely helped shape the rest of my cooking career. From there, I ventured to Asia, Australia and New Zealand seeking out new cuisines, before finally settling in the Lake District with my now wife.
This was where my career took a slight turn towards product development. I joined Bells of Lazonby almost seven years ago as a product developer and haven’t looked back. Product development has been an eye opener into a different world of food where I can express my passion.
How would you describe your job in a sentence or two?
We gather inspiration from global food trends and consumer insights, then blend this with creativity and commercial awareness to create exciting bakery products. Innovation is at the heart of what we do, shaping the future of bakery goods.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Every day is so different. I could be doing anything from brainstorming new ideas and trying out new flavour profiles, to going out on field trip study tours or scaling up new concepts in the factory. Theres so many aspects to this job that make it a such a unique career.
Tell us about a challenge you’ve faced recently:
Developing a gluten-and dairy-free vegan chocolate salted caramel tart for the We Love Cake brand was a challenge. Three elements where you would expect to find dairy are pastry, ganache, and caramel.
We explored numerous gluten-free flour blends to create a short crisp pastry that delivers the same as a conventional tart. This was then followed by numerous reworks of vegan caramels using setting agents, natural flavourings, and syrups that gave the oozy texture we all know and love.
Finally, the development of the vegan chocolate ganache, which had to be indulgent with great taste and texture – something your teeth would leave marks in! We balanced different chocolates again with syrups, sugars, and fats to give the perfect eat.
What have been some highlights of your career?
Developing for and being part of the UK’s fastest growing free-from sweet bakery brand, We Love Cake [Nielsen data w/e 23 February 2026]. Also having the opportunity to travel all over the world with my career is also something I always think is overlooked in this profession.
I recently visited Boston on a great inspirational study tour with the team. We saw how they were taking the famous Boston crème doughnut and transforming it into different formats, then adding surprising world flavours such as miso and matcha, creating that familiar product with the surprising element. It really showed how flavour profiles have expanded worldwide with product developers taking fusion inspiration to create new and exciting products.
What’s a common misconception about your role?
I’d say the amount of work from the team that takes place to develop a product. There is vast research, a lot of testing, multiple trials (and errors), and sometimes going back to the drawing board completely – things can take months and timelines can move. Working in the free-from space in particular is a food adventure, and is never straight forward. To get the perfect taste, shelf life, nutritional values, and quality takes time. It’s definitely not all buttercream and fancy sprinkles!
What advice would you give to young people entering the baking industry?
Put yourself in an environment where you are going to learn. Then learn the fundamentals, understand why, stay humble, but push for progression. It’s a fantastic career to be in.
Interested in a career in bakery? Check out Foodmanjobs for the latest vacancies
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