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 amy.north@wrbm.com
Name: Gaelle Fargues
Job title: Senior product development and application technologist
Company and location: ADM Milling Ltd, Avonmouth Technical Centre
Education: Food science
Tell us about your career to date
Prior to relocating to the UK, I spent four years in France in a bakery near Bordeaux in the research and development team. I learned so many key concepts during this time, such as how to recognise when the dough is adequately mixed or how to determine when a product has undergone sufficient proving time. This experience was invaluable and provided me with significant insights and relevant skills related to the art of baking breads and cakes.
“Good bakers need good flour”
Explain your job in a sentence (or two)
As part of the NPD team at ADM Milling Technical Centre, I support customers in developing innovative and commercially viable bakery products. Internally, I drive innovation by optimising formulations and developing new solutions. Collaborating with sales and marketing, I help turn technical insights into commercial opportunities, ensuring our products align with market and customer needs, and business growth.
What does a typical work day involve for you?
As an NPD technologist, my typical day starts with a team meeting during which we ensure that all the testing planned for the day is clear for every member of the team. Then, we run some test baking experiments. Based on the project requirement, experiments could be related to bread, biscuits, or cakes. Afternoons are usually used to focus on reviewing and reporting results. I also dedicate time to update project planning or enhanced existing documentation.
Tell us about a challenge you have overcome recently
I am passionate about baking and experiments. When a project is assigned to me, I like to understand every detail of it and to do extensive research to understand how to best reach our goals and deliver satisfying results. Managing my curiosity is a personal challenge that I had to overcome recently. Whilst curiosity can be a great asset, it can also sometimes lead to spending excessive time on less critical aspects, potentially diverting focus from the main objectives.
What’s the biggest lesson you have learned during your time in the baking industry?
Good bakers need good flour. Flour suitable for the intended purpose is chosen based on the specific process and recipe requirements.
What trends are you currently excited about and why?
I am definitely excited about the bakery trends focusing on health benefits, especially gut health (e.g., high-fibre bread, biotic-enriched bread). There is a range of possibilities when it comes to health and wellness using ADM’s portfolio (e.g. Fibersol, bean flour, biotic solutions…). Additionally, sustainability is a key focus, with growing interest in regenerative agriculture and responsibly sourced ingredients. By integrating these practices into our supply chain, we can develop bakery solutions that support both human and planetary health, making innovation even more impactful.
What are your career highlights so far?
A bakery award is one goal I aim to achieve. I truly hope that the pizza flour developed with my colleagues will one day get a prize in the Neapolitan-style category.
What advice would you give to up-and-coming talent in the baking industry?
Once you know your fundamentals, don’t be shy. Spend time to understand the processes and techniques, ask questions of experienced colleagues, bakers, millers. The baking industry is always evolving. Stay up to date with new trends, techniques, and ingredients.
Interested in a career in bakery? Check out Foodmanjobs for the latest vacancies.
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