Creator of Britain’s Best Loaf 2024 Tom Martin has joined The Bread Factory in Manchester as head baker, helping to support an upcoming expansion into a new purpose-built facility.
The bakery, part of Bread Holdings Ltd which also owns Gail’s and Bertinet Bakery, currently operates four production sites in northwest London, Manchester, St Albans, and Milton Keynes.
Martin’s appointment will see him focus on ensuring The Bread Factory’s products are kept to a consistently high standard as it looks to enable continued growth of not only the Gail’s brand in the north but also its supply to the foodservice and grocery sectors. Earlier this year, Gail’s unveiled a target of 35 store openings across the UK in 2024 including a new site in Chester. It currently has six shops in and around Manchester contributing to a total estate of more than 140.
The Bread Factory said that its new Manchester bakery, the location of which has yet to be disclosed, will be significantly larger than its current space in the suburb of Openshaw. Construction is expected to be completed next year or in 2026.
“It will be a new build, designed specifically for craft baking at large scale, focusing on sustainable and innovative practices,” commented a company spokesperson, adding that it would help increase capacity and create a long-term runway for continued growth and partnerships in the northwest.
The aftermath of Martin’s triumph at this year’s Britain’s Best Loaf competition with his “fantastic” focaccia saw numerous bakery businesses clamouring to recruit his talents. “I’ve had 26 job offers that were all relocation jobs and Manchester was about as far as I was willing to go,” he told British Baker.
The Garlic & Rosemary Deep Pan Focaccia was also in hot demand following the award, with an initial surge in popularity backed up by steady sales increases at markets. “We could send as much as possible and it would always sell out,” noted Martin. “When we had big markets, we took the trophies to place in front of the product and people wanted to ask more questions about it and its story, which made it a great selling point.” The loaf was originally created through a “genuine mistake” in overhydrating a sourdough batch.
As the latest step in an 18-year baking career, Martin joins The Bread Factory from 4 Eyes Bakery in Chesterfield where he was head baker/bakery manager for the past three years and change. His apprentice Ben is now stepping up to take over head baker duties. “It’s great that the person who I have trained right from the beginning is there to carry on my legacy. He’s a good fit for the role as he’s about ready to blaze his own trail in the industry,” Martin commented.
The current plan is for Martin to stay in Chesterfield while making the 50-mile daily commute each way to and from Manchester. “Time will tell if this is sustainable, but I knew my next role was always going to be a travelling one,” he said. “In our area other than 4 Eyes there is no one else really providing the products and I wanted to stay craft orientated. The Bread Factory was the right fit on a much larger scale.”
Martin revealed that he’d been pursued by the company since the end of July and had been in conversation with Manchester MD Rob Keeping as well as the wider team in London leading up to his appointment earlier this month. “The Gail’s brand in line with The Bread Factory are clearly going places,” he remarked. “The company are on a meteoric rise and are in the middle of tremendous growth, which spoke to me from an ambition point of view, but they are keeping it craft which is so rewarding to be a part of.”
In addition, the emphasis on sustainability and innovation was something Martin said he’d been “personally pushing” with other companies in the past. “I am really looking forward to being part of the wider team and helping the business to achieve their plans,” he added.
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