Foodex 2012 started yesterday and saw artisan baker Paul Hollywood kick off the exhibition with a masterclass on the art of dough.

Hollywood, the former head baker at the Chester Grovesnor and star of TV show the Great British Bake Off told the crowd he thought the baking industry was in a great place to champion British products.

He said: ”It’s great to have a show dedicated to food manufacturing and I would really like to see more British companies manufacturing the equipment.”

The complimentary live events programme attracted good audiences throughout the day and later saw the partners from Outsider Tart give inspirational advice on how to start your own baking business.

David Lesniak, who runs Outsider Tart and is a judge at this year’s National Cupcake Championships, said: “Foodex opens your eyes and gets you thinking about the little details, from pretty packaging to ingredients that we can get imported from North America that are integral to our authentic US-style baking.”

For more information on the programme of events at Foodex 2012 see http://www.foodex.co.uk/Content/Live-Events.