The baking industry has been urged to support a centre of excellence to plug gaps in UK bakery skills provision.

Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, told British Baker at the launch of the National Qualifications Framework that the absence of a centre of bakery excellence needs to be addressed.

He said: "Bakery is one of the top three industries in food and drink, along with meat and seafood, but it’s the only one of the three without its own centre of excellence."

The topic is set to head the agenda at an Improve-led bakery-specific training conference to be held on 30 October at Bakers’ Hall, London.