Training and education were at the forefront of the National Association of Master Bakers’ achievements last year, outlined by chairman of the board Mike Holling at the annual conference.

Holling said the NAMB’s craft seminars, supported by California Raisins, would continue, as would training courses on HACCP. He revealed that one member had contacted the NAMB to say a consultant had wanted to charge £8,000 to rewrite his HACCP, but after support from the associa-tion it had cost him just £800.

The NAMB recruited 21 new members in the past year and National Craft Bakers’ Week got off to a great start, said Holling, who showed delegates a video of Yorkshire baker George Fuller teaching schoolchildren how to make gingerbread men.

With the support of Nabim (the National Association of British and Irish Millers), baker Chris Beaney and others are also teaching groups of 14 teachers how to teach pupils to bake. The teachers come from IT and woodwork as well as cookery, because there is a lack of teachers for the cookery curriculum, of which bakery is now a part.

Neil MacSymons ended his year as NAMB president by handing over to new president Ian Storey who has one shop in County Durham. President-elect is Clive Williams with four shops in Dorset.

CEO Gill Brooks-Lonican and the board were praised by delegates for delivering "a really strong performance". Brooks-Lonican said it was her current intention to retire in June 2011.