An online training service for bakery staff has attracted interest from more than 300 companies and individuals.

The Bakery School - which will launch later this month at [http://www.thebakeryschool.com] - is a modular, interactive web-based course for bakery staff with little or no formal training.

The course has been set up by Jean Grieves and Albert Waterf-ield MBE to combat the skills shortage, and profits will be reinvested in the business. The pair had a stand at last month’s Baking Industry Exhibition (BIE).

The course includes over 40 modules, divided into three main categories - ingredients, processes and methods and problem solving. Each module will include a multiple-choice exam, and personalised certificates can be printed. Modules will be updated according to industry needs.

Access to the site will cost £250 for an annual licence, providing a password and username, with rates for multiple passwords also available.

At the BIE, Waterfield said the course could complement work being done to set up a Bakery Academy. "This is training at little cost to employers," he said