Sainsbury’s this week joined the board of patrons for the Baking Industry Exhibition (BIE), which is set to take place on 6-9 April 2008 at Birmingham’s NEC.

Bakery category manager Nick Townend will sit on the board, alongside baking industry figures, including Tesco’s Neil Franklin, and Trevor Mooney, joint MD of craft bakery Arthur Chatwin’s.

Latest exhibitors signed up for BIE include ingredients supplier Bakels, equipment supplier Brook Food, Avoncourt Packaging, food processing company Robot Coupe and seasoning supplier Gordon Rhodes & Son. Bakels’ Joy Kellaway said BIE would attract core bakery as well as new customers.