Bakers north of the border are getting help to raise their profile with a free PR service.

Scottish Bakers is encouraging its 250 bakery members to come up with news stories that it can send out to the local media. Chief executive Alan Clarke said: "The key message is about supporting craft bakers we want to shine a light on what they’re doing, and let consumers know."

PR firm Panache Commu-nications will write up the story and then send the press release to relevant newspapers, consumer magazines and websites. Added Clarke: "It’s hard for people to get news stories published, so it’s beneficial to have a specialist service. We’re doing the donkey work and bakers just need to spare a short amount of time on the phone explaining the story, and then read the proof."

Stories sent out so far include those of Jon Wood’s new artisan bakery Andante opening in Edinburgh and Perth’s Murrays Bakery being included in the Great British Book of Baking.

The trade association is absorbing the cost of the trial service, which runs until the end of the year, when it will be reviewed.