Sheffield College invests in £1.2m training facility

A state-of-the-art training bakery is due to open at Castle College in Sheffield in March as part of a new £1.2m catering facility.

This is the first stage in a £60m project to rebuild Castle College, part of The Sheffield College, due to be completed by 2010.

The bakery will be kitted out with new equipment, including spiral and upright mixers, walk-in freezer and chill room facilities, a rack and deck oven from Tom Chandley, plus bun and bread moulders.

Teaching aids, such as interactive boards, Powerpoint technology and internet connections, will be fitted throughout, while electricity points in the centre of the room will allow equipment to be easily moved around the classroom. This will enable students to work in pairs and small groups or shift the equipment to create a production line arrangement.

"The beauty of the new bakery will be the flexible way in which equipment can be moved to reflect a large-scale line or the working environment of the medium to smaller-size baker," said Chris North, bakery lecturer at the college.