Artisan bakery Bread Ahead has unveiled its newest venture, a five-week course for budding young bakers to gain hands-on experience over the summer holidays.
The initiative, dubbed the Mini Master’s Baking Academy, invites children aged seven and up to engage in interactive baking experiences at its bakery school in London’s Borough Market from 29 July to 27 August.
Bread Ahead previously announced it was running a six-month baking academy for individuals looking to become professional bakers, which is set to kick off in September. The company currently operates five sites across London and three in the Middle East.
“At Bread Ahead, we’re passionate about passing on the joy and skill of baking to the next generation,” says Matthew Jones, who founded Bread Ahead just over a decade ago. “The Mini Master’s Baking Academy is designed to inspire children to discover their inner baker and have fun while learning.”
Two-hour-long sessions for kids will take place every Monday and Tuesday over the five-week period at three time slots: morning (9am to 11am), afternoon (12pm to 2pm), and late afternoon (3pm to 5pm).
The cost per student per session is £45, with parents invited to attend free of charge but not involved in any baking activities. A five-session bundle can also be purchased for £160.
Each week, a different baking theme will be explored including mastering scones, creating babka, crafting sweet brioche buns, mastering puff pastry twists, and perfecting doughnuts.
A highlight of the programme is the graduation ceremony in the fifth and final week. All young bakers are to be tasked with creating a “Bake Off style” showstopper to showcase their newly acquired skills, which will be judged by some of the Bread Ahead in-house baking team. All participants who have taken part in the preceding four sessions will graduate as Mini Master’s and be presented with a course certificate.
Pending the success of this summer pilot, Bread Ahead aims to continue offering the kids academy during all school holidays and potentially expand to term-time sessions. “As a parent myself, I’m excited to see the Mini Master’s Baking Academy launch,” added Jones. “It’s our hope to continue nurturing a love for baking among children.”
Online booking via the Bread Ahead website opens today (8 July).
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