Matthews Cotswold Flour has just announced that Thomas Hall has won their first Young Baker Award, a scheme that it launched to encourage more people to turn their passion for home baking into a successful career in the bakery industry.
Matthews Cotswold Flour launched the Young Baker Award in response to feedback from their customers about an ongoing shortage of good bakery staff. Bertie Matthews, managing director of Matthews Cotswold Flour explains: “Finding great bakers is a problem across the industry that affects everyone, from small businesses right up to the industry giants. We are keen to help in any way that we can to resolve this ongoing challenge for our trade customers and, as part of that commitment, we are delighted to have set up the Young Baker Award and to have chosen our first winner.”
Sophie Carey, bakery development manager at Matthews Cotswold Flour, was part of the panel who selected the winner. She comments: ”I was so impressed with the amount of passion that each one of our applicants expressed – every single one cared deeply about expanding their bakery knowledge to become a better baker and I’m thrilled to see so many people looking to start a career in baking. Selecting a winner from the applicants was hard work – but Tom stood out for the way his excitement about a potential career in baking shone through. He shared that it hasn’t always been a smooth path as he’s learned to bake, and why the work experience portion of the prize will help him in the future. We are really looking forward to supporting Tom to become another talented baker in the industry we love.”
Winners of the Young Baker Award visit Matthews Cotswold Flour’s mill and FarmEd to learn about flour and how the grains are farmed. They are given the chance to have a week’s work experience with a bakery and an introduction to professional baking. They are also given a selection of bakery equipment and materials to help them continue to develop their baking skills.
Carey continues: “The aim is to inspire and support the next generation of professional bakers and provide individuals with the opportunity to learn more about the bakery industry and see if they would like to turn their passion into a professional career. We would love to hear from any bakeries keen to provide work experience for the scheme and we encourage anyone interested in the award to apply for the next one. The winner will be chosen in January 2025.”
Applications for the next award close on 12th January 2025 and can be made through the Matthews Cotswold Flour website here. Applicants must be aged between 18 and 30. No experience is necessary but a keen interest in learning to bake and pursuing a career in baking is essential.
