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THE SCOTTISH BAKER July 2023

In this issue: - Scottish Baker of the Year Awards - Scottish Bakers Annual Conference - 30th Anniversary Centenary Club Lunch

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

WELCOME

IAN MCGHEE President

Welcome to the summer edition of The Scottish Baker, our industry newsletter. Our recent Annual Conference weekend marked the halfway point of my presidency, and it has been quite a year! A year of many challenges, rising costs, inflation, war, shortages, uncertainty, television appearances and meeting politicians. In all of our meetings with the various MPs and MSPs, we managed to get our point across with a degree of success, resulting in questions being raised in both parliaments. There have been many other highlights throughout the year, and I look forward to continuing our work in support of this great trade over the next year. The conference and Scottish Baker of the Year Awards have meant the last few months have been a busy time for the Scottish Bakers team, however the hard work paid off and we had another successful event. My congratulations go to all of our award winners, but particularly the overall winner, Mimi’s Bakehouse who finally lifted the silver rolling pin after many years of coming close to taking the top prize. I must also take the opportunity to once again thank our sponsors and allied trade supporters, without whom we would not be able to put on such a fantastic event. Our thanks go to our conference and awards partner, BAKO Group; our Gold sponsors – American Pan UK, Andrew Ingredients, British Bakels, Carr’s Flour, Dawn Foods, DMD (2000), Fleming Howden, Lesaffre, Puratos, Renshaw, Rondo, Scotland Food & Drink; and our Silver sponsors – AAK, Brook Food Processing Equipment and Macphie. The conference was also a weekend to say a fond farewell to Alasdair Smith, who stepped down as CEO of Scottish Bakers. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Alasdair for his tireless work for the Scottish bakery trade. His professionalism and dedication to our industry was outstanding and his leadership through Covid, meant we were at the forefront of challenging, questioning and deciphering the legislation and providing bakers with sage advice and guidance. He will always be a member of the Scottish Bakers family and receive a warm welcome in bakeries across the country. We all wish him well for the future. Our next event with be our Glasgow Presidential Dance on 9th September, and I do hope I see many of you there.

CONTENTS New CEO appointed

Peninsula: Managing Stress in the Workplace

Scottish Bakers Annual Conference

Scottish Baker of the Year Awards 2023/24

Glasgow Presidential Dance

Welcome New Members

Study Tour with Fleming Howden

30th Anniversary Centenary Club Lunch

Training Update

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

NEW CEO APPOINTED

SCOTTISH BAKERS APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Scottish Bakers has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive. Lesley Cameron joins the organisation on the 4th of September fresh from her role as Director of Marketing and Communications at Quality Meat Scotland, a position she has held since September 2019. Lesley has over 20 years’ experience working within the food and drinks industry, with businesses including Kettle Produce, Macsween of Edinburgh and more recently with Baxters Food Group. Scottish Bakers President and Director of McGhee’s Bakery Ian McGhee said, “We are delighted to have secured Lesley to take on the role of Chief Executive at this crucial time of legislative change and ongoing cost challenges facing us both as businesses and consumers. Her blend of strategic engagement, commercial acumen and marketing savvy is exactly the skill set we need to further our agenda and support our sector as it continues to thrive.” Incoming Chief Executive, Lesley Cameron commented, “The bakery sector in Scotland delivers more than £1 billion to the Scottish economy and employs around 12,000

LIFE MEMBER AWARDS At our recent conference we had the pleasure of awarding Life Member status, in recognition of service to the Scottish baking industry, to Past President Linda Hill and Fred McKechnie, Managing Director of DMD (2000) Ltd. Fred has spent much of his professional life serving the bakery trade in one way or another, starting at just 18 as a clerk for Fleming Howden. He stayed there for over 11 years before joining DMD Thermoforming as it was called then and became its managing director.

people. It is my role to ensure our members are strategically represented with policy makers, industry partners including Scotland Food and Drink, Skills Development Scotland plus other key opinion formers and decision makers. “We continue to work in an everchanging landscape with health and sustainability at the heart of consumers purchasing behaviour. In addition, the global climate emergency is challenging the way the world lives and works, cost of production, food labelling and product reformulation is also driving complexity within the retail environment. The complexity within the current skills system and its future transformation continues to challenge our members, however, an area for us to support and develop. “On a personal level, I am excited to be joining such a well-respected trade association which represents some dynamic businesses and to be at the heart of the next phase of the Association’s development will be an honour and I look forward to being part of the Scottish Bakers family.”

As most know Past President Linda Hill had a presidency like no other, taking on the role during the first year of Covid restrictions. She carried out the role with dignity and commitment through some of the toughest times we’ve all experienced and for that she deserves all our thanks. Linda may have stepped away from the day-to-day business of baking, having taken the decision to sell her family business, however she continues to serve on the association’s board as immediate past-president, and we know she will always be an advocate and ambassador for this trade we all love.

In February 2000 he formed DMD (2000) Ltd and the rest, as they say, is history. He has become a familiar face at our Annual Conference and the Scotch Pie Awards and his generous support of the association over the years is worthy of special note. It was fantastic that Fred’s wife Carol and sons Mark and Scott were all there to see Fred receive his award, which clearly meant a great deal to him.

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

PENINSULA

PENINSULA UPDATE: MANAGING STRESS IN THE WORK • be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they’re having problems • keep in regular contact with your team to check how they are coping This year, Mental Health UK is focusing on strategies and tips for managing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. This times well with the release of a new study by Acas, based on a survey of 1014 employees in the UK carried out by YouGov, which found that three out of five British workers (63%) feel stressed due to the rising cost of living. Of those questioned, 15% said that they were very stressed while 47% replied “fairly stressed”. Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said: “Employers that support their employees’ mental health at work will be able to spot the signs, help manage them and create an environment where staff can openly talk about anything that is causing them stress. Offering practical tips such as signposting to financial advice can also help.” Advice for employers • Prompted by the survey results, Acas have released guidance for employers around managing staff mental health. They suggest:

• respect confidentiality and be calm, patient, supportive and reassuring if a staff member wants to have a chat about their mental health • clearly communicate the internal and external support available to staff • look after your own mental health and get support if you feel under more pressure than usual — this support could be a colleague at work, a mental health network or a counsellor • consider offering practical help such as signposting to relevant advice or bringing advice providers into work. When it comes to managing mental health, Mental Health UK has also provided advice for managers. This includes the need for managers to make sure their teams are looking after their own wellbeing, and how they might build their resilience and avoid stress building up. They also encourage managers to lead by example, and make sure employees are looking out for each other by doing the same for colleagues not only in

their team, but also above them in the organisational hierarchy. Acas advice for workers With regard to supporting their own mental health and wellbeing, Acas advises: • talk to people you work with or friends about how you are feeling • speak to your manager about how you are doing and your situation • reflect on what helps you feel more positive and what does not • make time for activities you enjoy • check with your member about what support is available at work. Next steps Stress can have serious and damaging short and long term effects on individuals, their friends and families, and their work. Make sure employees are taking care of themselves, and looking out for their colleagues, to avoid the negative repercussions of stress in the workplace. Peninsula partners with Scottish Bakers to provide our bakery members with an HR, Employment Law and Health & Safety Requirements as part of their membership. Members can find out more about the service on our website (login in required).

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

SCOTTISH BAKERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SCOTTISH BAKERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE – FORWARD TOGETHER The Scottish Bakers Annual Conference took place on the 5th and 6th May 2023, and whilst it coincided with another historical event (the coronation!), it was another successful event for the team at Bakers House, under the guidance of our conference and events committee, made up of bakery members. The theme for this year’s conference programme was heavily influenced by the feedback we had received from members, following a survey on what they wanted to hear and learn about. The programme focused on aspects: Taking Care of Your People and The Business of Baking.

The morning got off to a “mindful” start, where Edward Reid led an interactive session on mindfulness and meditation, outlining the benefits that this can have for you and your staff. It certainly was an enlightening way to start off the day. We had interesting panel discussions, involving members and partners discussing how you can support your staff and get the best out of them, the value of training and development, future opportunities and trends. We were delighted to welcome Matthew Bond from the award-winning Project D, as our keynote speaker, who spoke about how the business began, the challenging journey

they have been on through covid, harnessing the power of social media and brand collaborations. The Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing, Economy, Fair Work and Energy, Neil Gray MSP, also came along to address our members and announce the healthier bakery fund; and we finished off the afternoon hearing from last year’s Scottish Baker of the Year winners, The Three Little Bakers, on what it was like to win and the impact it has had on their business. We’re already looking forward to next year’s conference, and if you have any thoughts and ideas for speakers, please do get in touch to share these with us.

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

SCOTTISH BAKER OF THE YEAR

SCOTTISH BAKER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION 2023/24 In our April edition of the newsletter, we reported on the launch of the Scottish Baker of the Year competition, which officially kicked off this year’s customer vote and entering of star products. This year saw a huge increase in the number of products compared to the 2022/23 competition, with over 630 individual products entered for judging across the different categories. We had 50 industry judges assess each of the entries under the watchful eye of head judge Robert Ross. From the results of the regional judging, bakers who had won at least a bronze award were then eligible to enter the business awards that would ultimately decide this year’s Scottish Baker of the Year. Our panel this year was made up of senior executives and managers from our business category sponsors, who reviewed each of the written submissions and interviewed each entrant via video call. The passion and hard work from

them all was clear to see, so it wasn’t an easy decision and the final results were incredibly close.

award-winning café bakery, we hope to make our family business an Edinburgh institution for generations to come.”

But, there could only be one winner crowned the ultimate Scottish Baker of the Year, and this year it went to Mimi’s Bakehouse of Edinburgh. They finally lifted the silver rolling pin after coming so close over many years. It is the first time a bakery café of the year winner has been named the overall winner too, so a bit of Scottish Bakers history was made that night too!

Our congratulations go to each and every award winner but particular mention to our Craft Baker of the Year, Babyfaced Baker, our Retail Craft Baker of the Year, JG Ross (Bakers) Ltd and our Wholesale Baker of the Year, Reid’s of Caithness.

“We are beyond overwhelmed by this achievement after 9 years of entering and being a part of the Scottish Bakers Awards” said founder and owner of Mimi’s Michelle Phillips. “We’d like to thank our incredible staff, customers and partners who work hard every day as part of our extended family. “As we continue to push forward with new ideas and concepts and celebrate being an

MORE INFORMATION You can see all of the winners on our bakeroftheyear.scot website Scan the QR code to see the full list of winners.

Join us for a fun filled evening, hosted by the fabulous Edward Reid!

SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER, 2023

For tickets and more information scan the QR code

10 08

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

STUDY TOUR WITH FLEMING HOWDEN

SCOTTISH BAKERS STUDY TOUR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FLEMING HOWDEN About Fleming Howden Fleming Howden is entirely devoted to the baking industry. It is long renowned for sourcing, manufacturing and distributing a wide range of bakery ingredients and yeast products. Their focus is on delivering the latest bakery technology and product innovation, and providing excellence to the bakery industry.

MORE INFORMATION If you would like to find out more, please scan the QR code.

We’re delighted to announce a new Scottish Bakers Study Tour in partnership with Fleming Howden, taking place from the 19 – 21st September 2023. A limited number of places are available for ambitious bakers, business owners and apprentices to attend. The Study Tour will take place at the AB Mauri Centre of Excellence in Corby, where you will learn about sugar reduction, egg replacement, sourdough and MORE! The visit will also include tours of the Northampton and Corby manufacturing sites. We only have 8 places available, so head to the Scottish Bakers website today to register and tell us why you should have one of the places for this fantastic opportunity. The visit includes two night’s accommodation at the Old White Hart, Lyddington, lunch and dinner. Attendees are required to book and pay for their own travel to and from Corby (options will be provided.) Fleming Howden General Manager, Carl Vitty, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Scottish Bakers to deliver this exciting opportunity for their members and those enrolled in modern apprenticeship programmes through National Food & Drink Training. We look forward to welcoming them to the AB Mauri Centre of Excellence and hope they leave us inspired with ideas and insights.”

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

NEW MEMBERS

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Since our last edition we have welcomed some new members to the association. We would like to extend a warm welcome to: DUNBAR COMMUNITY BAKERY

INVICTA BAKEWARE

APPLIED COMPUTER VISION

When Smiths, the last of Dunbar’s traditional bakers, closed in 2008, it seemed like the end of an era and was certainly a great loss to the High Street. But before long members of Sustaining Dunbar began to explore the idea of a community bakery and found out how they could make this happen.

Established in 1912, Invicta has been leading the field in bakeware manufacturing for over a century and today is one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and designers of equipment for the bakery, catering and food processing sectors. It offers a huge catalogue of stock lines, including bakeware and coatings, racks and trays, heavy-duty tables and plastic ingredient handling and storage solutions, with innovative bespoke products a speciality. As well as an in-depth industry knowledge that is second to none, the company prides itself on friendly customer service, competitive pricing, dependable lead times and reliable after-sales support.

Applied Computer Vision’s artificial intelligence systems enable real-time compliance monitoring, advanced customer analytics, and enhanced security system functionality, all through your existing CCTV cameras, improving your business’s efficiency and reducing your operational costs.

Community spirit is a powerful force in Dunbar and thanks to the energy, commitment and generosity of the town’s people the Dunbar Community Bakery opened for trade in October 2011.

Easy Soft’r Brioche

With the growing number of CCTV systems and recent advances in artificial intelligence, it is now possible to use your CCTV system to monitor critical processes, employee actions, customer habits and your perimeter with improved accuracy and greatly reduced human intervention.

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✓ Vegan and Vegetarian suitable

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

CENTENARY CLUB

30th Anniversary 2023 All Sectors Lunch of the Scottish Bakers Centenary Club. Report by Jim Brown. Attendees were delighted to see Past SAMB Company Secretary Fay Somerville at the lunch, the first she has been able to attend for a few years. so there was a lot of catching up done during the day! Members were also particularly pleased to see President Ian McGhee again, but not just because of his pearls of wisdom on the current activities of Scottish Bakers and on the baking industry in general! Once again, he brought lots of goodies from McGhee’s to pass on to the Centenary Club members. This included Caramel Shortcake, with McGhee’s

having recently installed new state of the art production equipment for it and increasing overall its production of confectionery products. Ian gave an interesting talk on his visit with Alasdair Smith to Westminster Hall to discuss the energy crisis and meet up at different times, with SNP’s Stephen Flynn and Stewart Hosie, and with Alister Jack MP, at the Scotland Office. (Full information on this is in the March/April issue of Scottish Baker 2023.) Long term Centenary Club member Andrew Noble gave a vote of thanks to Jim Brown for his excellent arrangements for the lunch.

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

TRAINING UPDATE

TRAINING UPDATE Following on from the training and development panel discussion at this year’s conference, we would like to share some of the programme statistics from our recently completed Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Modern Apprenticeship programmes. In 2022/23 we had 217 new apprentices start on programme, broken down as follows:

STARTS MALE:

FEMALE:

147

STARTS 2022/23 Progressions 24

STARTS BY AGE GROUP Re-Entrants 3

20-24 35

16-19 44

25+ 165 Starts 217

9.8% OF STARTS WERE PROGRESSIONS 1.23% OF STARTS WERE RE-ENTRANTS 60.25% OF ALL STARTS ARE FEMALE 32.38% OF ALL STARTS ARE AGED 16-24 14

THE SCOTTISH BAKER

TRAINING UPDATE

STARTS PER FOOD & DRINK OPERATIONS PATHWAY WERE AS FOLLOWS:

CRAFT BAKERY SKILLS SCQF 5

28.29%

DAIRY INDUSTRY SKILLS SCQF 5

2.87%

DISTRIBUTION SKILLS SCQF 5

6.97%

FOOD SALES AND SERVICE SKILLS SCQF 5

24.19%

PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING SKILLS SCQF 5

9.8%

BAKERY SKILLS SCQF 6

1.64%

FOOD AND DRINK OPERATIONS SCQF 6

22.13%

SUPPLY CHAIN SKILLS SCQF 6

0.41%

FOOD MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE SCQF 5 & 6

3.70%

62 Leavers

80% OVERALL

ACHIEVEMENT RATE

248 Achievers

ACHIEVERS MALE:

114

FEMALE:

133 25+ 174

ACHIEVERS BY AGE GROUP

GENDER NEUTRAL:

AND WHAT TO OUR LEARNERS AND EMPLOYERS TELL US? It’s good for your people: • 98.42% would recommend National Food & Drink Training • 85.79% will work more effectively • 67.89% hope to progress • 67.37% will work as a team

20-24 42 16-19 42

It’s good for your business: Employers unanimously agree that programmes improve and develop skills and benefit the company. We’re also proud to report that 100% of employers said that the advice support and guidance was relevant to their business and they would recommend National Food & Drink Training.