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A CAREER IN BAKING AND CONFECTIONERY
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
While the large, white sliced loaf is still the top seller in bakeries across Britain, other types of speciality breads like croissants, French loaves, pitta bread, ciabatta, wholemeal and organic bread have increased considerably in popularity. Customers look for a greater variety of bread and confectionery products and may purchase them at large supermarkets off the shelf or from their own in-store bakeries or from smaller, specialist craft bakeries.
THE WORK
If you have an interest in food and want to do skilled work with your hands, you might like to be a baker. As a baker, you could be preparing and baking bread and confectionery products like loaves, French bread rolls, croissants, buns, pastries, cakes and savouries. In most baking work you would have to
- Weigh out and measure ingredients
- Mix and divide dough, then mould it and shape it into tins
- Set the dough to rise
- Bake different bread and confectionery products, then
- Finish them by decorating, slicing and wrapping them.
There are three main types of bakers; you could be
- A Baker in a Craft Bakery, who would bake products to be sold in a small shop or chain of specialist shops. The work would be more varied and you would see a product through from start to finish. You would use some machinery, but also do some work by hand. You may even be trained for confectionery work including cake decoration.
- A Baker in an In-Store Bakery, probably part of a supermarket, where you would make fresh bread products to be sold in the store, using some automatic machinery. They use pre-mixed, part-baked or unbaked frozen dough to provide a daylong supply of fresh bread and related products.
- A Baker in a Plant Bakery producing many different bread or confectionery products using machinery or production lines to produce large amounts of baked goods for supermarkets and shops.
WHAT IS THE CRAFT BAKING INDUSTRY?
There are currently over three hundred and fifty Craft Bakeries in Scotland and they vary tremendously in their size, product range and character, no wonder then that they offer a wide range of different types of jobs! The industry employs about 12,500 people and about 40% of these are bakers, the remainder work in retail, distribution and administration. Quality training is available both on and off the job leading to nationally recognised qualifications.
The term "Craft" is important as it describes the nature of daily production of bread and confectionery for sale and consumption often within one day. It is therefore, a fast moving and dynamic industry with good promotion prospects for those who are determined, enthusiastic and looking for a career progression!
Fresh, quality, variety, good value and wholesome products are the hallmarks of the Craft Baker - They make it - Bake it- and Sell it - the complete business!
Craft Bakeries vary in size from two or three bakers behind or in their own shop, to large bakeries employing several hundred and delivering by lorry to their own shops and other customers.
There are 'Hot Bread Shops', 'Village Bakeries', 'In-store Bakeries', 'Traditional Bakeries', 'Factory based Bakeries', all within the Craft Baking Industry!
It's a creative and proud industry, geared up to meet the ever changing tastes and needs of the modern consumer, with products from fresh crusty bread and rolls, to delicious continental pastries, to mouth watering sweet and savoury pies, to quality celebration cakes for special occasions!
SO WHAT TYPE OF PERSON DOES A CRAFT BAKER HAVE TO BE?
Craft Bakers have to be versatile, adaptable and flexible as they deal with a great many products and processes - so no time to get bored on one product or process, the work is interesting and varied!
To be effective in their job they have to be skilled and very knowledgeable - there's only one chance to get the products right first time every time!
Good Craft Bakers are ' thinking Bakers' - therefore quality training and nationally recognised qualifications like SVQs are taken very seriously! Whilst they have to be individually very competent, the success of any bakery depends on how well the Bakers work as a team - good teamwork is thus the essential, with Bakers communicating well to keep quality production moving.
Depending on the type of Bakery, they often use their hands a great deal, but they also have to be competent in using a range of tools and complex equipment!
They are clean, hygienic and safe in the way that they work - the quality and safety of bakery food for public sale is in their hands!
Some Craft Bakers have to deal directly with customers - this can be very challenging; displaying and selling products and caring for your customers!
Craft Bakers often have an opportunity to specialise, once their basic training has been successful - for example: in Production Areas like bread, morning goods, pastries, confectionery, in Specialist Areas like confectionery design and finishing, in Management Areas like supervision, production management, quality management etc. Craft Bakers that progress up the career ladder have to be competent managers or even owners of their own business - management, business and entrepreneurial skills feature strongly if you are looking to really get on in the industry.
ENTERING THE INDUSTRY
Some companies may prefer you to have standard grades or highers as qualifications for a career in craft baking but most companies are more interested in the following personal attributes:
Character:
- Honest and reliable
- Well motivated
- Enthusiastic
- Keen to use IT
Personal:
- Good communicator
- Creative and artistic
- Fit and healthy
- Hygienic and safe
Team attitude:
- Co-operative
- Work well with others
- Flexible and adaptable
- Deal effectively with problems
SOME ENTRY ROUTES INTO THE INDUSTRY
- Training is provided on the job, working towards a Bakery SVQ at level 2 from one of the pathways
- A Training Agent will supervise your training progress on the job, as you progress towards a Bakery SVQ at level 2 from one of the pathways.
- A Training Agent will supervise your training progress on the job, as you undertake a modern apprenticeship and progress to at least Bakery SVQ level 3 from one of the pathways.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE INDUSTRY
Bakery SVQ’s actually assess bakers to nationally agreed standards of work, therefore proving the competence of any baker in the job SVQ Level 1: A Bakery Qualification, which is for you if you work in one of the following areas:
- An operative in bakery production
- Work in support activities like cleaning or hygiene
- Are employed in the packing and despatch areas
- Are involved with product display
The qualification allows you to choose the units that are relevant to your work. It recognises your skills and knowledge in doing your job, and confirms your competence to do your work well to nationally agreed standards
SVQ Level 2: Bakery Qualifications, which are for you if you work in one of the following areas:
- Production work in a Craft Bakery, In store Bakery or Bakery with semi or automated production lines
- Distribution work in wrapping and packing, picking orders or delivery of bakery products
- Retail work in a bakery shop, preparing take-away products or providing a take-away or table service
The qualification allows you to choose the areas that are relevant to your work through a system of four different pathways. They recognise your skills and knowledge in doing your job, and confirm your competence to do your work well to nationally agreed standards
SVQ Level 3: Bakery Qualifications, which are for you if you hold a position of responsibility such as:
- Team Leader or Chargehand and are involved in the bakery production processes
- A more specialist role such as product development or specialist craft
- A Supervisor in a bakery retail, service or distribution area.
The qualification allows you to choose the areas that are relevant to your work through a system of seven different pathways. They recognise your skills and knowledge in doing your job, and confirm your competence to do your work well to nationally agreed standards
To apply for a Placement on one of the SAMB Training Programmes, please click HERE For more information please contact:
The Training Manager
Scottish Association of Master Bakers
4 Torphichen Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8JQ
Tel: 0131 229 1401
Fax:0131 229 8239
E-mail: master.bakers@samb.co.uk
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