Baking Academy upskills bakers

Craig Binnion

Catering to a maximum of 10 people, it allows bakers to use the latest baking equipment and technology while they are learning under the mentorship of Craig Binnion, technical sales manager at Foodcorp Milling.

Despite the art of baking slowly eroding through industry standardisation and automation and the purchase of frozen or pre-baked goods, the academy caters to the requests for more difficult confectionary and craft baking, as well as the fundamentals of baking bread and rolls.

Craft training specifically teaches bakers to make more use of and become more competent artisan bakers.

"Baking can be enjoyed so much more when people enter the training environment without any pre-conceptions. This way, they experience the freedom and creativity that comes with our craft," says Binnion. "Baking is still a very male dominated and labour intensive industry. One of our goals is to get people back into the industry and to be passionate about their craft."

While the academy focuses on the art of baking, students are also taught management systems, production planning, margin calculations and recipe costing. Flour consistency is arguably the commercial baker's most important ingredient. Being able to accurately predict yields leads to better management, less wastage and a more productive and profitable bakery.

After achieving a pass mark of 75%, students are supplied with reference material to assist them in their own work surroundings.

To ensure that students are kept abreast of international baking trends, innovation and standards, regular electronic updates are supplied in combination with the relevant commercial recipes.

"Through the academy, we've taken our commitment to our customers even further by ensuring that their businesses run smoothly, enabling them to produce the best quality products using the company's product range of prepared mixes and wheat flour," says Liezel van Bergen, senior brand manager at Supreme and Foodcorp Milling.

"We're excited by the opportunities our academy has to offer and are confident that it will make a real difference in the lives and businesses of our customers."

For more information, go to www.supremeflour.co.za.