“I like the idea of taking lots of different ingredients and putting them together to make something for people to enjoy!” says 16-year-old aspiring baker Jack Stevens.
Jack, who is studying for the Level 2 diploma in professional bakery, added: “I did a GCSE food technology at school and it was the bakery side of the course that I enjoyed the most.
“I’ve learnt how to make a range of different types of bread, including crispy bloomers, farmhouse loaves and bread sticks, as well as muffins and doughnuts, which are sold in the on-site bakery shop at the Wellington Road campus if the tutor assesses them to be the required standard.
“And, as well as learning practical bakery skills, we’re also learning the science behind products – such as the components of wheat grain and yeast – as well as the business side of the industry and the pros and cons of certain locations for a bakery business.
“I’m also doing maths as part of my course too – adding and weighing etc is an important part of baking so the course is teaching me everything I need for my future career as a baker.
“The tutors have many years’ experience in the bakery industry and when someone you look up to tells you you’ve done a good job it’s really uplifting – to hear what they’ve got to say is good and even if they tell you that you haven’t done such a good job as you learn from their feedback.
“Being here has been the pinnacle of my year! Before coming to college felt as though I’d lost my confidence, but since coming here, making new friends, doing this course and being with people who want to learn things is good and I feel as though I’m back to being me!”
