Paul Barker, owner of Cinnamon Square, who won The Skills Achievement Award 2007, sponsored by Rich's

"It was good to get recognition for the hard work I've put in to improving my skills over the years and passing those on to others. We run bakery classes for every-one from five-year-old school children through to adult courses in breadmaking, patisserie and Italian baking. We sent out a press release about winning the award and received lots of coverage in the local papers. The award gave us instant credibility with new customers and we have seen a steady increase in sales. Business in the past few months has been incredible and much of that is due to our awards success. It has added momentum to the business and has definitely opened a few doors. I've been asked to give a presentation at an upcoming British Society of Baking conference and that has come about because of winning the award.