Around the show with... Tom Herbert

It's such a great idea, we can't believe it's not been done before. This piping bag system allows you to pipe an ingredient through the nozzle without having to squeeze the bag. The pipe - a rubber tube that is under pressure - is simply released with your thumb. Apparently it's quicker and easier to clean too.

Tom says: "It's a bit like a balloon deflating, forcing the filling out through the nozzle. So the amount of energy required is massively less, which allows people to work for longer. It's a very natty piece of kit for any business doing a lot of piping."

http://www.dovemart.co.uk

Ovens that reduce your carbon emissions?

Well, not quite. But this seriously clever oven system claims it uses 100% carbon neutral fuel, from purified wood chips, made from sustainable sources, and gives off no smoke. It even qualifies you for a government grant of up to 35% of purchase cost and safeguards you against climate chance levy. The deck oven has one-inch-thick deck stones for great oven-bottom breads and could cut your oven's energy costs by up to (drum roll...) two-thirds.

Tom says: "I like it a lot. We're a growing business having difficulty keeping control of energy costs. It was looking like we might not hit our target on the energy front, which means we stand to lose up to £6,000 on tax savings. That's a lovely solution you could bring into the process and I wasn't expecting to see that - that's what you hope to find at an exhibition."

http://www.bakewellovens.co.uk

Mysterious fruits of the Orient

New to the UK, these organic fruits are grown and cooked in raw cane sugar by a co-operative of families in China. They're available in the UK through Community Foods and come in varieties including chillies, kiwis and carrots. They can be used in several bakery applications, such as savoury muffins, and have a storage life of at least a year.

Tom says: "The candied cherry tomatoes would be great for a breakfast muffin. I like the fact they're organic and they've thought through the process and found that they can apply the candied process to carrots and tomatoes, which can help us keep things like muffins interesting and new - I can see that would be a great product in a breakfast muffin."

http://www.angiusorganics.com

Psychic bake-off ovens

This all-singing, all-dancing fully-programmable oven offers sliding doors for space-saving rather than hinged ones, and claims to give even steam distribution in the bake. And if it ever goes wrong, it sends a message to the manufacturers who will alert you before you've even noticed a fault.

Tom says: "A product like this would be great for a slightly larger company. With staff turnover being like it is, you could programme it to get a consistent product. But I would much rather train someone up to use the oven and know when it's baked, because you're always going to get temperature variations. For an easy life, though, this would be a good one!"

http://www.cbes.co.uk/services/food-systems

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