Craft bakers are gearing up for National Craft Bakers’ Week by planning events and promotions designed to raise their profile in the local community.

Organised by the NAMB and taking place from 19-24 September, this year’s event is being run under the strapline ’Baking for the local community’ and aims to communicate the important commercial and social role that craft bakers play in their local areas.

Teresa Grant of bakery supplier CSM United Kingdom is planning to visit Watton School in Norfolk to run a cupcake project. Children will be asked to decorate cupcakes with an Olympics theme and design their own brand and packaging. They will then have to work out how much their products cost to produce and how much profit they can make by selling them in the school. The project is being run in conjunction with local craft bakery The Bakehouse.

Grant said: "Whether it’s working with local schools, developing new products or running tastings, it’s important that craft bakers take part and help promote the high street."

At Greenhalgh’s in Bolton, Sandra Ogden, head of retail operations, said it would be using tables outside its 50-plus shops for tastings. "I would suggest other bakers take part; it is a chance for them to showcase the quality and freshness of their products and to attract more new customers from the local community," she said.

Noel Hardy of Hardy’s Bakery in Norwich also aims to catch customers’ eyes with a window display celebrating the Olympics, including biscuits decorated to look like gold medals.

For further details on National Craft Bakers’ Week contact: Gill Brooks Lonican or Karen Dear on tel: 01920 468061.

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