With the third National Craft Bakers’ Week only a few weeks away the campaign is building momentum with more bakers registering to take part than ever before

According to the National Association of Master Bakers, National Craft Bakers’ Week provides a united voice for inde-pendent bakers across the country, championing the artisanal skills that have been used for generations; the vital role of the baker’s shop in a local community; and the difference in taste between craft made goods and those produced in factories.

Participating in this year’s campaign and helping raise consumers’ awareness of the event is sporting legend Dame Kelly Holmes, who is a big fan of local bakers and freshly baked bread, savouries and cakes.

Supported by free point-of-sale material and guidelines on how to promote their businesses, bakers are already planning amazing events that showcase their skills and involve their local community and are posting details on the NAMB’s new Facebook page www.facebook.com/nationalcraftbakersweek. Other bakers are busy making contact with local radio stations and newspapers to spread news of their offers, demonstrations and competitions.

Sampling experience

A key part of National Craft Bakers’ Week 2011 is a national taste experience, taking place on Wednesday 21 September. Bakers are urged to take part in what the NAMB believes will be the largest simultaneous tasting experience in the country.

Bakers are encouraged to invite customers and passers-by or community groups to sample their menu of goods and appreciate for themselves how good artisan crafted, freshly baked cakes, breads, savouries and pastries can be, so that they realise what a valuable asset they have in their community.

"We want every craft baker, regardless of whether they are doing anything else or not, to celebrate National Craft Bakers’ Week, by offering customers, passers-by and local community groups a chance to sample freshly baked goods on Wednesday 21 September," says NAMB CEO Gill Brooks-Lonican. "By involving all bakers we want this to be the biggest simultaneous tasting event in the country. The more bakers involved, the bigger the positive impact on the consumer will be and, hopefully, local community bakers can reclaim some of their high street customers."

Registration

Register today for your free marketing pack and to be included within the press campaign to put local media in touch with participating bakers. This aims to boost local news coverage that will benefit your business.
Complete the online registration form at www.masterbakers.co.uk or telephone 01920 468061. Also, please send details of any forthcoming events for the week to the NAMB, so it can pass details on to its press contacts.

Support group

The National Craft Bakers’ Week activity is organised by the National Association of Master Bakers (NAMB) in association with a group of key bakery suppliers (Bako NW, Bakels, BFP Wholesale, California Raisins, CSM United Kingdom, Macphie, Marriage’s, Puratos and the Reynard Group) along with British Baker magazine.