The baking industry recently came together for a one-of-a-kind conference designed and executed by members of the sector. Hosted by prominent environmental specialist Roger Harrabin, the event was attended by around 200 baking industry professionals, key service providers, and ingredients suppliers who praised the thought-provoking presentations and insights shared by the speakers.
The first speaker of the day, James Walton, Chief Economist at IGD, delivered a comprehensive overview of ‘The UK Economic Outlook and What it Means for the UK Food and Beverage Industry’. Andrew Walker, Director of Client Service at WorldPanel by Kantar, provided a complementary presentation entitled ‘Trends, Consumer Behaviors, and Innovations for the Baking Industry’, which stimulated valuable discussion amongst attendees.
The event put a spotlight on the pressing issues facing the baking industry, with a roster of speakers offering compelling solutions and visions for future challenges. Jim Hawkridge, Product Development Director at AB Mauri UK & Ireland addressed ‘The Future of Baking’, whilst Anna Turrell, Sustainability Director at Tesco, discussed the importance of adopting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices and standards.
One of the key themes of the conference was energy reduction, with Emeritus Professor Averil Macdonald OBE reminding attendees that finding solutions to meet net zero targets will require a diverse range of approaches. Averil articulated that hydrogen needs to be part of a multi-pronged approach as the UK cannot generate enough green electricity to achieve net zero alone.
To conclude the event, Roger Harrabin facilitated a panel discussion and Q&A session. Attendees had the opportunity to pose questions on any burning topics for stimulating debate.
Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with the Chief Executive of the Federation of Bakers, Andrew Pyne, stating, “The Baking Forum exceeded our expectations… The knowledge exchange both from the speakers and between delegates was excellent and highly valued. I think this could only happen at this kind of unique baking industry event.”
The Baking Forum proved to be a groundbreaking and stimulating event for the industry and a clear indicator that collaboration and knowledge-sharing is imperative to the continued success of the sector.
