Oldest bakery school in the world celebrates 125 year anniversary with Worshipful Company of Master Bakers
The event will be attended by baking industry moguls and feature a specially designed commemorative anniversary cakeThe National Bakery School (NBS) at LSBU is officially the oldest bakery school in the world this year and is celebrating its 125th anniversary today (17 September) with an event hosted by City of London livery company, The Worshipful Company of Bakers at Bakers’ Hall.
The celebration kicks off today with a speech from LSBU Vice-Chancellor David Phoenix, about the long and illustrious history of the National Bakery School and some of the highlights, key historical moments, transformations and baking innovations seen by its staff and students over the years.
Expected to attend are baking mogul David Powell of David Powell Bakeries, Jonathon Jones, Managing Director of Tregothnan, Paul Morrow, Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers and Chairman of British Bakels, plus representatives of the UK’s baking industry.
A specially designed commemorative anniversary cake, created over the past eight months by Jane Hatton, expert baker from the National Bakery School, will be on display at the venue throughout the day.
The cake has been baked in the shape of a tall sculptural monument incorporating five traditional cake shapes (square, hexagon, petal, roundel and sphere), coated with white icing, displaying decorative reliefs and motifs, including a ‘horn of plenty’ cornucopia of flowers, LSBU’s heraldic shield, a new crest created to mark the NBS’ 125 year anniversary and the coat of arms belonging to the Worshipful Company of Bakers.
Samples of a new, bottled, specially branded and sustainable eco beer, brewed to mark the anniversary, will be dispensed to guests as a gift, to mark the occasion.
The creation of the new ale is the result of a three-way partnership between: LSBU, who provided surplus bread for the brewing process from the NBS; local Southwark-based brewery Orbit Beers, who used the bread combined with yeast and German hops to brew the beer and create the branding; and finally, the beer’s flavour was perfected by the Master Brewer at local, Kennington-based brew company, Toast Ale.
LSBU plans to eventually make the new pale ale available to students through the Student Union bar, as part of a project to combat waste on campus.
Speaking at the anniversary event, Professor David Phoenix OBE, Vice-Chancellor of LSBU said: “The National Bakery School is a shining example of how higher education and employers can work together to produce the highly skilled graduates industry needs.”
Elaine Thomson, Head of the National Bakery School at LSBU, said: “In its 125-year history, the National Bakery School has always sought to be at the forefront of vocational training for the baking industry.
“Historic technological advances in the field of baking science and changes within the education landscape have already helped to increase the diverse range of courses we offer at LSBU and this offering will continue to expand in future.
“Reaching 125 years is a truly impressive milestone for the school. We now face the challenge of energising and inspiring the next generation of bakers – from developing craft skills through to investing in applied scientific baking research.
“Our vision is to be a truly national school which will both meet and enhance the needs of all of the industry partners we work with.”
Paul Morrow, Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers and Managing Director of British Bakers, said: “Bakers will only prosper if we have customers who are trained in the application of bakery ingredients and expert staff who can support those customers. We therefore pledge to support The National Bakery School as they educate and provide career opportunities for young bakers.”
Speeches today will be followed by a canape reception for guests, ending with an auction to raise funds or future student educational trips.