Young Bakers’ festive creations head for national launch with BAKO
BAKO has unveiled the results of its first Young Bakers initiative, a new collaboration with Coleg Cambria and Wrights Food Group designed to inspire the next generation of bakers.
The project has delivered three festive products: an Irish Coffee Slice layered with coffee caramel and an Irish liqueur cream, a Black Forest Slice reimagined for modern tastes, and a savoury chicken, brie and cranberry Festive Slice. All three will launch to customers from 1 September 2025.
A percentage of profits from the sales will be reinvested into a dedicated fund for future projects, ensuring the Young Bakers Initiative continues to support young talent year after year. The project is supported by the Craft Bakers Association & The Worshipful Company of Bakers
The idea for the initiative originated from discussions at Coleg Cambria about how to connect education more closely with industry. With BAKO and Wrights keen to support the next generation of bakers, the partnership came together quickly and provided the perfect platform to launch the project.
Students on the Level 3 Diploma in Baking Proficiency course, Naomi Spaven 29, and Ella Muddiman, 25, also both finalists in the BIA (Baking Industry Awards) Rising Star Awards, were given a live New Product Development (NPD) brief: to create both a sweet and a savoury festive product.
Working in their college bakery, they brainstormed, tested, and refined a series of recipes before presenting them to BAKO and Wrights.
The pair then spent time at Wrights’ factory, learning how to adapt their bakery recipes into large-scale production. Cost, consistency, and capability all had to be factored in, giving them valuable experience of the realities of NPD in a commercial environment. They were also involved in the product photography, artwork, and sales presentations, gaining a full view of how a new product moves from idea to market.
Naomi Spaven, from Mold, said: “Taking part in this project has been such a brilliant experience, it’s completely different to the artisan baking I’d done before. Seeing how products are developed on such a huge scale has been mind-blowing, from watching the production lines in action to understanding the journey from concept through to completion, being able to see it all first-hand was fascinating.
“For me, one of the highlights was the creative side, decorating the cakes and experimenting with different toppings and flavours. It was amazing to see how each of us came up with something unique, and then to see the professional photography really bring those ideas to life. At the same time, I learned so much about the more technical side of baking, especially costings, and how to balance flavour with affordability. With things like cocoa prices rising so quickly, it was a real challenge to find ways of keeping products delicious while still being commercially viable.
“The whole project has broadened my view of the industry and shown me how many opportunities there are beyond day-to-day baking. I love the hands-on side of what I do, but this has also inspired me to think about teaching and passing on my passion to the next generation. I really want young people to see that there are so many different career paths in baking, from artisan bakeries to large-scale production and new product development. It’s made me even more certain that I’m in the right industry, and I feel really excited about the future.”
Nicola Goodwill, Senior Trading Manager at BAKO, said: “This is about more than launching three new festive lines. It’s about showing young people that their creativity has a place in this industry and that their ideas can go all the way to market. Naomi and Ella have been outstanding, and we hope this becomes the first of many Young Bakers projects, building an annual programme to inspire students across the UK.”
Ella Muddiman, 24, from Chester, described the experience as transformative: “I’ve loved every step of this project. At college, you usually bake something, and it ends there, but this gave me the chance to see the whole process. From brainstorming and trialling different flavours, to adapting the recipes at Wrights so they would actually work in production, it was a huge learning curve. The challenge of making something viable for scale, especially on cost, was tough but really rewarding. I especially enjoyed the flavour trials; experimenting with combinations and finding what worked best. To know that something I helped create will be on sale this Christmas is just incredible. It proves young bakers really can make a difference, and I hope it shows others that they can too.”
Anthony Choi, Senior Commercial Manager – Foodservice Wholesale at Wrights, said: “At Wrights, we’re passionate about inspiring the next generation of bakers, which is why we were delighted to partner with BAKO and Coleg Cambria on this exciting initiative.
“This project gave two talented students a unique and valuable opportunity to work with an expert team and chefs at a leading food manufacturer, experiencing the full NPD journey from concept and recipe development through to large-scale production.
“We were impressed by the creativity and fresh thinking they brought to the table. The reworked savoury Festive Slice was a smart seasonal upgrade, while the Black Forest Slice and Irish Coffee Slice filled a clear gap in the market and complemented BAKO’s existing range beautifully.
“It’s been a fantastic way to bring new ideas into the sector and showcase the potential of young talent. We’re proud to have played a part in helping future bakers shine, and we hope this project continues to inspire and open doors for the next generation.”
Naomi is the winner of the BIA Rising Star Award 2024 and runs the Little Welsh Foodie blog. Ella has just been shortlisted for the 2025 Rising Star Award and works at Iâl Bakery in Wrexham College.
Following the success of this pilot, BAKO plans to repeat the initiative annually. This year’s programme sets aside profits to support future young baker groups, building a sustainable pipeline of bakery talent for the industry.