Bakery Student Receives Outstanding Award

University College Birmingham Bakery student Rebecca Thompson (pictured), has been bestowed a ‘Freedom by Presentation’ from The Worshipful Company of Bakers. The first student from a Birmingham college to be honoured with the award.

The Company, has a history dating back over 800 years and alongside its other work provides Scholarships and Prizes for young people in the baking industry, and endeavours to encourage them to become first-class tradesmen/women.

The Freedom was presented at a candlelit dinner at the historical Bakers Hall in London in the company of invited bakers and other culinary professionals, bankers, lawyers and judges as well as the Masters and Court of the Company.

Rebecca was nominated for the Freedom as the top bakery student in The College of Food at University College Birmingham, a title which came as the result of her hard work combining her studies with working to support herself and still finding time to train with the UK bakery team, who will be competing in Italy in 2012.

Rebecca said “It came as a complete surprise, I didn’t expect to be nominated, it’s made me so proud of what I have done and achieved and it will help me in the future.”

Head of Bakery at UCB, Dawn Gemmell, said “We’re very proud of Rebecca and all of her achievements; she’s got a great future in bakery ahead of her".