Students share showstoppers with professional bakers as new ambassadors for global supplier

January 2022

Students share showstoppers with professional bakers as new ambassadors for global supplier

By Melanie Hall

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A duo of Bakery and Patisserie Technology undergraduates will get to share their own showstoppers and ideas with the world’s professional bakers after being selected as this year’s student ambassadors for global supplier Dawn Foods.

As part of an ongoing partnership with University College Birmingham to support young people entering the bakery industry, the company has appointed Bakery and Patisserie Technology BSc (Hons) students Ellen Horsey and Claire Pretty to provide fresh new insight in bakery innovation.

"Dawn’s partnership with University College Birmingham is an enormously beneficial, two-way process"

Jacqui Passmore Marketing Manager UK and Ireland, Dawn Foods

Fellow undergraduate Krystal Jenkins, who was a Dawn Foods student ambassador in 2021, will carry on in the role over the beginning of this year.

All three will be working with Dawn Foods’ application chef, Robin Loud, to create new recipes using the company’s products, as well as blogs and insights that will be beneficial to professional bakers.

Ellen Horsey

With a finger on the pulse regarding the latest bakery trends and influencers, both Ellen and Claire already share their bakes and ideas on their own Instagram platforms.

Dawn Foods’ social platforms will now also be used to share blog posts, recipes, ideas, tips and trends from the ambassadors.

One of their first projects is looking at vegan recipes and ideas, one of the fastest growing opportunities for catering outlets.

Twenty-year-old Ellen Horsey from Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire said she had always loved baking with family members.

Recently working in a local care home kitchen, she assisted the chef in preparing food for residents and baking yummy treats for them.

With a keen interest in gluten-free bakery, she is keen to pursue a career in bakery new product development.

Claire Pretty

Vegetarian Claire is interested in food intolerances and vegan bakery.

Originally an art student, she found that bakery is a great combination of art and science, so chose to pursue this for her further education.

Alongside her studies, she is currently working as an assistant pastry chef at a bakery in Birmingham to gain further experience in the industry.

Jacqui Passmore, Marketing Manager UK and Ireland at Dawn Foods, said: “Dawn’s partnership with University College Birmingham is an enormously beneficial, two-way process.

“We gain some fantastic insight from the students on the latest trends to share with our bakery customers, while our ambassadors are able to gain hands-on experience within the industry to enhance their CVs.

“The standard of applicants every year is always high, and we are delighted to be working with the students who showed us some new ideas and understanding of current bakery trends in their applications.”

Dawn Foods has established itself as one of the top global bakery companies, providing ingredients, bespoke solutions and services to the bakery and foodservice industries.

Headquartered in Jackson, Michigan, and with its UK and Ireland base in Evesham, Worcestershire, it employs more than 4,000 people worldwide and partners with more than 40,000 artisanal and retail bakers, food service leaders, and manufacturers located in more than 100 countries.

University College Birmingham is renowned for providing specialist vocational training for students looking to enter the food industry, with world-class facilities and expert tuition provided on a range of college, undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as apprenticeships.

Discover our full range of courses within our Birmingham College of Food.