Bakers make bread and other products such as rolls, pastries, cakes, biscuits and pies. Confectioners make sweets and chocolates. The work may be done by hand or by using machinery.

The Work

You could be:

• weighing, measuring and mixing ingredients
• dividing mixture into portions
• baking the products in ovens
• decorating cakes and pastries
• slicing, wrapping, and labelling the products
• displaying and selling goods
• following rules on hygiene, health and safety
• using specialist equipment and machinery
• keeping your work area clean and tidy.

You might specialise in making sweets or chocolate, as a confectioner or chocolatier.

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:

• where you work
• the size of the company you work for
• the demand of the job.

Starting pay is often based on the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or the National Living Wage (NLW).

As of 1 April 2023 the National Minimum Wage is £5.28 an hour for workers under 18, £7.49 an hour for workers aged 18 to 20 and £10.18 an hour for workers aged 21 to 22. The National Living Wage for those aged 23 and over is £10.42 an hour. With experience this could rise to around £10.00 an hour.

Conditions

You could work in a small shop, a supermarket or a plant (factory) bakery.

• In a small shop you would do most work by hand and would have a variety of tasks.
• In a supermarket you would use machinery to bake prepared mixes.
• A plant bakery is like a factory producing large quantities of a limited range of food. You would work at a conveyer belt or use machinery for all stages of the production.

Conditions in all cases would be similar.

• You would probably start work very early in the morning.
• You would sometimes work at weekends and possibly at night.
• You would wear protective clothing and perhaps ear protectors.
• It might be hot, dusty and noisy.
• You might have to lift heavy materials, such as large bags of flour.

Getting In

• You may get directly into a job if you have a good general education.
• You might get in through a Modern Apprenticeship, with training leading to Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in various specialisms of bakery or in food and drink operations.
• You might enter after doing a full time college course such as a National Certificate (NC), Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in a suitable subject.

There are many bakeries of all sizes in Scotland. Most chocolatiers work for a big company, but there are also a growing number of small specialist firms producing high quality chocolate.

Job Outlook Scotland

Job Outlook Scotland and UK

What Does it Take?

You should have:

• a passion for food
• creative ideas and skills
• a steady hand
• a responsible attitude, especially to following health, safety and hygiene regulations
• good maths skills for measuring ingredients and calculating cooking times.

You should be able to:

• work quickly, neatly and accurately
• work well as part of a team
• do a variety of tasks if necessary.

Training

• Training might be on the job, through the employer’s training scheme.
• You might train through a Modern Apprenticeship, on the job and at college.
• You could gain SVQ Food and Drink Operations (Craft Bakery Skills) at SCQF Level 5, or SVQ Food and Drink Operations (Bakery Skills) at SCQF Level 6.
• You might study part time at college to gain a specialist qualification such as cake decoration and production. For example, you could study for an HNC in Professional Cookery (Patisserie).

Getting On

• With experience, skill and further qualifications you could move on to be a supervisor or possibly a production manager.
• You might become a technical advisor, a trainer or a test baker.
• You might move into sales and marketing or become self-employed.

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Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.