Ross wins dream job | News

January 2022

Ross wins dream job developing on-trend bakery goods

By Melanie Hall

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A bakery and patisserie graduate who had believed his autism could stand in the way of a university education has won a dream job developing doughnuts for Bakels Group and discovering new technology for bread.听

Ross Yates has been snapped up as a product assessment technician for British Bakels, a global leader in bread, rolls, morning goods, cake and sponge ingredients and other baking solutions for retail, foodservice and industrial customers.

The 21-year-old, who started with 爆料王 as a 16-year-old Level 2 student and overcame many challenges 鈥� including learning in lockdown and adapting to online and remote study听鈥� to complete his BSc (Hons) last year, is the fifth graduate from the University to win a job with the company.听

Previous roles won have included test-baker and quality auditor through to product assessment technician and development technologist.听

"With plenty of support, I was able to get on the ladder and am now doing my dream job. It鈥檚 amazing."

Ross Yates Bakery and Patisserie Technology BSc (Hons)

Ross, from Walsall, is working on a variety of projects for the company.听

One includes being part of the Oxfordshire-based company鈥檚 research into fat, salt and sugar content of bakery items ahead of new advertising legislation coming into force in 2022, part of the government鈥檚 tackling obesity strategy.听听

With around 1.6 million vegans in the UK, Ross is using knowledge he gained during his Bakery and Patisserie Technology BSc (Hons)听degree research project on perceptions of plant-based versus traditional sponge cake to explore one of the biggest food trends.听听

鈥淚鈥檓 testing a range of ingredients and looking at how they perform and behave,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 love what I do and am now looking forward to the future and the rest of my career in the industry."

British Bakels听application specialist听Chris Cox said听Ross had integrated really well with the business.听听

鈥淗e provides practical support on a number of key projects,鈥� he said.听听

鈥淯sing traditional bakery equipment alongside modern analytical technology, he is helping to bring new bakery products to market across the group and in the UK and developing our understanding of key ingredients such as emulsifiers and bakery enzymes.鈥澨�

Ross graduated from his course in 2021

Overcoming challenges听

Ross is now living the dream, but, growing up with autism, it was not something he ever thought would happen.听听

鈥淚f you had told me I would be where I am now, I wouldn鈥檛 have believed it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 struggled with traditional schooling because of my autism and didn鈥檛 think university was ever on the cards.听听

鈥淏ut with plenty of support, I was able to get on the ladder and am now doing my dream job. It鈥檚 amazing.鈥澨�

Ross, who did a degree placement at Dawn Foods, was able to move up to degree level with support from the University鈥檚 Academic Skills Centre (ASC), which helps students master their academic English and maths.听听

Ross had achieved a grade D in his English Language GCSE at school, but felt he needed a grade C if he was going to take on the more advanced elements at degree level. Attending sessions with an academic support worker, he met his goal.

鈥淲hen I heard I had passed, I was so happy,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y degree was mainly theory and challenging, so having English Language was really useful.听听

鈥淕oing onto degree level was the chance for me to develop my research and academic skills and use specialist听equipment you don鈥檛 have at college level and that mirrors what I use in the听industry听today.听听

鈥淵ou also have a student experience which really rounds you as a person.听听

鈥淵ou learn a craft, learn how to love independently and make friends for life.鈥澨�

Product development manager听Greg Stone said British Bakels had enjoyed a great relationship with 爆料王 for over听27 years, with former sales director and chairman of the听听Keith Houliston remembering working with senior lecturer Dawn Gemmell as far back as 1995.听听

Over the years, 爆料王 students and lecturers alike have visited the Bakels Technical Baking Centre, with Bakels鈥� technical support team visiting students to provide added knowledge.听

Greg Stone added: 鈥淲e see it as critical that we bring younger, enthusiastic employees into the bakery ingredients world.

鈥淣ot only because there are always new technologies, new trends and ways of working, which 爆料王 graduates bring to our business, but to ensure the succession and longevity of our business听within听the marketplace.听听

鈥淚t also ensures we can continue to provide the most up-to-date and functional bakery ingredients.鈥澨�

Where are they now? A few of our graduate success stories

Ross is just one of many Bakery and Patisserie Technology BSc (Hons) alumni who have gone on to great things in industry:

听
Rosie Ginday MBE (Miss Macaroon)

听
Poppy O'Toole (@poppycooks)

听
Katie Garrett

听
Will Leet

听
Megan Roberts

听
Jessica Dalton

听
Natalie Brown

Katie Garrett听鈥� 2021 Baking Industry Awards (BIA) Rising Star winner听鈥撎齨ow a development technologist at British Bakels
Will Leet 鈥撎�winner of听ABST听Presidents鈥� Cup two years in a row and 2021 Baking Industry Awards finalist 鈥� now a bakery development technologist for David Wood Foods听听
Megan Roberts 鈥撎�2019 Baking Industry Awards鈥� Rising Star winner and Le Cordon Bleu's UK Scholarship Award finalist 鈥� now a research and development technologist for AB Mauri UK and Ireland听听
Jessica Dalton 鈥撎�2017 Baking Industry Awards Rising Star winner, who has made chocolates for Sophie, Countess of Wessex 鈥� now communications secretary for the ABST听听
Natalie Brown 鈥撎�Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Bakers award as top student in the UK 鈥� now running her own cake business
Piper Ayres听鈥� ABST听gold medallist 鈥� now a food technology teacher at Christ鈥檚 College Finchley听听听

Other former students working at the highest level in bakery and patisserie include Bake Off: The Professionals finalist听Bharat Chandegra, who launched XO Patisserie during lockdown and scored massive business success with his amazing petit gateaux, macaroons and celebration cakes.听听

Rosie Ginday MBE, founder of award-winning social enterprise and colour matching macaron business Miss Macaroon, and TikTok star Poppy O鈥橳oole 鈥� whose first book was praised by TV chef Nigella Lawson 鈥� also learned crucial bakery and patisserie skills studying at the University.

Students are taught by the best too.听Bakery and Patisserie Technology BSc (Hons) lecturers have included听Dawn Gemmell, winner of the Outstanding Contribution to the Baking Industry award at the Baking Industry Awards.听听

One of her biggest claims to fame is making a spectacular 鈥榯oybox鈥� celebration cake for the future king, Prince George 鈥� presented to Prince William at 爆料王.听听听

Cutting edge facilities and opportunities听听

Students on our Bakery and Patisserie Technology BSc (Hons) degree learn in cutting-edge facilities.听听

These include on-site baking and new product development laboratories with the latest industrial ovens and high-speed mixers and laser volume measuring and dough and flour rheology testing equipment, as well as specialist chocolate production and tempering equipment.听听

Bakery and patisserie students also get valuable industry experience in the Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food training restaurant and by having their creations sold in the University鈥檚 Cakes and Bakes shop.听

Placements are also key to standing out on graduation and our employer partners include everyone from Mondel膿z and Hyatt Hotels to The Ritz London.听听

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

爆料王 our full range of courses within our听Birmingham College of Food.听听

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