Judging Process

At British Baker, we pride ourselves on the integrity and the robustness of our judging process, making our awards the ones that everyone wants to win. The refreshed judging process is broken down into the following stages:

Stage One:

All entries are reviewed by a judging panel organised by the sponsoring company. This also includes an independent judge and British Baker appointed adjudicator. You DO NOT have to be a supplier or a customer of any category sponsors to enter.

Stage Two:

Each category will be judged under one of the following subheadings:

Business – Shortlisted entries from stage one will be reviewed further. If a site visit is needed this will be arranged. From there, three finalists and a winner will be picked.

People – After the first stage, shortlisted candidates in this category will be asked to interview. This can be in person or virtually. They will also be asked to send or show a sample of their products if relevant. The panel will pick three finalists and a winner. Part of the judging process might include site visits if needed for the category.

Product – Any product shortlisted in these categories will be asked to send/deliver the shortlisted product to the final judging stage on a selected date to be confirmed. The panel will from this determine three finalists and the winner from these entries.

A company may enter more than one category, but different company representatives must enter each of the chosen categories. No one person can enter more than one category. Companies that won any category in 2021 may not enter the same category this year. The exception to this is product categories – the winning company may enter the following year but must enter with a different product.

All finalists will appear in British Baker, on Britishbaker.co.uk and bakeryawards.co.uk before, during and after the awards.

Testimonials

“We utilise the awards in quite a few different ways, through press releases, media conversations with local and regional TV and more recently we’ve been lucky enough to have those conversations with national TV too”

Speciality Bread of the Year 2022

Catherine Connor Co-Owner Lovingly Artisan

“One benefit of entering and winning such a recognised award is it gives Earth & Wheat credibility amongst peers in the baking industry, it has also meant Earth & Wheat’s brand exposure within the sector has been strengthened.”

Sustainability Initiative of the Year 2022

James Eid Founder Earth & Wheat

“That was an incredibly proud moment not just for me but for the entire business, being able to thank our suppliers that were in the crowd and fellow people in the industry really made it.”

Online Bakery Business of the Year 2022

Matthew Bond Creative Director Project D

“This has been a huge morale boost for the entire company, after such a challenging few years. It is brilliant to be able to recognise every single person for their contribution, it brings an enhanced sense of pride to what we do day in and day out to serve our loyal customers”

Craft Bakery Business Award 2021

Sean Sarafilovic Director Stephens Bakery

"Winning a Baking Industry Award has been an amazing achievement for all of us, from owners and management, bakers and front of house. The award is very special as it appreciates the input of all of the team. It felt so good to share the process from nomination to accepting the trophy on stage with our loyal customers who genuinely felt part of it. Seeing how happy they all were for us made it incredibly gratifying for many weeks after receiving the award."

Customer Experience 2023

Ania Wadolowska Manager The Old Store Norfolk

"It was such an unreal moment to even be nominated for the award, let alone to win it. It's great to receive recognition for all the work that goes into being a baker. It has made everything feel more real on the path to achieving my dreams."

Rising Star Award 2023

Jordan Skeet Baker Bread Source