Bakers make bread, cakes, pastries, and other baked goods.
What does a baker do?
Bakers make bread, cakes, pastries and other baked goods. You could work in three main types of bakery:
- At a plant bakery, you use machinery and production lines to manufacture large amounts of baked goods for shops, supermarkets and other large customers.
- As an in-store baker, you use some automated machinery to make fresh bread products to be sold in the store.
- At a craft bakery, you create a smaller amount of products to be sold in a shop, delicatessen, or chain of specialist shops. This work is more varied, and although some machinery is used, you do much of the work by hand.
What do I need to do to become a baker?
You can apply for work as a trainee or apprentice in a bakery without any specific qualifications, although employers may ask for some GCSEs, for example English, maths, science or food technology.
Some local colleges offer full-time courses in professional bakery.
Desirable qualifications
- GCSE English
- GCSE maths
- GCSE science
- GCSE food technology
- Apprenticeship in food and drink (baking)