Wales’s fastest growing company is looking for a Baker’s Dozen of new apprentices.
The recruitment drive has been launched by the Village Bakery after they secured planning permission to build a £2.3 million Baking Academy, the first of its kind in the UK.
The scheme also includes office space and a state-of-the-art innovation centre to develop and perfect new products.
The four-storey, 26,000 sq ft building will be located next to the family firm’s two bakeries on Wrexham Industrial Estate.
The award-winning company, which employs 290 people and also has a bakery in Minera, was crowned as Wales’s fastest growing company at the prestigious Fastgrowth 50 Awards.
According to Village Bakery Managing Director Robin Jones, recruiting the next generation of bakers is the perfect way to celebrate their 80th birthday this year.
Mr Jones said the 13 new recruits will help lay the foundation for the next phase of the company’s expansion.
Among the current crop of apprentices is Tom Jackson, 20, from Coedpoeth, who said: “I might have gone to university but university wasn’t for me. I always did want to go for an apprenticeship but I wasn’t sure what to go for until I saw the advert from the Village Bakery.”
“I am really enjoying the apprenticeship. It is hard work but it is very satisfying. I can look at a product and think ‘I made that’.”
Equally enthusiastic was Justin Webb, 21, from Chirk, who added: “This is my first proper job and I am really enjoying it.”
“The Village Bakery is a great company to work for and I want hopefully to eventually go into management in future years.”
Mr Jones said: “We’ve got a great track record in bringing on young apprentices who have then gone on to become supervisors and bakery managers.”
“We prefer to grow our own so to speak and these new apprentices are our future, they will be the life blood of our business.”
“There is an extremely bright future for those who shine. One of the apprentices who joined us in 2001 is now one of our bakery managers.”
“We’re looking for 10 apprentices to study Bakery Technology NVQ Level 2 and we’re looking for three apprentices for the engineering side of things.”
“They will be joining the Village Bakery at a very exciting time. We have expanded rapidly and we have an appetite for further growth.”
“We’ve got some great customers, Tesco’s Finest, Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Spar so we need good people to make great products.”
“We’re committed to developing our people and that’s why we have decided to create a new, state-of-the-art Baking Academy which will be opening in early 2015.”
“This is a massive investment for us but it will help us to continue to punch above our weight.”
“There’s no other bakery in the UK who will have these facilities so we’re unique.”
“We want to improve and build up our craft and future proof our business because we only want to grow and I think it appropriate we are doing this in our 80th anniversary year.”
“Baking is actually a sexy profession now thanks to the likes of Paul Hollywood and a whole host of celebrities who are into baking.”
“We can give people those skills and the opportunity of a career for life.
“We believe strongly that to make good products you need good ingredients, good methods and good people.”
“We will not go down the route of cheap and cheerful products. We want to get better and better and the products we are making now is testament to that.”
“We will combine the very best equipment in the most modern of facilities with good ingredients, sourced locally where possible, and good people.”
