Join us for our open evening at Leiths on Thursday, 16 July 2026, 6.30–8.30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.
Join us for our open evening at Leiths on Thursday, 16 July 2026, 6.30–8.30pm, and discover how the Culinary Diploma can launch your career in food.
Being a baker is a skilled profession that involves preparing and baking a variety of bread, pastries, cakes, and other baked goods. Working in bakeries, cafés, or even larger food production settings, bakers are responsible for mixing ingredients, kneading dough, and ensuring the perfect balance of textures and flavours.
Bakers must have a keen understanding of ingredients and their interactions, whether they’re creating delicate pastries or hearty loaves of bread. They often start their day early to ensure products are fresh and ready for customers. Attention to detail is crucial, as baking requires precision with measurements, temperature control, and timing.
Beyond baking, bakers are also responsible for ensuring their work area is clean and organised, managing inventory, and sometimes creating new recipes or adjusting existing ones. Creativity is key when experimenting with new flavours, designs, and techniques.
Individuals in this role often find the hours long and demanding, with early mornings and late nights. The work can be physically taxing, especially with bakers having to work 10-12-hour shifts.
To become a baker, you’ll need to demonstrate you have the following skillset:
The salary individuals can earn as a baker will be based on the specific bakery, the level of responsibility in the business, and their particular schedule. The UK’s current average falls around £30,000.
Employment type:
Fixed employment
Working hours:
Full-time
Potential Salary:
£30,000
Work/Life Balance
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Baker & Cookery Teacher
Tomek Mossakowski is the Social Media Manager at The Dusty Knuckle Bakery, which is a social enterprise employing and training young offenders so that they can learn new skills, earn legitimately and live a fulfilling life. Before his current role, Tomek was a baker and co-founder of The Dusty Knuckle Bakery School in East London, offering a range of artisan bread, pastry and cooking classes.
Before Leiths, Tomek was an academic in the English department at King’s College London. “I was really unhappy in academia. On my own, thinking too much. I just felt really out of place in that environment. I really like being with people, in a team, chatting and laughing and unfortunately academia is mostly a solo game.”
Head Baker
Christina’s huge love and talent for simple, flavourful baking and all things sweet has opened up an impressive career path, including roles within prestigious kitchens across Europe. She previously worked as Head Baker at Hahnemanns Køkken in Copenhagen working with Trine Hahnemann to take the bakery to the next level. Before that, she has held the position of Specialist Baker at Mirabelle restaurant where she created delights such as their famed plum and hazelnut cream puffs. Currently she is doing research on bread and sweet pastries in Colombia, trying to connect again with the flavours and culture she misses so much living in Northern Europe.
A Food Business Owner manages all aspects of running a food-related enterprise, from sourcing ingredients to overseeing operations, marketing, and finances. They ensure product quality, customer satisfaction, and profitability while navigating industry trends and regulations. Strong business acumen, leadership, and passion for food are essential.
A retail butcher is responsible for cutting, trimming, and preparing various meat cuts from larger wholesale portions into customer-ready steaks, chops, roasts, and other cuts, ensuring proper quality and presentation while also directly interacting with customers to fulfill special requests and provide product information at the retail meat counter.
A Food Buyer selects and purchases ingredients and products for retailers, restaurants, or suppliers. They negotiate with vendors, manage budgets, and ensure quality, availability, and cost-effectiveness. Strong market knowledge, negotiation skills, and an eye for trends are essential.
