National Bakery School facts for kids

The National Bakery School is a special cooking school in London, England. It's part of London South Bank University. This school started way back in 1894. It is now the oldest bakery school in the whole world!

History

How It All Began

The idea for the National Bakery School started in December 1893. Sir Philip Magnus was a leader at the Borough Polytechnic Institute. This institute is now London South Bank University. He suggested creating a bakery school there.

The next year, Sir Magnus visited a private bakery school. It was run by Mr. John Blandy in Uxbridge. Sir Magnus was very impressed. He asked Mr. Blandy to help set up a school for bakers.

The plan was approved in April 1894 by the London County Council Education Board. They also gave money for the school. On October 10, 1894, evening classes for bakers began. Mr. Henry C. Kutz, a leader of London bakers, opened them.

Becoming a National School

By 1898, bakers were the largest group of students. There were 142 students at the Borough Polytechnic Institute. Because of this success, John Blandy suggested making it a national bakery school.

The National Association of Master Bakers agreed. They took over running the school on September 25, 1899. They paid for it themselves. From then on, it was called the National School of Bakery and Confectionary.

The school continued its evening classes. But it also focused on full-time day students. Six students joined in the first full-time term.

New Buildings and Growth

On February 5, 1902, a special stone was laid for new bakery buildings. Important people like Thomas Fletcher and John Humphry were there. On September 9 of that year, the new buildings officially opened.

Mr. John Kirkland became the head of the department that same year. On September 10, 1909, the new day session began. The Lord Mayor of London, Sir George Wyatt Truscott, opened it. There were 44 full-time students.

The first fourteen female bakery students joined in April 1916. In 1927, John Kirkland left his job. A lecture hall was named after him, and it is still used today.

War, Royal Cakes, and Awards

During World War II, the school's head, Mr. Bennion, helped the government. He advised the Ministry of Food on food rationing. He also advised on using potato flour in baked goods.

In 1947, a higher diploma in Baking Technology was started. The next year, the school made a silver wedding anniversary cake. It was for King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. They also made the christening cake for the baby Prince Charles.

In 1958, the Bakery Department won a big award. They received the grand prix d'excellence and a gold medal. This was at the Brussels International Confectioners' Exhibition.

In 1960, a staff member named Miss Joan Russell designed a wedding cake. It was for the wedding of Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret. In 1963, the Bakery Department helped with a special tradition. They provided bread for the Worshipful Company of Bakers Hall opening.

In 1965, the National Bakery Students' Society celebrated its 60th birthday. Students also presented special bread to the Lord Mayor of London. They delivered it by hand cart to Mansion House.

Modern Era and Innovations

In 1969, the National Bakery School moved to new buildings. These were specially built for the school. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh opened these new buildings.

In 1989, the school baked another huge cake. This one was nearly three meters tall. It celebrated the 800th anniversary of the Lord Mayor of London's office. The cake even had a model of Dick Whittington and his cat.

In 1992, the school started a new degree program. It was a BSc (Hons) in Baking Technology and Process Management. This was the first of its kind in the UK.

The National Bakery School celebrated its 100th birthday in 1994. They had a special lunch at Mansion House. They also published a recipe book called 'The Lightest Chocolate Mousse in the World'.

In the 1990s, John Marchant became the head of the school. The Tower Restaurant was used to train students. It also sold food made by the school.

From September 2000, the school offered new foundation degrees. These were in Baking Technology Management. In 2004, bakery students worked with designer Jean Paul Gaultier. They recreated some of his famous designs using bread.

Another interesting project happened in 1996. Artist Sharon Baker asked the school to bake bread in life-sized molds. These molds were of herself. The body-shaped bread was shown at an art event called 'Eat Me'. This event was part of the annual London Thames Festival.