“The quality of the teaching at the School is extremely high. Wayne Caddy taught us a huge amount in a short period of time. He’s passionate about baking and wants to see his students do well. You really appreciate the importance of everything you learn at the School when you start baking professionally. Bread-making is a skilled job and you can only really learn it through the master and apprentice relationship, watching how it’s done and then having plenty of opportunities to try it yourself until you get it right.”

Emma de Giacometti (WEST STREET BAKEHOUSE)

“I absolutely loved it. The School is a beautiful place to learn. It’s like another world, the atmosphere is laid-back, but you learn so much about the science behind cheesemaking. Paul is very knowledgeable and good at breaking down the technical side, so you can understand it. Even the lunchtimes are great, the food is as fantastic as you’d expect, and I like that the tutors eat with you and the other students. My time at the School made me confident enough to start making my own cheese. I’m now the only cheesemaker in the country making lactic cheese with 100% Guernsey milk. I’m proud of what I am producing. The provenance of my cheese is important to me. It’s so local, from my back garden I can hear the cows that provide the milk I use!”

Lynda Hill - Marlow Cheese Company

“I loved my time at the School. It’s a joy to be taught about baking by someone as knowledgeable as Wayne Caddy. The hands-on classes were amazing but what sets the Diploma apart is that the practical experience is paired with in-depth learning about the science of baking. In the baking world that’s a real skill and not everyone in the industry has that level of understanding. Everything I learnt there gave me the foundations I needed to become a much more creative baker.”

Sara Percevicius - The Bake Lab

“The School gave me the technical knowledge and understanding I needed to make great cheese. I learnt all the fundamentals of dairy science on the course which is something I wouldn’t have picked up just from working in the cheese world. The business modules we studied were great too. I didn’t do business studies at school, so the skills and knowledge I picked up from Yvonne O’Donovan have really helped me as I’ve established my own business.

David Jowett - King Stone Dairy

“The School gave me an amazing foundation. Every day I’m using the skills and knowledge I learnt as I bake and build my own artisan baking business. Wayne Caddy, our bread tutor (or ‘Daddy Caddy’ as we like to call him!) is an inspiration. His patience and infectious enthusiasm shone through in every lesson. I learned more from him in a few months than I did from anyone in four years at university”

Ameena Nur - Jeju’s Bakehouse

“The diploma gave me an opportunity to be creative, work with my hands and learn new skills. I’d been working as a food technologist, but I wanted to learn a practical skill which would perhaps allow me to start my own business. The diploma gives you the time, space, equipment and ingredients to let your creativity go wild. It’s very hands on and you get such personalised teaching. You get the use of this great facility and there are so many brilliant ingredients available to you. The School is like another world; while you’re there it’s like being in a little bubble and I still have that feeling when I go back.”

Sophie Wood - Barmies baked beer snacks

“Being at the School is like going into Narnia, it is completely magical. I found myself surrounded by a great gang of people, of all ages from 19 to 60 plus and from very mixed backgrounds. For me, the course was life changing. I’d been out of education and a stay-at-home parent and it inspired me to learn again and gave me my confidence back. If I hadn’t been on the course I’d be in a very different place. I learnt skills that mean I’ll always be able to find a job. My life is infinitely better since I went to the School, both personally and professionally.”

Lisa Wheeler - Norfolk Charcuterie

“Spending three days at the School learning about artisan bread baking made me realise I wanted to be a baker and work with dough every day. I was a keen home baker, but I wanted to build my knowledge and skills to a professional level. Emmanuel, our tutor, was just so enthusiastic. His energy and love for bread was infectious. I learnt so much on the course that I hadn’t found out in books. I decided to look for work and the School’s network was a great place to start. I spent a summer working at the Two Magpies bakery in Suffolk, then I moved on to Forge Bakehouse in Sheffield where I learnt on the job for a year. Both bakeries were set up by former students and they’re full of ex School of Artisan Food people. “

Kate O’Shea - Tough Mary's Bakehouse

“What I loved most about the course was being able to spend every day baking and learning from the best. Being taught by Wayne Caddy, Mickael Jahan and Rosie and Graham Dunton was a real privilege. Their support carries on long after you leave the School. Me and my fellow students have a WhatsApp group and Wayne is always willing to offer advice and answer questions. I’d never made bread or croissants before and when things went right with my baking I got a massive sense of achievement. Seeing the huge pile of loaves we’d baked at the end of the day was a great feeling. The patisserie element of the course just took my skills to another level. The diploma gave me all the core practical skills I needed to work as a baker.”

Helen Lockett - Bakery108