A LOCAL bakery’s apprentice has scooped an award at a national ceremony.

The Kandy Bar’s Tommy Newall, 18, received the Scottish Bakers Young Baker of the Year prize at the National Bakery Awards 2020 last week.

Stephen McAllister, owner of the Ayrshire bakery with branches in Kilwinning, Saltcoats and West Kilbride, said the award was thoroughly deserved.

He said: “I have been very impressed with his skills levels.

“He’s developed his personality as well. He was quite shy, but now he’s a real character, he loves being part of the team.

“He starts at 4am, it doesn’t faze him.

“The Kandy Bar bakery takes young people in and trains them in the traditional craft skills.

“The amount of skills he’s learned in such a short time is phenomenal.”

Well done, Tommy.