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.”

As part of his apprenticeship, the young man from Stevenston has been learning about all the different aspects of craft baking.

He has been training in decorating and finishing cakes, but also working in the bakery where the process starts.

Tommy has been frying doughnuts, making pie shells, making empire biscuits, finishing the yum yums, making buttercream and creaming cakes.

Mr McAllister said: “He starts at 4am, it doesn’t faze him.

“Tommy really picked everything up very quick, his standard is exceptional.”

The Kandy Bar, Mr McAllister said, is very much a family bakery.

Tommy’s father and gran are both bakers there, and his brother is a delivery driver.

“All our young apprentices have been great.

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

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