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Now retired, Gary got into the baking industry by accident. Gary progressed from a contract delivery driver for Big Ben Pies, to factory manager, then on to a bakery in partnership with his wife and soul mate Jean and the late Jack Almao.
Gary spent many years on the New Zealand Apprenticeship Committee, as well as the local committees in Wellington and Lower Hutt. He has been a member of the Baking Society, now BIANZ, for 35 years and served as President twice and Vice President three times. Gary says he is honoured to have been made a Life Member.
Gary has trained 27 apprentices, including one Apprentice of the Year and two runners up. He believes the industry future relies on the training of young people, however difficult that may be. (Remember who helped you, he says.) Gary has been involved with the annual baking competition for some years and thinks this helps all bakers to improve skills, profile and profit. Gary has also written what he calls scribbles for the scribe newssheet, which then became Bakers Journal and is now Slice. |
Michael Gray - Vice President |
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Michael has been involved in his family’s business ever since he could climb on a box to reach the bakery bench. The business was originally established by his father in 1975. Having been bred into the industry he has an amazing passion for everything to do with baking and the baking industry, including networking and travelling the globe in search of new ideas. He happily enjoys the hours it takes to produce some of the best baked goods while successfully leading the team in the business.
Michael has developed great relationships with all suppliers to the baking industry and this is important in his work on the executive as his portfolio includes being Vice President and responsibility for the BIANZ Buying Partners. Michael is knowledgeable and approachable and is always looking for ways to help people as well as to take the Association and the industry forward. |
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Brendan had spent the best part of the new millenium in the UK working as an IT Manager, but after meeting his wife and having 2 kids there finds the pace of life back in Dunedin much more inviting. Brendan’s family has links into the baking trade from way back and his parents even met years ago over a smoky donut fryer in one of his great-uncle’s bakeries. An opportunity to come back to NZ and eventually take over the family business saw Brendan and his young family arrive back from the UK in late 2006. Although a big change from the IT game, Brendan has a passion for baking and taking an innovative approach to the business of feeding people’s desire for the good things in life.
Brendan enjoys inspiring his staff to be the best that they can be and this year is actively encouraging them to become involved in the industry competitions to find NZ’s best pie and best bakery. This will help to ensure constant innovation and high quality standards within the team. This behaviour also allows Brendan to teach them about the commercial realities of the business as a given products cost, commercial appeal and profit are balanced.
Brendan still has much to learn in the industry and loves the networking opportunities that come with active BIANZ membership. |
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