Apprentice Baker & Confectioner
BIRDS (DERBY) LIMITED
Derby (DE24 8GN)
Closes in 14 days (Wednesday 8 April 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 25 March 2026
Contents
Summary
Develop bakery skills including weighing and preparing ingredients, bread mixing, fermentation, and proving. Gain hands-on experience operating ovens to ensure consistent, high‑quality bread and rolls. The role also includes training in creaming, piping, coating techniques, developing chocolate skills alongside Chocolatiers.
- Wage
-
£19,094.40 a year
- Training course
- Baker (level 2)
- Hours
-
Working days: Monday to Friday.
Working hours: 6.00am to 2.30pm.
Time allocated for lunch: 30 minutes.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 3 August 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- Positions available
-
2
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
During your Apprenticeship, you'll dive into the full bakery process, learning skills such as:
- Weighing and preparing ingredients
- Bread mixing, fermentation, and proving
You'll also gain experience operating our ovens, ensuring every batch of bread and rolls meets our high-quality standards.
Our confectionery team will teach you:
- Creaming, piping, and coating
- Chocolate skills, working with our Chocolatiers
And finally, you’ll also learn how to produce our savoury products.
Where you'll work
Ascot Drive
Derby
DE24 8GN
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
DCG
Training course
Baker (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Select, prepare/set-up and use equipment and machinery.
- Clean and check tools and equipment.
- Monitor materials/stock levels and controls for example, first in first out, temperature and environment.
- Receive and store materials/stock from external suppliers and/or internal stores.
- Store finished goods.
- Package and label bakery products for example, allergens.
- Comply with health & safety, food safety, environmental procedures, PPE, hygiene and method statements.
- Clean and tidy work area. Dispose of waste and recycle.
- Communicate verbally for example, with colleagues, suppliers and customers.
- Record information - paper based or electronic.
- Identify bakery product problems/faults and underlying causes.
- Read and interpret information for example, specification, recipe and production plan.
- Plan bakery tasks.
- Prepare for bakery tasks. Obtain materials.
- Prepare ingredients.
- Weigh or check weight of ingredients/products.
- Mix ingredients.
- Deposit, scale or cut/divide mixture.
- Mould products.
- Monitor prove.
- Pre-bake and/or post-bake dressing of product.
- Operate ovens.
- Craft baker. Scale up/down a recipe using percentages.
- Craft baker. Prepare and apply fillings/coatings.
- Plant baker. Follow product changeover procedures.
- Plant baker. Check product specifications throughout the key process steps; identify and rectify or report production issues.
- Retail baker. Serve customers for example, determine customer’s needs, provide information, offer options and match bakery products to customers’ needs. Sell to customers for example, promote complementary items, promotional offers or seasonal products.
- Retail baker. Display and replenish bakery products.
- Select, prepare/set-up and use equipment and machinery.
- Clean and check tools and equipment.
- Monitor materials/stock levels and controls for example, first in first out, temperature and environment.
- Receive and store materials/stock from external suppliers and/or internal stores.
- Store finished goods.
- Package and label bakery products for example, allergens.
- Comply with health & safety, food safety, environmental procedures, PPE, hygiene and method statements.
- Clean and tidy work area. Dispose of waste and recycle.
- Communicate verbally for example, with colleagues, suppliers and customers.
- Record information - paper based or electronic.
- Identify bakery product problems/faults and underlying causes.
Training schedule
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade C/4 or above or equivalent)
- Maths (grade 4/C or above or equivalent)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Number skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
We require someone who is inquisitive, enthusiastic, has a positive outlook, is prepared to work hard and willing to learn. We also require someone who is open to embracing the opportunities that we provide.
Once the Apprenticeship is completed, the start time will be 5.00am, and in the future there may be a requirement to work other shifts, such as nights.
Candidates must understand that there will be a physical element to the role.
About this employer
Birds has been established since 1919, and is an East Midlands family-owned Baker, Butcher and Chocolatier, known for our high-quality products.
Birds has over 700 employees, over 60 shops throughout the East Midlands and 1 bakery in Derby where all our products are made.
After this apprenticeship
We are looking for candidates who view this role as a long-term opportunity in their career and who show us that they have the potential to be the Supervisors or Managers of the future.
As a company, we have a culture of developing internal talent, and so the ideal candidate will have the drive, ambition, and capability to continue their learning past this Apprenticeship.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
DCG
Ali Harrison
ali.harrison@derby-college.ac.uk
07808205883
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000023223.
Apply now
Closes in 14 days (Wednesday 8 April 2026 at 11:59pm)