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BIRT

Committee Members

Home | About Us | BIRT | Committee Members

BIRT committee is made up of members who work in the Baking Industry and have wide knowledge of baking and related food industries

The BIRT Committee is made up of the following people:

Ralph Thorogood (Chairman), Breadcraft
Jason Keesing, ARYZTA
Anthony Watkins, George Weston Foods
Andrea Kennedy, George Weston Foods
Anthony Light, Goodman Fielder
Matthew Chin, Goodman Fielder
Brent Kersel, NZ Bakels
Nathan Roberts, NZ Bakels
Grant Inns, ABMauri
Carl Massarotto, Plant & Food Research
Tania Watson (Research Liaison), Contractor

Latest News & Events

November 21, 2024

Two winners named in 2024 Bread Baker of the Year competition

Sadat Ali Rahimi of Coupland’s Christchurch has been named NZ Association of Bakers Bread Baker…

Fine Food New Zealand

29th June - 1st July 2025. Discover new products and services, network with exhibitors, connect…

Foodtech Packtech 2025

2nd - 5th September. New Zealand’s largest food manufacturing, packaging and processing technology trade show

IBIE 2025

14th - 17th September. Welcoming baking industry professionals from every segment and in every role,…

Go Green Expo

24th - 25th August. Whether you’re looking for more sustainable options or wanting to become…

November 16, 2023

Dunedin baker claims 2023 Best Young Bread Baker Award

A Dunedin plant bread baker has taken out the 2023 Young Bread Baker of the…

November 15, 2023

2023 Young Bread Baker of the Year Entrants

Our Young Bread Baker of the Year Competition has kicked off in Auckland this morning…

October 26, 2023

Baker’s Fresh Yeast Handling and Use

the care and attention required in the handling of this important living ingredient, specifically baker’s…

October 26, 2023

Mandatory fortification of bread making flour

An informative summary of the lead up to and implementation of the food standard requiring…

October 26, 2023

Energy Transfer in CBP/MDD Mixing Equipment – Managing Dough Development

Stan followed up his thought-provoking first presentation with a second talk about the controversial subject…

October 26, 2023

Value Added Wheat – Genomic Prediction Modelling

Paul Johnston presented the results of research exploring another option for addressing the gluten-related disorders…

October 26, 2023

Reduction of Gluten Allergenicity

As the third most produced cereal in the world, wheat is used in many products…

October 25, 2023

Whole grains: the unsung heroes

Dr Andrew Reynolds is interested in what damages our health, and what costs our health…

October 25, 2023

Understanding flour specifications

Stan suggested the key challenge with flour specification starts with the question of whether flour…

October 25, 2023

Bread bags from bread returns

Returned bread and single use plastic bags are two major sustainability issues facing the industrial…

Machine guarding failures ‘reprehensible’

WorkSafe released a media statement (16/03/2023) highlighting a West Auckland bakery business which didn’t properly…

February 22, 2023

Flour Reports & Flour Testing

This new information sheet outlines the range of tests performed on flour to ensure it…

November 30, 2022

Recall of poppy seeds not intended for sale directly to public

Recall of poppy seeds not intended for sale directly to public

November 23, 2022

Sharmaine: baker with knead to succeed

NZ Herald ( 23/11/2022) featured an article on Sharmaine Allison, who reckons she's got the…

November 17, 2022

Best Young Bread Baker wins $10k grant

Emily Baillie is the 2022 Young Bread Baker of the Year

September 27, 2022

Nominations close 30th September 2022

A reminder that nominations close this Friday - 30th September 2022 - for the Young…

September 7, 2022

Young Bread Baker of the Year Competition Returns for 2022

The 2022 competition will be held in Auckland on the 16th and 17th of November.…

September 6, 2022

Young Bread Baker of the Year 2022

The Association of Bakers are now inviting nominations for the award competition.

Eat NZ Hui + Eat NZ Grains 2022

The 2022 theme is #LotsofLittle; the resilience of small and diverse solutions in such uncertain…

November 8, 2021

Genomic prediction: Adding value to wheat

A new genomic-based prediction tool to assist selection and breeding of New Zealand wheat suited…

August 14, 2021

2021 Young Bread Baker of the Year Cancelled

Unfortunately the Young Bread Baker competition for this year is cancelled

August 13, 2021

Bread’s folic acid health boost

9-year-old Kea Kids News reporter Beth Thorogood, from Fernridge Primary School, asked her baker dad…

Folic acid fortification to protect tamariki

The Government is taking action to prevent spina bifida and similar conditions, with the approval…

February 25, 2021

New requirements for allergen labelling on packaged foods

The changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) will help ensure…