At the begining of October 2011 a party of Company Award Winners, selected students and others from the Industry travelled to Bologna in Italy to visit the Club Arti Mestieri for this year's Company European Course.
Under the direction of Tour Organiser, Liveryman David Mizon, the focus of the course was on Italian breads and Italian pastries and took place over four days. The course included a programme of instruction and a guided tour of bakeries and shops.
Early reports from those that attended the course suggest that much was learnt and several myths dispelled. For example, participants learnt from lecturer Fausto Rivola that the carefull handling of dough for ciabatta was unnecessary if the mixing was correct and the gluten structure allowed to develop.
A wide variety of products were studied including focaccia dough, dura dough, ciabatta, panetonne, sfogliatelle and caprese cake.
The course was a success and in the words of one participant:
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the course. It has been a fantastic opportunity and I feel fortunate to have been chosen as one of the few to go. It has been very informative and learning how the Italian breads differ from ours and the process they go through was very interesting. I am looking forward to having a go at the recipes and passing on the knowledge I have gained to those at my college. I enjoyed meeting others learning the trade or who are already in the business."
Some of those attending the course
