Amy North, Editor, British Baker

Amy is responsible for leading and developing all aspects of British Baker’s editorial coverage, from breaking news to in-depth features and analyses covering businesses of all sizes including bakery’s major players and artisanal outlets. She has more than a decade of experience as a journalist, seven years of which have been spent at British Baker. She has a great appreciation of all bakery items from the nostalgia-inducing Blobby biscuits to deep-filled doughnuts (earning her the nickname the ‘Duchess of Doughnuts’).

Cristiana Solinas, Head of the National Bakery School

Cristiana Solinas is the Head of the National Bakery School at London South Bank University, the oldest bakery school in the world, where she also teaches patisserie and business as a Senior Lecturer. Originally from Savona, Italy, she trained across Canada, the USA and the UK, earning her Culinary Arts degree in British Columbia, her Red Seal Chef de Cuisine certification, and later a major in French pastry from the French Pastry School in Chicago. She also holds a First Class Honours BSc in Baking Science and Technology from LSBU, complemented by specialist courses at the San Francisco Baking Institute and The Chocolate Academy in Montreal.

After successfully opening and running her own café and bistro in British Columbia, Cristiana moved into education, teaching Pastry and Baking Arts at Thompson Rivers University and later at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa before relocating to London to join the National Bakery School. Known for her deep industry knowledge, empathetic communication style, and inspirational leadership, she creates engaging and enjoyable learning experiences for students of all levels. In recognition of her work, Cristiana received LSBU’s “Innovation in Teaching” award in 2019..

Dan Riley, Deputy Editor, British Baker

While still relatively new to the baking industry, Dan brings more than 15 years of professional writing experience to his latest role on the British Baker editorial team. In addition to his news articles and long-read features, he has also helped enhance the digital content of the publication with his graphic design and video editing skills, contributing to its rise in readership and engagement across various channels.

Harry Peak, Lead Product Developer, Marks and Spencer

Harry is proud to have spent 25 years working in the food industry, including 12 years in the bakery sector with leading manufacturers. Over the past four and a half years at Marks & Spencer, he has played a key role in delivering the Instore Bakery transformation. Bakery remains Harry’s true passion, driving his commitment to quality and innovation.

John Lamper, Bakery Specialist - ISB, Tesco

John started his career as a baker at Sainsbury’s when he was 17 and went on to spend 28 years at the retailer covering various bakery specialist roles both regionally and nationally. In 2018 John joined Tesco as their bakery specialist working to drive operational innovation, product quality, sustainability and efficiencies across all ISB channels. John also joined the board of the Craft Baker’s Association in 2022 and continues to serve as a non-executive Director supporting the craft sector.

Paul Johnson, UK Sales Manager, FRITSCH

As FRITSCH UK Sales Manager, Paul Johnson is responsible for leading FRITSCH’s presence within the UK bakery market. Following the Multivac Group’s acquisition of FRITSCH Bakery Technologies in 2019, Paul has been part of the wider Multivac UK team, managing existing customer accounts while also driving new business opportunities.

FRITSCH Bakery Technologies has been manufacturing dough‑processing equipment and product make‑up lines for over 100 years, with a strong footprint across the UK. Their technology supports a wide variety of bakery sectors, including bread, savoury and sweet pastry, and pizza. Enabling the production of almost any product made from a dough sheet. One of Paul’s favourite aspects of the role is collaborating with FRITSCH’s Master Bakers to help customers develop and refine their products at the ‘World of Bakery’ Test Centre in Germany.

As a key member of an innovative and forward‑thinking company, Paul particularly enjoys discovering, learning about, and of course tasting new products. 

William Leet, Bakery NPD Manager, David Wood Baking

William began his baking journey at Leicester College before furthering his studies at University College Birmingham (UCB). During his time at UCB, he won the Presidents Cup at the Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees (ABST) twice in a row and completed a summer internship with Tromp Bakery Equipment in the Netherlands, among other placements. After graduating, William moved to Norway to undertake an internship at the renowned Nordic Bakeriet i Lom, where he stayed for two years, working as an Artisan Baker and Supervisor, specialising in craft breads, sourdoughs, and pastries. Upon returning to the UK, William secured his dream role as a Development Baker for David Wood Baking Ltd, where he focuses on Italian breads, sourdoughs, and a variety of other baked goods.

Since joining David Wood, he has guest lectured at UCB, been a guest speaker for the ABST, and achieved his biggest accolade to date: winning the Rising Star Award at the 2021 Baking Industry Awards (BIA). In 2022, William continued to make strides in the industry, speaking at the British Society of Baking Spring Conference, judging competitions at the ABST, and returning to UCB as a guest lecturer.