A loaf of bread decorated with a maple leaf by one of the students at The School of Artisan Food was presented to Canadian Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England on his visit to North Nottinghamshire.
During the visit to The School following the invitation by John Mann MP, he also learnt about artisan baking techniques and saw some of the Advanced Diploma in Artisan Baking students in action. Mr Carney has even vowed to return to try out one of the courses at The School on the Welbeck Estate following his visit organised by North Notts BID, the UK’s first ever district-wide, place shaping Business Improvement District, which will attract £3.2m over the five-year project. The BID has over 1,000 members making it one of the largest and most ambitious in the UK.
William Parente and Alison Swan Parente, who founded the School dedicated to the teaching of traditional artisan food skills in 2009, took Mr Carney on a tour of the premises before he took questions from the business community. He also spent time with Sheila Russell, Director of Studies and Wayne Caddy, Head of Baking who spoke about the importance of artisan bread and how the School has helped trained hundreds of bakers over the years.
William Parente said: “In the auditorium of the School of Artisan Food at Welbeck, Mark Carney OC, the Governor of the Bank of England, gave a talk which offered a remarkable insight into the Bank’s predictions for various Brexit outcomes. There followed a fascinating session in which he answered questions from an invited audience with remarkable frankness. All who heard him were struck by his clarity and command of his material, and there was general agreement that Britain was most fortunate in its Bank Governor at this difficult time.”
John Mann MP said: “The School of Artisan Food were excellent hosts when Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England came to Bassetlaw. Local businesses were able to question The Governor in detail on the economy which covered many current issues including interest rates, Brexit and protectionism. My hope is that Mr Carney will return to Bassetlaw to participate in one of the School’s courses”.
Steve Bennett, who represented the North Notts BID on the visit, said: “The North Notts BID represents over 1000 business in the North Notts area. We pledged in the business plan that we would gain the knowledge and expertise to advise and guide businesses. Bringing Mr Carney into Bassetlaw strengthens that pledge and shows the commitment we have when trying to make sure our information is current and from the correct source. There is no better way to gain the correct information than going straight to the source. North Notts BID is proud to host Mark and represent all of the Bassetlaw Businesses.”
The visit also included trips to Explore Manufacturing and Retford Oaks Academy.
Advanced Diploma student Rose McCarthy delighted the Governor with her loaf stencilled with a maple leaf design, which he took home in return for a generous donation to The School.
All photos by www.spikephoto.com
