Young baker lands rare honour alongside Churchill, Mandela and King Charles

Nation Cymru staff

A talented young baker has been given a rare honour by an ancient industry guild.

Ella Muddiman, 26, who recently joined the Jones Village Bakery in Wrexham as a New Product Development technologist, has been admitted into the Worshipful Company of Bakers and been made a Freeman of the City of London.

The company can date its origins back to 1155 and is the City of London’s second oldest recorded guild.

Becoming a member has also entitled her to be a Freeman of London and she joins some illustrious names on the roll call.

Others on the list include the likes of Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking and King Charles III.

Ella discovered her passion for baking through her family, with an annual Christmas cake competition between boys and girls becoming a firm tradition.

After leaving Chester Catholic High School, she worked as a barista in a coffee shop and bakery before pursuing her passion professionally at Coleg Cambria, where she trained at the college’s Caffi Iâl restaurant and bakery.

She completed her Level 2 and Level 3 baking qualifications, finishing her studies in July, and was named Student of the Year in 2024 before going on to win the Huw Weekes Award last year and being shortlisted for a Rising Star award at the Baking Industry Awards.

According to Ella, she was deeply honoured to have become a member of the Worshipful Company of Bakers.

She said: “My love of baking has come from the family. One of my grandparents was a pastry chef and we had a Christmas cake competition every year – girls versus boys, which was quite serious.

Ella joined the Village Bakery’s new product development team after spotting what she described as her “dream job”, and has quickly settled into the role.

“I knew the Village Bakery was a successful local business but I wasn’t aware of the scale of the operation,” she said.

“I didn’t know how big it was – it is amazing. I am so lucky to have a company like this virtually on my doorstep.

“I really love it here and I have learned so much just in three months. There’s a fantastic team here so I’m getting lots of support.”

Her line manager, George Loftus, was “very proud” of her achievement.

He said: “Ella is getting on really well because she’s come in with a lot of passion and ability so she’s full of enthusiasm and very eager to learn.

“Becoming a member of one of the oldest guilds in Britain is a great connection to have because she can also tap into all that experience and knowledge, along with all the benefits of networking and training days.”

Village Bakery CEO Simon Thorpe said Ella’s recognition reflected the company’s commitment to nurturing young talent and investing in the next generation of bakers.

He said: “We are super proud of Ella because she’s fitted in incredibly well and is doing a fantastic job, even though she’s only been here for a short space of time.

“Being recognised like this at such a young age is quite remarkable but it also reflects what we’ve always been about too.

“It’s about ability, it’s about passion and a desire to be the very best. It doesn’t matter what age you are. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.

“You only have to look around at our bakery managers who are running some of the largest facilities, with the most advanced equipment. Some of them are in their 20s or 30s.

“It bodes well for the future of the Village Bakery at a really exciting time. We have grown a lot over the last five years in particular and that journey is continuing.

“You can’t do that without the best people and the best bakers. Our expertise as bakers has always underpinned our success.

“To be investing in the next generation of talent like Ella is something that is always going to be at the top of our priority list.”