Richard Bertinet.
Originally trained as a baker in Brittany, Richard has been in England since 1988 and is now very much an Anglophile. With 20 years’ experience in the kitchen, baking, consulting and teaching behind him, Richard moved to Bath in 2005 to open The Bertinet Kitchen cookery school.
His classes attract customers from all over the world to come to learn to bake with him. Richard was named as BBC Food Champion of the Year 2010 for his work on baking, is an Academian of The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and has been awarded an honorary degree from Westminster Kingsway college for his work with the college on baking. He is also an Ambassador for Callebaut chocolate.
Founded in response to requests from cookery school customers and locals to buy the bread being made on classes, The Bertinet Bakery originally opened as a pop up above the cookery school in 2008. Richard’s signature sourdough loaf picked up the Soil Association Organic Food Award (Baked Goods) for both 2010 and 2011 while some of the other breads have picked up Soil Association Commended and Highly Commended awards. The bakery grew through a partnership with Waitrose that made Bertinet bread available nationwide before being acquired by The Bread Factory.
Richard’s first book Dough was published in 2005 and was awarded the IACP Best Cookery Book of the Year 2006, the Julia Child Award for the Best First Book, the James Beard Award for Best Book Baking and Desserts and The Guild of Food Writers Award for Best First Book. It has been translated into 15 languages, is distributed in more than 20 countries and has sold nearly half a million copies. Crust published in 2007, was given a World Gourmand Award for the Best British book on Baking and a James Beard Award for Food Photography. Crumb is Richard’s 6th book and was published in February 2019.
Richard is available for a wide variety of consulting work. With experience from small scale artisan to industrial production he is in a unique position to bring an authentic and experienced eye to your business.
Judging Experience.
Royal Academy of Culinary Arts – Annual Awards of Excellence 2015 Pastry Final
Bristol Good Food Awards (2014 and 2015)
Guild of Food Writers, Cookery Book of the Year
Judging for publications including Delicious magazine, The Independent, French Entree magazine
Derek Cooper Award judge, BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards
Port Eliot Festival judge in conjunction with Fortnum & Mason
Tiptree World Bread Awards.
Bertinet Accolades
Photo by Jean Cazals
“All it takes to make bread is flour water and salt. To make great bread, add a little Bertinet.”
Pierre Koffman
“Chef & baker extraordinaire... His advice is a revelation from someone whose passion for breadmaking is unrivalled”
Nathan Outlaw
“Richard never ceases to amaze me with his effortless skills as a baker... a bread genius.”
Angela Hartnett
“Richard Bertinet is a master of his craft who has decided to share his knowledge with the world.”
The Telegraph
“Baker extraordinaire” “spectacular”
Gourmet magazine (US)
“Richard has inspired me in so many ways – a terrific teacher.”
Ruth Reichel
“The Brittany born baker has yeast in his soul.”
The Independent
“Richard Bertinet... has an appealingly quiet authority you just don’t see in today’s TV chefs”
Timeout
“The nearest thing bakery will ever have to a Jedi.”
Tim Hayward, The Guardian