BAKO announces retirement of two of its Area Sales Managers

BAKO Northern & Scotland has announced the retirement of two of its Area Sales Managers, Gordon Donnison and Kevin Drewery, after long careers in the baking industry.

Donnison, who joined BAKO as Area Sales Manager in June 2012 landed his first job in the bakery trade as a van salesman for BFP in 1983 after being made redundant from his previous job as a television engineer.

He said: “After many wonderful years in the baking industry, there’s no one moment I can pick out as a career high – it’s lots of little things. It’s all about the people really. The bakery trade is more like a family and the people you work with are more like friends, whether they are colleagues, customers or suppliers.

“One part of the job I always really enjoyed though is when you introduce a new product or concept to a customer and then see them go on to have huge success with it. But overall it’s the friendships and camaraderie that have made my time in the trade so special.”

Drewery, who joined BAKO four years ago as Area Sales Manager, began life in the industry working in his father’s bakery in Hull, which his grandfather won in a card game during World War II. Working there for 15 years before the bakery was sold, he moved into food manufacture, culminating in 18 years with Puratos before joining BAKO.

He said: “The bakery industry has changed dramatically over the years. While allowing me to see the world, it has also been fantastic to see the exciting developments in technology and ingredients that have really breathed life into the industry. It’s a really friendly industry with a sense of being in it together and so I am leaving it with many fond memories.”