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About the Author

Baking in Asia is an enlightening account of Mike Fleming’s journey as a bakery educator, which began with a chance luncheon and ended up spanning over 27 years. It began in China, establishing two Western-style bakeries in Suzhou and Wuxi in December 1992. A life-changing opportunity presented itself before leaving for China: Singapore was looking for a Principal/Master Trainer to develop its first professional baking school at the Prima Flour mill site. The setup and associated layout of equipment, curriculum, and staff activities was an all-consuming activity over the following five years as the school established its foundations and credentials.

The decision to remain in Singapore and take up a new challenge with local company CerealTech Pte. Ltd. in March 1998 was the beginning of a new adventure that would encompass the whole Asia-Pacific region. Over the intervening years, programs developed to suit individual company needs were conducted in Singapore and the region. Courses for the McDonald's Corporation in bun making, Sara Lee Asia, California Raisin, US Potato Board on the use of Dehydrated potato in baked goods broadened the exposure of the educational programmes.

Mike reflects on the many experiences, the interaction with the bakers and the industry across the region. The baking school, now called "CerealTech School of Baking Technology," offers its Diploma in Baking Arts and Science, after a revamp of government requirements for Private Education Institutions. The book's content shows Mike's passion and commitment to the industry that has bought him many blessings over the years.
Mike Fleming is a veteran of the baking industry with 60 years of experience, 27 in Singapore from 1993. He started his apprenticeship in Sydney, Australia, as a 15-year-old apprentice pastry cook. His journey took him to the UK in 1967 to further enhance his baking skills in Patisseries and Hotels as a Pastry Chef. Returning home to Australia in 1969, he opened a cake shop in the Sydney suburb of Croydon Park in 1970, building a successful business and selling it off in 1979.

He entered the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) sector in July 1919, teaching baking in the Hospitality section of the Sydney Instuitute of Technology, East Sydney Campus. He also undertook educational training completing a Diploma in Teaching (Technical), Bachelor in Education (Tech) and a Graduate Diploma in Social Communication at the University of Western Sydney.

In March of 1993, after a trip to China to establish Western-style bakeries in Suzhou and Wuxi, he took the Principal/Master Trainer position at the Baking Industry Training Centre, a National Productive Board (NPB) of Singapore and Prima Flour mills collaboration.

Mike laid the foundations of this successful school in the five years at the helm. BITC went on to have a twenty-year life with Prima until they sold it, and it continues under the same title to this day.

Mike moved to local company CerealTech Pte. Ltd., an Ingredient Technology Company, and set about to develop training programs for its customers delivered in Singapore and across the region. His second school was established in September of 2008 and ran for 12 years until September 2020. Mike is now retired but remains active in the industry. He does pro bono work with a self-help group training participants to acquire a baking skill.

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Baking in Asia: A Bakery Educator's Journey Through Asia and Beyond