Baking Journey Over 50 Years Ago
Mike began his baking journey over 50 years ago as an apprentice pastrycook in Earlwood, a Sydney suburb. There, he discovered a passion for baking that would define his life’s work. In August 1967, he traveled to England to refine his craft and broaden his understanding of the baking industry. He returned to Australia at Christmas 1969 with ambitions of opening his own bakery—a dream realized in January 1972 when his family purchased and operated Carolyn Cakes in Croydon Park, Sydney, until 1980.
While money can’t buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery
Groucho Marx
Mike’s teaching career has been extensive. It began in 1997 as a Pastry Instructor at TAFE’s School of Tourism and Hospitality in New South Wales, Australia, and later expanded across Australia, China, and Singapore. In 1993, he became the founding principal of the Baking Industry Training Centre, the first professional bakery training facility in Southeast Asia. Establishing the school from the ground up at Prima Limited’s flour mill on Keppel Road, he designed and developed its curriculum. In 1996, working alongside the Institute of Technical Education, he introduced the National Technical Certificate Levels 2 and 3 in Baking.
In 1998, Mike joined CerealTech Pte Ltd, an ingredient technology company, where he provided technical expertise to clients and established a technical training division. A notable achievement was developing training programs in 2002 to elevate the baking capabilities of McDonald’s bakery operators across the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions—courses he delivered annually in Singapore until 2019.
These endeavors led to the creation of another institution in 2008: the CerealTech School of Baking Technology. The school offered Diplomas in Baking Arts and Science and Certificates in Baking Technology to Singaporeans and participants throughout the Asia Pacific region. Mike also contributed significantly to curriculum development aimed at enhancing the skills of Home Economics teachers within Singapore’s education system.
Mike holds impressive academic credentials, including a Diploma in Teaching from Sydney College of Adult Education, a Bachelor of Education (Technical) from the same institution, a Graduate Diploma in Social Communication from the University of Western Sydney, and an Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment from Singapore’s Institute of Adult Learning.
Mike resides in Singapore with his wife Linda, while their extended family members live in Sydney, Melbourne, and London.
