Amanda MacDonald’s career trajectory has been far from linear. However after stepping into baking 15 years ago it’s become an industry the newly elected Baking Association of Australia national president is incredibly passionate about.

It was back in 2009 that Amanda MacDonald decided to make the leap and completely change careers.

With a Bachelor of Arts degree in biological anthropology and a graduate diploma earned under Professor Robert Attenborough – son of famed biologist and broadcaster David Attenborough – under her belt, and a career behind that spanned banking and IT, both here and in the UK, at first glance it seems Amanda’s career was as far removed from the baking industry as possible.

However, she said as a mother to young children the need for a casual job that was located close to home came to the forefront. After coming across an advert for a casual weekend retail assistant role at Dayboro Bakery, just outside Brisbane, Queensland, she decided the position met all the vital requirements.

“I had three small children and wanted to work locally so I could bring in some income without sacrificing the ability to provide a stable home life for my family,” Amanda said.

“I thoroughly enjoyed working casually at the bakery, and it really ticked all the boxes at that time.”

By 2017 the previous owners of Dayboro Bakery were ready to move on, and Amanda and her husband, Steve, decided they’d step up and buy the bakery. The decision, she said, was in part to secure jobs for themselves and the 22 existing staff, but also to see if they could successfully take the business to the next level.

They threw themselves in the deep end, and Amanda described the first few months as business owners as incredibly stressful.

Steve began his baking apprenticeship at 48-years-old, while Amanda took on the role of managing the retail side of the business in addition to understanding the bookwork. It was a big step, but it was also here that experience gleaned from her previous careers started to come into play.

Amanda MacDonald out the front of Dayboro Bakery

“When I first became a mother I had worked as a Tupperware consultant, which gave me a huge amount of experience in marketing and sales, and cooking in front of audiences,” she said.

“Unbelievably, this job taught me so many leadership and team building skills that I still use every day in my own bakery.”

Their hard work paid off, and in the intervening eight years, Amanda said their focus as business owners has been on ensuring seamless and effective day-to-day running.

It’s sounds simple, but Amanda said in reality it’s anything but straightforward.

“That sounds simple, but with a staff base now of 32, and a customer stream of 4500-plus per week it can be a minefield,” she said.

“[It can be dealing with] ingredients not showing up, equipment failure, product failure, internet and electricity outages, customer issues, or staff problems. These are all issues that need to be solved constantly. Owning a business is really about putting out fires and solving problems each and every day.”

Taking the next step

It was shortly after taking over Dayboro Bakery that Amanda also joined the Baking Association of Australia (BAA).

“I joined the BAA so I could access member benefits, which include regular updates with regards to Industrial Relation laws and legislative changes, administrative advice, 24-hour phone support and the running of baking competitions and events including the fabulous Baking Industry Trade Show,” Amanda said.

“They’re there for members for the simple and complex things – that’s mainly bakery owners but also employees and apprentices. They’re there for everybody.”

After a number of years as a member, including time spent on the Queensland board and as the Queensland Chair, Amanda was offered the opportunity to step up into the role of national president following former national president Andrew O’Hara’s departure.

“I was on the Queensland board, so I’ve had a little bit of involvement on the committee, and when Andrew made the decision to step down Tony [Smith, BAA executive officer] rang me up and asked me if I’d like to have a crack at it,” Amanda said.

“Once I’d picked myself up off the floor I considered and saw it would be a really great opportunity.”

Dayboro Bakery is an institution in the small town

Amanda stepped into the role in January and hit the ground running, spending her first few months learning the ropes and getting a clear idea about what she’d like to achieve.

“I certainly have a lot to learn and am grateful for the kind support offered by previous presidents and current board members,” she said.

“I have been inundated with lovely phone calls of congratulations and support from various areas of the baking industry and I look forward to working closely with all our stakeholders to present a highly respected and knowledgeable industry to government bodies in order to effect positive change for the Australian baking scene.”

One issue facing the baking industry that is firmly in Amanda’s sights is the issue of attracting and retaining staff at the entry level.

“I think other traditional trades, such as plumbing and carpentry, have a greater appeal to the younger generation and I would like to find out why baking is something that just isn’t considered an option,” she said.

“The BAA have conducted showcase days at some schools with varying degrees of response -which is interesting in itself – and I think we could possibly deliver these in a more palatable way for young people and get some thoughts on how to target our industry to the younger generation.”

Ther are also plans to travel to BAA events so she can meet with other members and hear about what others are facing at ground zero, and communicating these wider needs to suppliers, institutions and government bodies.

Essentially, Amanda said, it all came down to wanting to effect positive change in the industry.

“I [joined the board] so I could understand the legislation so my business could prosper from that, and now it’s time to give back,” she said.