Verona 2026 – A Celebration of Baking Excellence!

Now that we’ve settled back into life in the UK, we’re taking a moment to look back at an incredible few days in Verona, Italy, alongside some of the UK’s finest bakers.

In partnership with Polin and Vincenzo Tiri, Brook Food was delighted to bring together a fantastic group of talented British bakers for a truly special experience, combining four Polin factory visits with two packed days of learning the art of authentic Italian panettone from one of the world’s most celebrated pastry masters.

Vincenzo Tiri has built an international reputation for his exceptional panettone, combining generations of Italian baking tradition with innovation, precision and an extraordinary dedication to his craft. The opportunity to learn directly from him, share his knowledge and gain an insight into the techniques behind his success was something truly special.

And the learning didn’t end in Verona! In an incredibly generous gesture, Vincenzo gifted each of our bakers a portion of his own carefully nurtured mother starter – the living foundation of his renowned panettone. A very special gift that allows our guests to take a little piece of Tiri’s baking heritage home with them, continuing to nurture the starter, develop their skills and create their own exceptional panettone for their customers and communities back in the UK.

Beyond the masterclass, our visits to the Polin factories offered a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the engineering, innovation and craftsmanship behind the equipment supporting bakeries around the world.

But what made this trip particularly memorable was the people. Bringing passionate bakers together to exchange ideas, share experiences, build relationships and take home new inspiration is exactly what these opportunities are all about.

A huge thank you to our wonderful guests, to Polin for their hospitality and, of course, to Vincenzo Tiri and his team for so generously sharing their time, expertise and passion.

At Brook Food, we believe supporting bakers goes far beyond supplying machinery. It’s about creating opportunities to learn, connect and continue developing the craft we all love. We can’t wait to see how our bakers put their new knowledge – and very special mother starters – into practice back in their own bakeries!

See the highlights of our wonderful trip