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BY NAOMI SZEBEN
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA
What’s the big idea?” asks a Looney Tunes cartoon character, in the face of a crackpot scheme or ridiculous situation. Even those of us who are not animated characters, “What’s the big idea?” is an incredulous response to the new and unfamiliar. We cringe or laugh at what we consider strange, but what if that strangeness is inspiration in disguise?
In this issue, we spoke to people with big ideas, who broke from tradition and created something new. This edition is for people who are considering jumping ship and leaping into the uncharted waters of entrepreneurship. These business owners ignored the doubting voices inside their heads (and some actual skeptics) to make their ideas a reality.
I’ve learned from Sabine Veit, the two-time winner of Deloitte’s “Best Managed Company in Canada” award, on what sets a winning bakery apart from the rest. She started Bäckerhaus Veit with seed money from her father, and now operates a national company that makes bread for multiple markets.
European chimney cakes are taking off in North America. This trend wouldn’t have made its way across borders, if not for Kristin and Justin Butler, who were inspired by the sight of them grilling on their rods during on a vacation in Hungary. The couple saw Kürtöskalács as a sweet alternative to ordinary cones, and introduced them with success to those who like cake and ice cream.
I was intrigued by the story of maverick doughnut makers who are shaking up the East Coast with their innovative flavours: Nicole Tufts and Sonia Mota gave up financial security and dependable jobs to chase their sugar-frosted dreams. Going with their gut has paid off in spades. Vandal Doughnuts has appeared on national television, for delicious and sometimes cheeky creations, but the couple doesn’t let their shop’s popularity go to their heads. These vandals steal hearts as they raise funds for their local food bank, and their goodwill has earned them new popularity –enough for a second location.
Tufts and Sonia Mota gave up financial security and dependable jobs to chase their sugar-frosted dreams. Going with their gut has paid off in spades.
There’s an art to creating and organizing a popular charity event, and it takes more than goodwill.
New York City hosted a Chocolate Chip Cookie-off that raised so much money for food banks that Sol Orwell knew he had to launch it in Canada. Orwell, the organizer behind Toronto’s first Chocolate Chip Cookie-Off successfully pitted professional bakers alongside gifted amateurs…and nobody complained. How do you create an event that engages the public and generates big buzz? It could have turned out to be a half-baked affair, but the final result was more lucrative than the charities – and Orwell – expected.
Bakers who are thinking of getting into the field of cannabis-related edibles may need to hold off on that pipe dream until next year. While legislation to legalize personal consumption of cannabis will be formalized by the Canadian government in the near future, bakers and catering companies cannot yet sell any food products that contain THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. Jane Dummer has more on her article on Cannabis edibles in her column, The Final Proof.
Those who have followed their big dreams with equally big plans learned from their mistakes, but eventually saw their business succeed. To paraphrase Winston Churchill (a man who loved ice cream with chocolate ganache, and would surely have been a fan of Eva’s Chimneys) “big ideas are not to be feared, only fear itself.” / BJ
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briefly | Appearing clean is as important as being clean | Anti-sexual harassment guide helps food industry | for more news in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Study finds perception of cleanliness can boost sales
Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) have found that the cleanliness of restaurant employees is vital to customer perceptions of food safety, and equally as important as a clean environment and hygienic food preparation.
Restaurants, however, are significantly underperforming in this regard, identifying a clear area for improvement.
According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths occur in the U.S. each year. At least 60 per cent of these illnesses are associated with restaurants, according to an American study on foodborne illnesses. In Canada 1 in 8 people (4 million Canadians) get sick each year from contaminated food, according to Health Canada.
“Food safety is a huge factor when consumers decide where to eat,” said Pei Liu, an assistant professor of hospitality management at MU. “Studies have looked at how restaurant managers view this issue, but you need to know how customers think about food safety to really
understand what changes need to be made.”
Survey espondents ranked how restaurants performed for these same factors based on their recent dining experience. Three of these factors—employees keeping fingernails clean, wearing clean uniforms and wearing gloves while handling food—were ranked as highly important but received low performance ratings. This indicated that restaurants may be harming perceptions of food safety by not meeting customer expectations for the cleanliness of their employees.
“Research has shown customers will not return to a restaurant if they feel the food is unsafe. One unhappy customer tells ten others and it is seven times more expensive to attract a new customer than it is to retain a loyal one,” Liu said. “Since the appearance of employees has a lot to do with how people perceive their food, it is important for restaurants—and employees—to remember that utensils are not the only things that need to be clean.”
Canada resumes grain trade with South Korea and Japan
After a little over a month of suspension from trade, the Canadian wheat and cereal industry welcomes the resumption of trade with both Japan and South Korea. Japan had temporarily suspended trade following the discovery of a handful of genetically modified wheat plants on an access road in southern Alberta.
Cereals Canada extends appreciation to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) for the technical and investigative work that has allowed for this issue to be resolved.
“Japan is a long-standing, premium customer of Canadian wheat and is the highest grade buyer of Canadian wheat in the world,” noted Cam Dahl, President of Cereals Canada in a press release. “We appreciate that loyalty and highly value the collaborative nature of our trading partnership,” he stated.
“Cereals Canada wishes to recognize the united way in which the Canadian value chain has approached finding a resolution to the concerns that had caused Japan to temporarily close its borders to Canadian wheat,” concluded Dahl.
Japan imports around 1.5 million tonnes a year of Canadian wheat a year; South Korea imports around 235,000 tonnes a year.
Japan has not found any GM wheat in their system, but will continue to test shipments of wheat sourced from Canada.
From new drum dumpers to innovations in gelatin, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” for more on new products for the baking industry, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Rousselot launches fortified, clean-label gelatin
Gelatin manufacturer, Rousselot, showcased its clean label gelatin solutions at this year’s IFT 2018 in Chicago.
Rousselot’s experts were on hand to highlight how latest gelatin innovations can provide an endless range of textures; playing with characteristics such as gel strength and viscosity, gelatin types, concentration and recipes, for novel product designs and fortified gummy options.
The company’s new SiMoGel™, gelatin solution is specifically designed for starchless molds and suitable for the production of functional and traditional gelatin-based gummies. This means that gummies can now include a nutritional element such as protein.
Mike Schmit, Rousselot’s vice-president of sales, U.S.A said in a press release, “due to its fast-drying properties, SiMoGel allows manufacturers to switch from starch molding to starch-free gummy processing, opening new application for the creation of state-of-the-art jelly shapes including 3D designs, multiple layers, stripes and fillings.”
He adds, It is also idea for products with functional benefits such as [vitamin] fortified gummies in a clean and starchless environment – all while significantly optimizing production processes and reducing costs.”
Flexicon introduces new drum dumper
Flexicon introduced its new Tip-Tite® Drum Dumper with integral flexible screw conveyor. It allows volumetric feeding of bulk material from drums into downstream processes free of dust.
The drum dumper features a hydraulic cylinder that raises and seats the drum rim against a discharge cone, after which a second hydraulic cylinder tips the drum to an angle of 45, 60 or 90 degrees with a motion-dampening feature. At full rotation, a pneumatically actuated slide gate valve opens and charges the conveyor, which meters the material volumetrically according to infinitely adjustable user controls.
As the flexible screw rotates, it self-centers within the tube, providing ample clearance between the screw and the tube wall to eliminate or minimize grinding. The flexible screw is top-driven beyond the point at which the material exits the conveyor, preventing contact with bearings or seals.
The conveyor transports bulk materials from sub-micron powders to large pellets, while a gentle rolling action of material prevents the separation of blends. The rugged inner screw is the only moving part contacting material, resulting in reduced maintenance and increased
reliability. A broad range of screws with specialized geometries is available to handle free- and non-free-flowing materials, including products that pack, cake or smear in other types of conveyors.
The unit accommodates drums from 114 to 208 liters weighing up to 340 kg and measuring 915 to 1220 mm in height. An optional pneumatically actuated vibrator on the discharge cone promotes complete evacuation of non-free-flowing materials. The drum dumper is available constructed of carbon steel with durable industrial finishes, with material contact surfaces of stainless steel, or in all-stainless steel finished to food, dairy, pharmaceutical or industrial standards.
Solvay unveils clean label vanillin replacement
Solvay, a provider of vanillin and ethyl-vanillin ingredients, introduces its new naturally-sourced ingredient, Rhovanil® US NAT – to the U.S. market at IFT 2018.
Catering to rising consumer demand for true-to-nature products, the vanillin replacement meets U.S. natural flavour regulations and is ideal for manufacturers looking to reformulate an existing product, or create a new one, for clean label status.
The latest addition to Solvay’s portfolio of high-quality natural and functional vanillin-based solutions, Rhovanil® US NAT is a highly pure, naturally-sourced ingredient that is easy-to-use and serves as a one-for-one drop-in replacement for synthetic vanillin. It delivers high intensity flavour and typical vanillin notes for an improved taste experience across a wide variety of applications, including chocolate, confectionery, bakery and beverages. This means that US food and beverage manufacturers are better positioned to deliver on-trend ‘natural’ and ‘clean label’ products without compromising on consumer appeal.
“Helping our customers overcome their formulation, or even re-formulation, challenges to offer tasty natural products that consumers love is a key priority for us,” commented Edouard Janssen, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Solvay Aroma Performance, Americas in a press release. “The launch of Rhovanil is the latest example of our continued investment in, and commitment to, expanding our natural vanillin offering. Like other ingredients in our growing portfolio, it promises consistent quality and supply and the highest purity and safety, supported by our long-standing expertise in vanillin and ethyl-vanillin production.”
As well as boasting a clean label, non-GMO and allergen-free profile, the product is FDA compliant, in addition to being Kosher and Halal certified.
For more products, please visit www.bakersjournal.com.
Flexicon Tip Tite Drum Dumper
Rousselot’s SiMoGel gummies,
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT MIXER
Bakers today offer customers a medley of fresh, unprocessed and pastries, from breads and cakes to biscuits, muffins and pizza crusts. These experts know one key to their success is having a reliable commercial mixer that creates the highest-quality product possible. What they may not know is that choosing the right mixer is even more important—it’s as significant as selecting the
perfect ingredients for the recipes themselves.
A baker’s commercial mixer must completely fit their unique kitchen needs. Once this happens, he or she will often see a notable boost in productivity, an increase in efficiency and less money spent on maintenance, repairs and other expenses that could, over time, drive customers away and have a negative impact on their business’ bottom line.
Before investing in a mixer,
bakers should think about the different kinds of foods they plan to create most often. What kind of dough or batter do most of your recipes require, and how thick is its consistency? Will you be making specialty breads, muffins, cookies — or all the above?
The volume and weight of ingredients is key to choosing the right mixer and the required size.
Bakers should ask themselves: “What are the chances
I will eventually decide to use this mixer to prepare something other than dough?” Will it ever be used for vegetables, sauces or spreads? There is a lot to consider before making the investment. Buy for how you intend to grow your business.
As most bakers know, the two most common types of commercial mixers are planetary and spiral mixers. However, they may not fully understand the differences between them — and there
The right mixer saves you time and leaves your hands free for other tasks. Photo courtesy of Backerhaus Veit; Read about its success on page 16.
are many.
To decide which one is best suited for the productivity of their kitchens and businesses, bakers must have a strong grasp on the different features planetary and spiral mixers offer. In general, a planetary mixer is ideal when versatility of use and robust kneading are desired. A spiral mixer, on the other hand, is the best option when mixing artisanal and airier dough.
PLANETARY MIXERS
Planetary mixers offer plenty of options for bakers who want to prepare different kinds of foods at a high volume. While planetary mixers are great for blending cookie ingredients and kneading heavy dough, they also can be used to slice vegetables (with the addition of an appropriate attachment), chop meat, grate cheese, make batter and whip light meringues, offering bakers more options. Such versatility can allow bakers to experiment a little by offering their customers choices other than traditional baked goods, such as cookies and bread.
}Planetary mixers can slice, chop and mix. They are for a wide variety of foods (left); Spiral mixers are meant for mixing and kneading heavier dough, such as bread (right.)
Bakers should ask themselves: “What are the chances I will eventually decide to use this mixer to prepare something other than dough?” Will it ever be used for vegetables, sauces or spreads?
Planetary mixers need the proper attachments and agitators for optimal performance. Whips, beaters, dough hooks, mixing paddles, whisks and pastry knives are common kinds of agitators used for bowl mixing. Slicers, graters, shredders and meat choppers are also common hub attachments for some planetary mixers; these attachments extend the capabilities of the mixer beyond just mixing.
All planetary mixers have one motor and a non-rotating bowl. Planetary mixers are sized by the volume of the ingredients they can hold in their bowls, and their capacities can range from five to 140 quarts, adding to the flexibility these mixers offer.
Smaller planetary mixers can be placed on a countertop, while larger planetary mixers are floor standing. Because of that, planetary mixers are an excellent choice for general purpose kitchens, bakeries and pizzerias. They are currently the most commonly-used commercial mixer on the market.
SPIRAL MIXERS
Spiral mixers are placed on the kitchen floor, so space should always be taken
into consideration prior to investing in one. They are typically best suited for kitchens and bakers that most often create artisanal breads, bagels and pizza. Spiral mixers ensure proper dough consistency and well-blended ingredients because they rotate the bowl in both directions. When producing a consistently high-quality dough is a priority, spiral mixers tend to be the best option. They can also produce much smaller batches than planetary mixers.
Spiral mixers are best suited for mixing bread, because they keep the dough at a lower temperature given how the mixer bowl rotates as the spiral hook spins to knead the dough. This ensures the dough does not overheat or ferment too quickly, which affects how the yeast activates. Temperature control is especially important when preparing artisanal breads, because they need to ferment at a slow pace to come out perfectly.
Spiral mixers use one motor to rotate the bowl and another motor to rotate the spiral arm. The mixers operate with a pulley system, so they are quieter than planetary mixers. The dual bowl rotation also makes the mixer easier and faster to clean after a long day in
the kitchen, as all a baker must do is reverse the bowl to clean the dough off the hook.
Most spiral mixers easily blend flour and water to a perfect consistency. This is extremely important because many specialty breads need a water absorption ratio of 80 percent to 90 percent. A higher water absorption ratio produces bread that is easier to digest. It also saves bakers money on bread production, since more water and less flour is used to create the same amount of dough; it becomes lighter and more airy.
SUMMARY
Bakers should evaluate their current kitchen space, mixing needs and production volume as well as consider any projected future increases when selecting a mixer.
In some cases, bakers may want to consider adding both planetary mixers and spiral mixers to their kitchen equipment inventory. Bakeries that are especially busy and produce large amounts of goods could benefit from having both kinds on hand. In addition, bakers who might want to try offering different types of foods in addition to specialty breads and baked goods may also want to use both a planetary mixer and a spiral mixer in their day-to-day production. / BJ
Brian Bambauer is the marketing sales development specialist for the Hobart Food Equipment Group.
“FUN-RAISING” COOKIES
COOKIES
On July 8 2018, 38 participants, some of them Toronto’s most popular bakers and some gifted amateurs vied for the title of “Toronto’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie,” at Toronto’s first Chocolate Chip Cookie-off. Based on ticket sales alone, the event was estimated to raise over $50, 000. The final tally is closer to $120, 000.
This popular fundraiser was first launched in New York City, where Chocolate Chip Cookie-Off 2017 (CCC2017) raised US$30, 000 for local charities. Sol Orwell, the organizer, was bowled over by how this event was greeted with joy. He knew he had to bring it to Canada. How does an event go from a small idea to a big success?
“Honestly, the big one was just being organized,” confessed Orwell. Their system of choice was an online, sharable spreadsheet that all volunteers shared via cellphone. Each baker was assigned a letter of the alphabet, which corresponded to a bakery or baker, and listed possible allergens.
The anonymous platters were placed between squared off lines on a kraft paper-covered table. The baker’s assigned letter, the names of the cookie and possible allergens were written down under each platter of cookies.
}If you charge ten dollars, twenty dollars, and you do it for a group of fifty people, it’ll go like “this.”It will be so, so easy. It will be like a bake sale but people will come together for something bigger.
La Dolci Cupcakes were among the participants. Lisa Sanguedolce, the owner of La Dolci gushed, “it’s fabulous. So much fun.” What was interesting was that not one of the professionals appeared to complain about being pitted against amateurs, however gifted they might be.
Knowing the value of feedback, Orwell queried the contestants about their experience after it ended. “I was like, tell me: I want to know every little, small detail,” stated Orwell. “Not a single person complained that there were amateurs. Every single person was like, “this is crazy, we raised so much money, we had so much fun!
“I was bringing entrepreneurs together, which was nice, but I want
people to come together over food. I know that to a level, they do, but there is that schism between bakers, pastry chefs and chocolatiers. I would say 99 per cent of the people were very happy.
“Now that we’ve cracked a hundred thousand dollars Canadian raised, you know you’re just part of something huge, considering there weren’t that many people there, to get to our hundred thousand dollar number.”
Originally, the charity was to raise funds for Sistering, Business in The Streets and the Community Food Centres of Canada. However, CCCO2018 was so successful, it surpassed its goal by raising $120, 000: Enough to add a fourth cause to their list of recipients.
“The money is transferring to Sistering, and Business In The Streets, and I said that originally, I didn’t want to give more than $30 000 per charity, so now, we’re going to be transferring the money to Matthew’s House, which helps immigrants and refugees.”
Orwell chose multiple charities to mitigate dependency on any one donation, as well as giving the opportunity to donate to several worth causes at once. “I’ve got a lot of interests,” explains Orwell. “I care about food sustainability, I care about women’s education and support systems and entrepreneurship, I care about immigrants, being one myself. How do you pick just one? It’s kind of crazy.”
The challenge lay in finding a single charity everyone agreed on. Orwell adds,“Different people had different motivations, and since I have different ones, I decided to split them into four, this way.”
Coding identifies the bakery, and potential allergens (opposite) showcases the days goods; (above) Toronto-based entrepreneur Sol Orwell brings people and causes together over food.
CONTACT PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR INTERESTS
“Honestly, the other bakers were the nicest, most amazing people, ever,” stated Orwell. “I would say almost all of them made extra cookies specifically to be donated. For instance, Lindsay [Haddock] formerly of Scaramouche, now at Circle and Squares, she brought three big cookies for the cookie-off, and one of the big boxes was only for charity. A lot of these bakers made way more cookies
than they needed to.
“The hard part is not including the bakers, the two hard parts are finding the location to have it and then selling tickets. And when I say ‘selling tickets’ when people think, “aww, this dude’s selling tickets for $600 dollars…”
KNOW YOUR CLIENTELE: CHARGE A FAIR PRICE
“I can charge this much because I’ve been around for a very long time. I’ve
done a lot of these events. But, if you charge ten dollars, twenty dollars, and you do it for like, a group of fifty people, it’ll go like this [snaps fingers.] It will be so, so easy.
“It’ll be like a bake sale, but people will come together to be a part of something bigger. Like, last year, when I did it, we raised $1200 dollars. Total. And we had twenty-seven professionals compete. And they were super happy to participate.”
Orwell advises bakers or fundraisers to know their market, but don’t be afraid to mark the ticket prices up when popularity soars. “Sell the tickets at a price that makes sense. Then, slowly, but surely, make the tickets more and more expensive. In a time of recession and scarcity, charging a lot may seem reckless. Orwell recommends using exclusivity as an advertising technique. “At any given time, people will pay more for exclusivity,” explains Orwell. “This was not a public event” Orwell believes the reason behind this event’s popularity was the conviction that the guests would find like-minded, fun loving, food loving souls. “People who make money, but
DON’T BE AFRAID TO JUST ASK
“You just ask. …people in the food industry are the most giving people I’ve ever come across. That’s not the hard part,” advises Orwell. “You just need to find an interesting venue, and sell the tickets to make it happen.”
If you’re lucky enough to know someone with an attractive property they are willing to rent out reasonably (or for free) Orwell adds that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask if they are willing to donate their time or rental fees to the cause in exchange for advertising or donation funds.
CONSIDER A UNIQUE LOCATION
Orwell believes that many venues are more than pleased to take part in food-related charities, citing “wedding and corporate events fatigue.” What we’re doing is very different. It’s fun and unique. If anything, venues want us at their place, because it’s fun.
“When we did this in New York, we did it in The Strand bookstore. As an employer, I’m saying, “eat some cookies! Don’t not eat cookies – go for it!” So, we always work around people who are supporting us, all the people who were working the bar at the Toronto cookie-off, we were like, “dude, go have some cookies. If you
want, I’ll go grab you some cookies. Employees love it because it’s a fun event.”
START WITH A SMALL GOAL
“People think you have to raise this huge amount, like, 100,000 Canadian dollars, like you’d need a massive number,” Orwell shakes his head. The first charity food competition was held at a friend’s house, the chef of Pizza Libretto. “It was
a potluck version. We said, ‘if you’re not coming, you have to donate $20 dollars.’
I think we raised $180 or $200. It was just a bunch of us, just having fun.
“People keep thinking you have to do these huge events,” Sol admonishes. “No, no, no – it all adds up, right? If you get $250 here and $250 there, it turns into hundreds of dollars, and six months later, charities get $500 that they wouldn’t
have gotten if you’ve never done this.”
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE FUN FACTOR
“Do whatever you want, and get people together.” Orwell believes that people having a genuinely good time will be its own advertisement for future events. Having like-minded attendees paired with excellent food gathers a lot of attention online.
“When we did our original food-off, it wasn’t even a fundraiser. It was never originally about money, it wasn’t about charities, it was just about bringing people together.
“And then, when people saw pictures of the fun we had online, they’d say, “hey I want to get in on that, I want to be a part of this.” That’s when it blew up. I have the leverage and I have the connections, but everyone has some connection and some leverage in a community. Maybe some can’t charge $500, so, maybe charge $70. Maybe charge $7. Who knows? But at the end of the day, the value comes through, and that’s how you raise money.” / BJ
LOCAL BAKERY, LARGE SUCCESS
Sabine Veit won Deloitte’s Best Managed Business award for the second time earlier this year. Bäckerhaus Veit’s CEO spoke with Bakers Journal to share advice on making a small bakery a big success.
Many bakeries have trouble getting their business off the ground. How can a small business break away from small-scale operations without getting into debt or worse, losing their business altogether?
“I think as a bakery owner, you really have to differentiate between being the baker, and the one who grows the business,” states Veit. “I think a lot of bakers have some really good skills for their bakery, and know their product, but they have no time or energy to work on the business...I think that really holds a lot of bakers back. The business can’t grow if the owner or somebody is not really working on the business of getting away from the small-scale, then it’s not
going to happen.”
Veit recommends new bakery owners to be strategic in their plans and use research and develop as much as possible. When the facts are aligned, form a plan that changes for no-one. “Make sure you match product, channel, market and price in the right way, and stick to it. Don’t get side-tracked when sales are low, or if something isn’t working out, then try to do something that might be cheaper,” Veit advises. “If you’re not convinced, if you
feel that’s just a kind of problem solver, instead of being strategically viable in the long term, that means it needs more money and more energy.”
The award-winning CEO believes that there are many bakers who “fundamentally, don’t get it right,” from public image, or pricing decisions to the shortcuts that they may have to take. “If that’s not all cooked up together – I learned this the hard way – it just won’t work,” affirms Veit. “I got really lucky to be here
Below, an employee checks for quality: The company’s success is attributed to its attention to detail, cleanliness and the staff’s dedication..
today. I do have some war wounds, but ultimately, Bäckerhaus Veit succeeded.”
Veit believes that putting her views second and making the customer’s needs first are among her keys to success. Hiring staff she feels confident will work in a position she isn’t as strong in is another factor. “Hiring people that are smarter than me, that’s a big one, you have to hire people that are smarter than you. And you’ve got to listen to them,” she smiles.
A successful bakery, she feels is like a functional kitchen. “You have to save energy and waste everywhere, and you have to be effective about it.” A successful bakery, in her opinion has “no reason to succeed” if it meets three basic objectives: Skilled staff, an immaculately clean shop and staff who are treated respectfully.
Cleanliness is underestimated, in Veit’s opinion. “If the doors are not clean, and the door handles are not clean? I cannot stand that. I see the details, and I always see it.” An outstanding piece of advice that came from a quality assurance specialist, who pointed out the difference between looking and seeing: “never walk through a bakery and don’t see what you’re looking at.” Veit feels that anticipation or distraction can cloud a shop owner’s judgement, preventing them from objectively seeing their shop through clients’ eyes.
Some factors that can impact negatively on a bakery are the staff. From the cleanliness and appropriate garb for the staff, “a clean blouse - not a knitted sweater,” as well as efficiency is always appreciated. Veit recommends that the shop takes note to have the right stock at the right time.
}“I went for a cup of coffee somewhere where five other paying customers were behind me, with not enough staff to look after them, and the bakers were making more bread since they had just run out.” Veit feels that training staff to prioritize can prevent a sales plunge and a loss of reputation. She recommends that the staff should know what times of day are the peaks of business, and set a priorities in place. For instance, if there’s a line up of clients and the phone is ringing, should they take calls or serve customers? Answer: They should serve customers while the phone goes to voicemail.
“The business can’t grow if the owner or somebody is not working on the business of getting away from the small-scale.”
and what to have on the shelves, and then there’s friendliness, right? There’s a lot of learning, a lot of hard years...it’s a capital-intensive business, be really careful of that. Know your numbers, know before the month is finished where you are – don’t wait for the end of a quarter to notice what is actually going on.
embarking on something that could really be a problem in the long run.
“You need good accounting from the get-go. Somebody who gives you a clear statement at the end of the month, so you know what’s actually happening.”
Veit says her biggest challenge starting out was learning how to say, “no.”
“So, it’s really important to train them well…what kind of priority to look for,
“In the bakery business, we make a few pennies, we lose a few pennies, again, I’m on the burner first, so I’ve had to hire some good people to tell me that, “you can’t spend this, right now. This doesn’t make sense.” Think of your rationale a bit better, and build on something else… get some money in the bank before
“There’s so many great ideas, you go through any trade magazine, you see great ideas, but you really have to analyze, can you do it right now? Does it make sense for the business, for the machines you have? It is so easy to just do research and development…there’s a lot of money just sitting there, and you’ll never know if it will succeed. You’ll have to think long and hard as to how you’ll put your money towards your resources.”
Multiple awards indicate Bäckerhaus Veit is on track for success. / BJ
Sabine Veit, two-time winner of Deloitte’s award for Canada’s best managed company.
Health Canada’s July 2018 Sodium Intake of Canadians in 2017 report delivered g reat news regarding the effort to reduce population sodium intake. Since 2010, t he average daily sodium intake of Canadians dropped f rom 3,400mg to 2,760mg This drop represents a 60% advancement towards Health Canada’s target of reducing the average population sodium intake to 2,300mg/day.
To put t his into perspective, Canada ’ s sodium reduction has outpaced other jurisdictions such as the U.K. where af ter 11 years of sodium reduction education and industry voluntary initiatives, t he daily intake still exceeds 3,200 mg. Similarly, t he current US daily sodium intake is estimated at 3,400 mg. Levels comparable to t he U.K. and U.S. are also found in populations of Canada’s major trading partners.
What does this mean from a health perspective?
According to t he repor t “It was estimatt ed that a reduction of 400 mg sodium per day, achieved over a 10-year period, would result in up to 40,000 fewer cases of c oronary heart disease and 23,000 fewer
cases of stroke annually.” The results are ” therefore g reat news for public health as the reduction of 640 mg reported by Health Canada over 10 years, should result in up to 64,000 fewer cases of coronary heart disease and 36,800 fewer cases of stroke annually.
starting in adolescence. In particular, more than 90% of males between the ages of 14 and 30 exceed recommende d limits for sodium.” T he report ex plains ” that young males consume more food (calories) with a corresponding increase in sodium. By comparison, less than half of the females in the same age g roup consume excess sodium. T he table below from the report offers a population sodium breakdown
Not All Canadians Consuming too Much Sodium
Not surprisingly young males bet ween 14 – 30 are the top sodium consumers. According to the repor t “Males consume much more sodium than females, especially
Sodium Food Sources
sources of sodium as: Bakery prod-
cookies, desserts, crackers, and g ranola bars are the top food sources (20%)
BC Chapter Fall Baking Workshop 2018 information and registration form
Canada’s Major Sodium Sources
Percent contribution of major food categories to the average daily sodium intake of Canadians in 2017
Bakery products
Mixed dishes
Processed meats
Cheeses
Soups
Sauces, dips, gravies and condiments
Fat, oils, spreads and dressings
Snack foods
Fish and seafood products
Breakfast cereals
Processed vegetables and veg. juice
Source: CCHS 2015, Health Canada Food Label Data 2017 and Canadian Nutrient File 2015 for top categories as classified in Health Canada’s 2012 sodium reduction targets.
Nut butters 0 5 10 15 20 25
Percent
Canada’s sodium reduction has outpaced other jurisdictions such as the U.K. where after 11 years of sodium reduction education and industry voluntary initiatives, the daily intake still exceeds 3,200 mg.
of sodium. Mixed dishes such as pizza, lasag na, refrigerated or frozen entrées and appetizers, f rozen potatoes and prepared salads are the second most important contributors to dietar y sodium (19%), followed by processed meat products such as sausages, deli meats, canned meats, chicken wings, burgers and meatballs (11%). Together, these 3 broad categories account for half of all the sodium Canadians consume. Ot her important contributors include cheeses (7%), soups (6%), sauces and condiments (5%), fat, oils, spreads, and dressings (3%), snacks, such as chips products (2%).
Unfortunately, the report does not different iate bet ween bread and ot her bakery products. BAC will be ask ing Healt h Canada to provide t he data in a way t hat is consistent wit h t he 2010 Sodium Work ing Group report so t hat t he cont ribut ion to sodium intake of pantry breads and other baked goods is
Breads Almost Double Industry Sodium Reduction Efforts
Bakers have almost doubled t he food industry average sodium reduction of 8%.
Bet ween 2009 and 2015 sodium levels were reduced in white pantry breads by 13% and wheat pantry breads by 16%, even though sodium is an important
functional ing redient which:
• Streng thens and tightens the effect on the gluten in dough. Without adequate salt in the formulation, the resulting bread would be weak and crumbly over the shelf life of the product
• Is essent ial to fermentat ion control. W hen salt and yeast compete for water, salt wins and yeast is slowed down resulting in a more uniform cell st r ucture and better overall bread tex ture quality
• Promotes consistent colour formation during t he bak ing process when the fermentation process is controlled
• Is a natural ant ioxidant that
ingredients
What’s Next
Even in t he face of t his substant ial sodium intake reduct ion Health Canada cont inues to maintain t hat Canadian sodium consumption remains too high and f ur t her measures are needed. These include Front of Package warning labels and Restriction on Marketing to Children which will classify most breads as unhealthy for children. BAC will continue to advocate for targeted education prog rams and less reg ulations.
BC CHAPTER PRESENTS
Fall Baking Workshop with Special Guest Presenter
Tracey Muzzolini
Tracey will be bringing to Vancouver Island University and BC Chapter’s workshop a variation of her successful Vienoisserie workshop ‘Kickin’ it Old School’ where she will demonstrate classic pastries with a new twist. Tracey’s approach to baking and her insights into succeeding in business will ensure an enlightening and informative industry evening for all participants.
About the Guest Presenter …
Tracey Muzzolini was born into the baking trade. Her parents took over Christies Mayfair Bakery in Saskatoon fifty years ago, and Tracey and her brother now operate the business. Tracey travelled around the world and upon return to Canada immersed herself into artisan bread and pastry production. Her unique approach and creativity allowed her to take her craft and reach new heights in quality and traditional bread and Vienoisserie baking. An opportunity to join the Canadian World Baking Cup team gave Tracey the opportunity to bring her craft to the world stage. She was chosen as the bread expert on the team and enjoyed a great run in the regional competition in 2007 that ended in Mexico City where the team were invited to Paris as exhibition team during Europain and the Coupe du Monde.
Tracey’s Canadian inspired creations such as Maple Granola Bread with its signature maple leaf shaped top-piece and her flax mustard and pine nut ciabatta, have remained classics.
Don’t miss out on this informative and educational session!
A gourmet supper will be produced by culinary students using VIU’s Wood-Fired Brick oven.
JOIN US!
DATE: Wednesday October 24th 2018
TIME: 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Vancouver Island University
Professional Baking and Pastry Program, Building 185, 900 5th Street, Nanaimo BC
FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE SESSION:
Please contact a member of the BC Chapter for transportation questions from Vancouver and Victoria
Jesse Lamb, BC Chapter Chair, jesse@portofinobakery.ca 604-369-5373 (cell)
Martin Barnett, BC Workshop Coordinator, martin.barnett@viu.ca 250 740 6114 (office)
Please fill in the attached registration form and send it to the BAC office. A confirmation will be emailed to all registrants.
Tracey Muzzolini
Wednesday October 24th 2018 Vancouver Island University Professional Baking and Pastry Program Building 185, 900 5th Street, Nanaimo BC 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm
KARA SIMON
SUMMER FLAVOUR TRENDS
Summer is a time where consumers desire healthy, refreshing and fun food and beverage options to enjoy with their friends and families. Here’s a perspective on satisfying summer flavour trends:
Lemon and blueberries: Many beverage companies are latching on to blueberries and lemon for the summer by creating alcoholic lemonade with gin in refreshing flavours, such as blueberry. The tart taste of the lemon and the blueberry aroma brings cocktail and cake lovers the taste of the summertime.
Avocado: Move over avocado toast! Avocadoes are becoming a popular ingredient in alcoholic beverages, giving them a natural creamy texture without having to use cream or milk. The fruit also provides a sensational mouth feel without any added “bad fats” and calories, which appeals to consumers’ latest demands for healthier food and beverage options. An appealing aspect of the avocado is its neutral taste, making it pair well with almost any ingredient.
}Soursop: The soursop fruit, a prickly looking green fruit that is local to the Caribbean and South America, has been used for centuries in tropical climates across the world because of its purported healing properties. Today, it is used for its flavour, which is described as a sweet taste somewhere between strawberries and apples, with a slight citrus note and underlining hints of banana, vanilla and coconut. This flavour can be found in confectionery and alcoholic beverage applications, and the tropical aroma and taste will bring foodies to the beach, even if they are just sitting by a pool or at home.
Some say that the lemon’s clean, fresh taste is poised for a comeback. Others say it never left. which is perfect for warmer weather.
This summer’s flavours are all about a blast from summers past, but with a twist... consumers still want nostalgic summer classics, such as tastes of lemonade and fruit popsicles.
matcha tea and adding it to a rice-based lager from Japan to create a crisp and refreshing beverage, while still offering that lush, sophisticated intricacy that comes from the matcha tea. While matcha is a new trend, a nice cold beer is a summer classic that will now have a new flavour kick.
“This summer’s flavours are all about a blast from summers past, but with a twist,” said Greg Kaminski, executive research chef at Synergy Flavors.
Matcha: Matcha is powdered green tea: This summer, matcha is making its way into bars in the form of green matcha beer. Tea houses are taking
Floral Flavours: Frozen drinks and snacks provide some of the tastiest ways to cool down in the summer heat. This summer’s trending frozen treats are utilizing floral flavours, such as fresh watermelon, white grapefruit and orange blossom, made into drinks like “frosé,” a slushy drink made with frozen rosé wine. Orange blossom flavouring adds a delicate floral note with citrusy hints,
“Consumers still want nostalgic summer classics, such as tastes of lemonade and fruit popsicles, but they are also more adventurous and crave something new and exciting. Food scientists, chefs, bartenders and manufacturers are all working to create new experiential flavours for food and beverage applications to meet consumers’ demands for flavours that bring back memories in new and refreshing ways.”
Kara Simon is the director of marketing at Maritz Motivation Solutions.
For more more trends, please visit
JUST CHILL!
This summer, ice cream served in exotic cones is a popular trend with chefs and restaurants around Canada and the United States. Croissants, Cruffins (croissant-muffin hybrids), and even traditional Hungarian chimney cakes are seen in bakeries, pop-up shops and food trucks. With clients more concerned than ever with avoiding wasteful packaging, a sturdy pastry wrapping is a good solution for frozen takeaway treats, and presents a good use for day-old pastry, further reducing food waste.
The Froissant, a portmanteau of a frozen dessert with a croissant base, is known popularly as the ‘ice cream croissant.’ At Churned Creamery in southern California, it’s their signature dessert, and named the ‘CroCream.’ Popular flavours at the Creamery include Whiskey and Cream, Panna Cotta, and Black Forest Cake, which can be topped with honey walnuts, slices of blood orange, or organic coconut pulp.
}Original Chimneys says, “When we debuted them, people got really excited. We had huge lines and positive response. We still sell out quickly during busy times. The cone shape with ice cream is a little bit smaller, and then it is filled with ice cream and toppings. The dough is preservative free and you eat the cone right off the grill. It is made just a few minutes ahead of being consumed. We have a team of six people who are needed to make the chimney cones.”
Justin Butler’s grandmother, Eva, who came to Canada from Hungary, was the inspiration behind the shop. The traditional pastries were a special treat she told Justin about when he was a child. During a trip to Hungary, the
Chimney cakes provide the ice cream aficionado with a layer of crunchy, sweet goodness followed by a light and fluffy interior alongside a scoop of their favourite ice cream.
husband and wife team fell in love with the cakes. With a little planning, they were soon ready to debut the unique ice cream filled chimneys.
The Cruffin has also been popular, many bakeries such as Edmonton’s La Boule Patisserie and Bakery offering it as standard fare for breakfast or as a treat. Inclusions, such as chocolate ganache, jam are often featured. For the summertime, a topping of a scoop of high quality ice cream elevates this from a snack to a dessert.
One of the latest, non-traditional ice cream dishes is the chimney cake. Toronto’s Eve’s Original Chimneys specializes in Hungarian chimney cakes, also known as the Kürtöskalács in Hungarian, or Trdelník in Czechoslovakian. The cakes are cooked into a cone shape, and can be filled with ice cream. This provides the ice cream aficionado with a layer of crunchy, sweet goodness followed by a light and fluffy interior alongside a scoop of their favourite ice cream. Eva’s Chimneys adds special ingredients to dress up the cones and they become almost a dessert-meal on their own.
Kristin Butler, co-founder of Eva’s
The ‘cone crew’ duties include preparing the recipe, rolling out the dough, setting it up on the custom-made rods, rolling the un-grilled dough through a variety of spices and sugars, then grilling the dough on a traditional style, open gas rotisserie (rather than deep frying.) The cone grilling stage, says Butler, is tricky. It is important to get the balance right between crunchy outside and softer inside. During grilling, the sugar will caramelize, which give some of the crunchy bites to the cone. Once off the grilling rod, the dough cannot be too hot or the ice cream will quickly melt. Leave the finished dough cone too long, and it may not taste as good. Some current popular flavours of chimney cones include Matcha Crunch, White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, Thai Mango Sticky Rice, Lemon Berry Mascarpone.
Eva’s Chimneys uses seven basic ingredients for their chimney cone recipe. Unbleached flour, organic coconut milk,
organic cane sugar, sunflower oil, lemon, fresh yeast, and sea salt. Vegan options are available at some locations. While traditional dough may be made of less-healthy ingredients, it was important to the Butlers to keep the cones healthy as well as trendy. Flavours vary depending on seasons, and the only way to get a custom-made cone is by waiting in line.
“Having them ready-made would not work for us,” explains Butler, “We specialize in made to order, fresh product. We wanted a custom recipe with vegan and organic ingredients.”
Fresh, healthy and innovative are on trend for pastries this year, whether you prefer your ice cream or sorbet inside a croissant, Cruffin, or chimney cone. / BJ
Yvonne Dick is a freelance writer and contributing writer to Bakers Journal
Watching the cakes spin on their custom made rods is almost as much a treat as eating them.
PUTTING THE OH! IN DOUGHNUTS
Sonia Mota, current co-owner of Vandal Doughnuts has an appreciation for the offbeat. The doughnut shop she co-owns with Nicole Tufts currently resides inside Gus’ Pub, a bar on Agricola street in Halifax. “We knew from the get-go wherever we put our location, we wanted it to be a little different,” said Mota.
“We didn’t want one of those pristine, brick-and-mortar
doughnut shops. We wanted really quirky, odd locations, like maybe a bar, or maybe an old church, or an old mechanic shop – stuff like that. So, it’s a beautiful relationship – it works perfectly.”
The front window lives up to its name, with the company’s logo spray painted across the glass as though a vandal had tagged it with graffiti. Inside, Tufts and Mota have over a dozen flavours of artful, novel doughnuts ranging from a
decadent chocolate doughnut topped with a Ferrero Rocher ball, to their most popular Simpsons inspired creation: A plain, pink frosted doughnut decorated with rainbow sprinkles. Formerly known as the Homer Simpson doughnut, they changed it to the “OkelyDokely,” to avoid lawsuits.
“No matter how many flavours we have, or how complex we get with them, people just go back to the basics. They just want the
Okely-Dokely doughnut,” Mota says, shaking her head. Mota is tired but excited. A week before this interview had taken place, Vandal Doughnuts had participated in a hectic but very successful fundraiser, Burger Week. The small shop raised a huge amount for the local food bank, simply by selling a very special burger.
“We raised forty-five hundred dollars for Feed Nova Scotia, and there’s a
The controversial Tide Pod Doughnut was created to have kids eat doughnuts, instead of participating in ill-conceived detergent-eating challenges.
hundred and twenty five restaurants that participated this year, so that gives you an idea of how much money was raised.”
Burger week is the brainchild from a local independent newspaper called The Coast, a publication that also helps organize and promote the fundraiser. Each participating restaurant sells a burger, and donates the proceeds to the food bank. It’s a simple idea that was well received, and Mota and Tufts wanted their doughnut shop to participate in Burger Week - but in a special, Vandal way. They ran with their maverick brand, and Tufts’ creation of The Doughnut Burger would allow their shop participate in Burger Week.
}“When I first heard the idea, I was skeptical. I’m not a big burger person in the first place, so I just let her take the reigns on that one. But I couldn’t believe the reception!” exclaimed Mota. “We sold, on average, about 850 of them a day. And our shop is tiny: It’s like 200 square feet! I couldn’t believe how many of those Doughnut Burgers we sold! It was wild, absolutely wild.”
What’s in the sandwich that could make an avowed non-burger lover change her mind about the Doughnut Burger? “It’s an apple fritter, and inside it you have grass-fed beef, two slices of crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and some chipotle aioli and greens,” explains Mota. “The sweet and salty just go beautifully together. It’s like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. It’s wild.”
The secret of Vandals’ success seems to be in running with their wilder ideas, and trusting in the quality of their product. Their controversial “Tide Pod Doughnut” is a lemon-filled doughnut, iced with the titular detergent’s colours, mimicking the pattern and colour of the pods. “We made the Tide Pod Doughnut in hopes that kids would just come in and eat the doughnut instead of eating an actual Tide Pod,” explained Mota. “Anyway, I guess the media got a whiff of it and we ended up on the news across the country for that one. Pretty funny.”
Mota and Tufts both came from restaurant and business backgrounds, respectively. They knew that Vandal would not survive on dreams alone, and set up a plan where they could grow their business instead of operating it. “We knew exactly how the business
needed to be structured and where we needed to be sales and volume wise, so we could do this full time.
“We knew from day one our priority was to get ourselves out of the business into working on the business. Within two months of opening we went from working inside the business with a staff of seven to working on the business with a staff of 24 people.” The strategy to go from making doughnuts to “making dough” paid off. Vandal is in the position of negotiating for two more locations.
accountant, but Mota says that despite the challenges of entrustment, it’s a choice that is all about timing. Vandal’s owners’ chose the right time to train and delegate tasks to new staff, allowing them the show to grow. What is the future going to hold for Vandal?
“Right now all we are thinking about and focusing our energy on is nurturing our flagship store and the two new satellite locations.” / BJ
UPDATE
“I attribute a lot of the quick growth we have seen to the fact that we made this decision so early on,” states Mota. “You can’t grow a business if you are baking or serving customers for 10 hours a day.”
She’s seen a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with the decision to leave the craft of baking to another professional, or to delegate financial decisions to an
“We made the Tide Pod Doughnut in hopes that kids would just come in and eat the doughnut instead of eating an actual Tide Pod.” LALLEMAND USA
No stranger to controversy, Vandal Doughnuts’ newest flavour has recently caused online uproar with their “Kinky Trump” doughnut. Launched in response to harsh tariffs, the doughnut appears on their Instagram page, captioned “tariff me, baby.” Sporting a pink gumball for a ball-gag, the President’s pastry effigy is iced in peach fondant to mimic his spray-tanned hue. Comments on their social media were divisive, and occasionally abusive.
Add a little
sunshine to their slices.
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Our company has developed a process that allows bakers yeast to naturally produce its own Vitamin D. Lallemand’s new Instaferm® VitaD® Premixes are designed to give more control and flexibility to bakers, when considering the Vitamin D enrichment.
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BY DIANE CHIASSON
HOW TO WIN AND KEEP CUSTOMERS
How your bakery can stand apart in a competitive industry
Competition is huge for small bakery owners. What can you do to stand out? You should ask yourself if your customers are happy. Delivering great customer service means that all your customers are treated with respect. Here are some big ways to consistently win and keep customers.
EXPRESS SINCERE INTEREST
As a bakery owner, you know that being kind to your customers has a lasting effect. To succeed in the marketplace you need to have truly special customer service. You can create that personal touch by using your customer’s name: In a study published in the medical journal, Brain Research, certain parts of our brain light up when we hear our own name. You should consistently use your customer’s name throughout the conversation. It will make your interaction more personal and it will be interpreted as being thoughtful. Tell your staff to always be attentive by listening to feedback and by taking notes to make sure that they understand what their customers want.
}Respectful and kind employees will always make customers feel welcome and will create the foundation for a long-term relationship. Always listen and understand your customers’ needs, never raise your voice, even under pressure. I suggest that your staff engage customers in meaningful conversation about what they want, so they can offer effective recommendations. Customer service involves more than just speaking to your customers, and you will discover a little personal attention goes a long way. Don’t just leave them with a 5-inch-thick catalogue of cake designs; make suggestions and recommendations. Your staff should be able to talk about the
history behind each bakery product, the flavours, taste, ingredients, special decorations, and unique packaging.
As a bakery, you need to take on the role of the friendly, neighbourhood bakery shop where customers always feel welcome.
OFFER FREE SAMPLES
Who doesn’t love a free sample? This is small gesture that will go a long way. Grocery stores, and warehouse clubs love to give free food samples because this gets their customers interested.
There are many reasons why you should give away free samples to your customers. One of the main reasons is that it will help you attract new customers immediately and introduce people to your bakery products. Give your customers free samples by placing some out on the front counter, or you might even stop people in the street outside your shop with a plate filled with small bites. It will help your potential customer to get a taste before buying, and spread word of mouth. I have rarely refused buying something that I had just tasted. Let your customers have a free bite and watch your sales increase. In many cases, free samples have boosted sales by as much as 500 per cent. In terms of reaching consumers, free samples are often much
In many cases, free samples have boosted sales by as much as 500 per cent. In terms of reaching consumers, free samples are often much more powerful, and way cheaper than traditional advertising.
more powerful, and way cheaper than traditional advertising.
INVOLVE YOUR CUSTOMERS IN NEW BAKERY PRODUCT OFFERINGS
Perhaps you are thinking of adding or changing out a few of your bakery items. Use your social media pages to interact with your customers and get information from them. Why not ask your customers what they want by posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest? This is an excellent way to get them involved. It’s also easy to increase your sales when you find out what your customers want in the first place. You could even have a
contest and name your next cakes after your customers’ suggestion. You can be sure that it will bring them back along with their friends. Ask your customers to write reviews and give ratings on your service and your bakery products.
BE CONSISTENT
If you want to keep your customers happy, you need to be consistent in providing quality services. If you want to succeed, consistency matters. It’s not just from one cake to the next but also from one store location to the next. When your customers like your bakery products, they want to be able to get the same exact thing again and again. And they want it to taste and look the same as it did last time. I mean it: Exactly the same.
As you know, an issue like staff turnover is a major task for bakery operators. Creating high quality baked goods is a skill that takes training, and it’s hard to ensure product consistency with rapidly changing staff members. Investing in staff training on your equipment systems and monitoring the quality of your bakery products is essential. You need to have regularly scheduled meetings with your team members in order to share any new ideas or receive some feedbacks that might help to increase customer satisfaction. Don’t forget that when your team works together, they provide consistently good quality served in the same way every single time. Learning how to make and keep your customers happy is critical to ensuring the success and longevity of your bakery business. / BJ
Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 30 years. She is recognized as the industry leader in providing innovative and revenue-increasing foodservice and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns, and much more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com
BY ALLEN SUSSER
CHEF ALLEN SUSSER’S MANGO BREAD
Chef Allen Susser recommends using mangoes at their ripest. This recipe was launched at the South Beach Mango Festival.
Susser was born in Brooklyn, New York, and worked in the kitchens of Le Bristol Hotel in Paris and Le Cirque Restaurant in New York.
While working at the Turnberry Isle Resort, he played with the tropical fruit and fish that Florida offers, and experimented with the juxtaposition of fruit and fish.
Food and Wine Magazine named Allen Susser one of the “Top 10 New Chefs” in America in 1981, and in 1994, he won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Award.
For more more recipes from trained chefs, please visit www.bakersjournal.com.
INGREDIENTS
Creates 10 slices
57.37g Butter 143.7g Sugar
2 Medium very ripe mangoes, puréed 1 Large egg, slightly beaten 5.604g Pure Vanilla extract 29.57g Lime juice 149.1g All purpose flour
5.619g Baking powder
2.144g Baking soda
3.77g Ground cinnamon
115.9g Chopped walnuts
TO PREPARE THE BATTER
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add the mango, egg, vanilla, and lime juice. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the mango mixture to the flour mixture stirring until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in the walnuts.
TO BAKE THE MANGO BREAD
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x5x3 inch non stick pan with non stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan. Allow to cook for 1 hour on a rack before serving.
BY JEFF GRANDFIELD AND DALE WILLERTON
6 LEASING TIPS FOR BAKERY TENANTS
Readers of our book, Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals FOR DUMMIES will learn, in-part, that there is much more to commercial leasing than meets the eye! Before you even think of searching for commercial property to lease for your first bakery or another location to expand your operations, consider the following tips to help you get a better lease deal:
Negotiate to Win: Negotiating to win must be the tenant’s goal. Why? Because the landlord is not necessarily looking for a “win-win” leasing deal. Remember, a typical landlord charges the tenants as much rent as possible and who would expect anything less?
}Consider these points when negotiating to win: lowest possible rental rate, largest tenant allowance, lowest deposit, and most signage and best parking.
Landlords want to charge the highest possible rent; here are some tips to negotiate a better lease.
By negotiating to change the day your rent is due (perhaps the fifth or tenth day of the month) you can breathe a little easier at the end of the month.
Negotiate all Lease Terms at Once: Don’t look at your lease as a list of individual points that must be negotiated separately. All those business terms are connected and must be negotiated collectively. For example, don’t agree to the rental rate until you’ve agreed to the length of the lease term.
Don’t Telegraph Your Intentions or Give Buying Signals: A good football quarterback can take the snap from centre, fake the handoff to his running back, and then pass the ball to an open receiver – all without telegraphing his called play. As a tenant moving in or looking for another bakery location, try not to speak in terms such as, “When I move in …” or “I would like the carpet replaced …”. These are called buying signals and they always serve to weaken your bargaining position. Don’t let what you say and the words you choose work against you.
Assume Nothing and Get It In
Writing: Tenants make all kinds of assumptions regarding their leases –sometimes blindly or because of poor negotiations with the landlord or their real estate agent. Unless a point appears in writing on the accepted lease, don’t assume it’s part of the deal.
Protect Yourself by Incorporating: Regrettably, bakery businesses can – and do – fail. Incorporating can protect you. Remember that if you allow the landlord to put your personal name on the lease as the tenant (or even the letter of intent or offer to lease), then you will become personally responsible for rent payments and all other terms of the lease agreement. If you make the tenant a corporation, then generally the tenant corporation is on the hook and not you, personally.
Change the Day Your Rent is Due: For many small business owners, the end of the month is not a pleasant time. Staff payroll and rent are due and loan payments may need to be made. Sometimes having even a few days’ grace to make the monthly rent payment can
make a world of difference if your business has decent cash flow. By negotiating to change the day your rent is due (perhaps the fifth or tenth day of the month) with your landlord, you can breathe a little easier at month’s end. Approaching your landlord or property manager and explaining this are your first steps. Many landlords will understand your predicament and may grant your request – even if you’re in the middle of a lease term. If the landlord agrees, make sure your get a proper one-page lease-amending agreement, which will state this agreement – or an email acceptance, at the very minimum. For a complimentary copy of our CD, Leasing Do’s & Don’ts for Commercial Tenants, please email JeffGrandfield@ TheLeaseCoach.com. / BJ
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield - The Lease Coach are Commercial Lease Consultants who; while work exclusively for tenants. Dale and Jeff are professional speakers and co-authors of Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals FOR DUMMIES (Wiley, 2013). Got a leasing question? Need help with your new lease or renewal? Call 1-800-738-9202, email DaleWillerton@TheLeaseCoach.com or visit www.TheLeaseCoach.com
Easy ways to negotiate to win
The ITALIAN BAK e R
Who can resist bruschetta rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, almond-studded biscotti dipped in coffee or wine, and, of course, a thin-crusted pizza with fresh, sweet tomatoes and tangy mozzarella? These Italian classics that everyone knows and loves are just the beginning; there are a wealth of other equally delicious breads and sweets waiting to be discovered.
In this groundbreaking classic — now thoroughly updated for today’s modern kitchen — Carol Field introduces artisanal doughs and techniques used by generations of Italian bakers. Every city and hill town has its own unique baking traditions, and Field spent more than two years traversing Italy to capture the regional and local specialties, adapting them through rigorous testing in her own kitchen.
The Italian Baker is the only comprehensive book to cover the entire range of Italian baking, from breadsticks and cornetti to focaccia, tarts, cakes, and pastries.
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Professional Course Guide
Are you looking to learn a new skill? Hone a specific craft?
Welcome to the Bakers Journal Professional Courses Guide 2017. Continuing education is essential to today’s success. As new trends become mainstream and techniques continue taking tradition up a notch, it’s imperative to
BAKING ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
Mississauga, ON Certified Bakery Specialist designation, plus correspondence courses baking.ca
BARRY
CALLEBAUT CHOCOLATE ACADEMY ™
Training Center Montreal Montreal, QC 1-855-619-8676
We are proud to present the 2018-2019 course program at the Chocolate Academy™ Training Center Montreal.
maintain a passion for learning. What better place to ignite your creativity than back in lab’s lap at school?
The institutions listed in the Bakers Journal Professional Courses Guide 2017 are proud to serve the baking community. Check out what our education system can do for you.
Offering classic, specialized and innovative classes with our skilled technical advisors as well as with talented Chefs from here and abroad in both French and English for professional chocolatier and pastry chefs. Guest Chefs include: Ryan Stevenson, Amaury Guichon, Emmanuel Ryon, Thierry Bamas, Marike Van Beurden , Arnaud Larher. Register now! chocolate-academy.com
CANADORE COLLEGE, SCHOOL OF CULINARY ARTS
North Bay, ON Correspondence and online courses offered, including nutrition, sanitation and safety, food preparation and communication and customer service canadorec.on.ca
CENTENNIAL COLLEGE
Toronto, ON Correspondence and online courses offered, including nutrition and health, sanitation and safety, kitchen equipment and food preparation, and workplace communication centennialcollege.ca
COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC
Newfoundland and Labrador 9-month Baker program (fulltime) offered at Bay St. George campus
9-month cook program (fulltime) offered at several campus locations
Marine Cook program also available cna.nl.ca
CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Waterloo, ON
Continuing education courses in food processing supervisor and advanced sanitation practices
Distance learning courses in creative cooking and food service worker conestogac.on.ca
CONFEDERATION COLLEGE
Thunder Bay, ON Evening, on-campus classes in cake design confederationc.on.ca
DURHAM COLLEGE
Whitby, ON
• Advanced Baking & Pastry Arts
• Culinary Management
• Hospitality ManagementHotel, Restaurant and Tourism
• Special Events Planning 905.721.3000 durhamcollege.ca/cff
FANSHAWE COLLEGE
London, ON
Full time Baking and Pastry Arts Management Program and part time Advance Bake Patissier Program.
For a full list of our culinary, tourism and hospitality programs fanshawec.ca/tourism
FLEMING COLLEGE
Peterborough, ON
Online and on-campus continuing education courses in advanced food safety training, quality food preparation, communication and the food service worker and cake decorating flemingcollege.ca
Professional Course Guide for
LE CORDON BLEU
Ottawa, ON and international (France, U.K., Spain, Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru)
GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE CHEF SCHOOL
Toronto, ON
Continuing education programs and courses in baking arts, baking and pastry management, culinary management and culinary arts. georgebrown.ca/chefschool
HUMBER COLLEGE
Toronto, ON
• 2-Year Diploma: Baking &
• Pastry Arts Management
• New bake labs coming
• January 2017
• Learn from expert Pastry
• Chefs in state-of-the-art
• facilities
• Culinary programs also
• include courses in Baking &
• Pastry Arts 416-675-6622 hrt.humber.ca
GEORGIAN COLLEGE
Barrie, ON
Continuing education programs and courses in bake theory, patisserie, techniques and baking. georgianc.on.ca
LAMBTON COLLEGE
Sarnia, ON Part-time food service worker program, offered online lambton.on.ca
Short-term (one-day) courses at Ottawa and international campuses on varying subjects Continuing education classes at Paris campus, including master of food and food cultures and Hautes Etudes du Goût cordonbleu.edu
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE
Lethbridge, AB
Continuing education classes in food safe sanitation lethbridgecollege.ca
NEW BRUNSWICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Moncton, NB
One-evening on-campus classes available in cooking and candy making nbcc.ca
NIAGARA COLLEGE FOOD AND WINE INSTITUTE
Teaching excellence at the Canadian Food and Wine Institute. Located at Niagara College’s breathtaking Niagaraon-the-Lake Campus, nestled in the heart of Niagara’s rich wine and culinary country, the Canadian Food and Wine Institute CFWI) provides students with valuable handson experience and academics in all aspects of culinary, baking, food innovation, wine, spirits and beer.
Niagara College is home to Canada’s first teaching brewery, teaching Distillery and commercial teaching winery,
Join our French patisserie program, a specialized French food and culture postgraduate certificate
Learn from the experts here in Canada and then live, learn and get work experience in France!
Find out more: georgebrown.ca/patisserie
• Develop high-level skills in pastry arts
• Create international desserts, frozen preparations, artisanal chocolates and more
• Work in Humber’s state-of-the-art baking labs
• Research current trends and emerging techniques
• Studies in entrepreneurship, recipe and product development will culminate in the launch of a product
• Learn in-class, online or hybrid
• Class schedule accommodates working professionals
https://hrt.humber.ca/programs/
Professional Course Guide
for the baker
along with a world-renowned full-service teaching restaurant that focuses on local and seasonal cuisine.
Fortified by the teaching vineyards, hop yards, and organic gardens, CFWI delivers an unmatched learning environment.
NAIT is a leader in culinary education, with full-time, part-time and apprenticeship options:
• Culinary Arts diploma
• Hospitality Management diploma
• Baking certificate
• Retail Meatcutting certificate
• Baker and Cook apprenticeship training
• Numerous evening/weekend courses
1.877.333.6248 nait.ca
NOVA SCOTIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dartmouth, NS
Short-term, on-campus continuing education classes in pies and tarts, croissants and danishes, fondant and cake
decorating for beginners and restaurant desserts nscc.ca
RED RIVER COLLEGE
Winnipeg, MB
Food services management continuing education program (some courses available by distance delivery) rrc.mb.ca
SASKATCHEWAN INSTITUTE OF APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (SIAST)
Saskatoon, SK Distance education options for food service worker and food nutrition management Evening and weekend on-campus cooking and baking classes, including European pastry and torte preperation siast.sk.ca
Your success in the professional bakeshop begins with the Baking and Pastry Arts program at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario.
This hands-on certificate program will match technical skills with your natural creativity. In just eight months you’ll gain the fundamental knowledge and techniques you need to become an accomplished baking and pastry arts professional. Graduate job-ready!
ST. CLAIR COLLEGE
Windsor, ON Part-time classes in kitchen management and culinary skills and techniques stclaircollege.ca
VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Vancouver, BC
Continuing education/part-time programs and courses in baking and pastry arts vcc.ca
VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY
Nanaimo, BC
Professional Baking and Pastry Dept.
Foundation, Apprentice and Leisure Courses in Artisan Baking, Viennoiserie, Decorating and Wood Fired Baking. 2.viu.ca/baking
Class size is limited to just 24 students for maximum hands-on learning
Classes run annually, September through April
Learn more:
Anthony Borgo anthony.borgo@georgiancollege.ca 705.728.1968, ext. 1422
Visit us at Fall Open House on Saturday, November 10, 2018
Ingredient Dispensing Systems Since 1953
CHRISTY TOPPING DISPENSER & CONVEYOR SYSTEMS
Consistent, reliable dispensing and delivery of dry and moist topping ingredients is why Christy Topping Dispensers and Conveyors lead the industry. Our products durability and engineered simplicity provide topping solutions that have withstood the test of time. Do you have a problem ingredient? Christy's engineers will develop a solution specifically for your needs.
DEPOSIT DRY OR MOIST MATERIALS:
• Deposit within a pan/peel, in rows, across the belt or spot deposits
• Easy and fast pattern changes with deposit density controls
• Agitation hoppers in custom and standard sizes
• Affordable, quality stainless steel wash down construction
• Interchangeable components for ingredient and size changes
• Dedicated flour and corn meal dusting systems
• Mounts to existing conveyors or Christy conveyor
• C-Stand mounts on casters
• Straight conveyors
• Offset conveyors
• 180 degree curve conveyors
• 90 degree curve conveyors
• Specialty performance conveyors
• Incline conveyors
• Reciprocating conveyors
• Right angle transfer conveyors
BY JANE DUMMER
POT-INFUSED EDIBLES
Will there be cannabis cookies on your menu?
Recreational marijuana will officially become legal in Canada on Oct. 17, 2018. Canada is only the second country in the world and the first G7 nation to implement legislation to permit a nationwide marijuana market. To the south, nine states and the District of Columbia now allow for recreational marijuana use, and 30 allow for medical use.
What does this mean for the Canadian food and beverage industry? It’s not as simple as tossing a bit of marijuana into an existing cupcake formulation and launching it in the marketplace. Off the top, there are regulatory, industry and consumer purchasing behaviour considerations.
}Everyone’s metabolism is different and therefore has a different reaction to cannabis edibles. Berliner describes, “We recommend between one to 5 mg if you have not experimented with edibles. We have an infused gummy fruit snack that can introduce cannabis at a lower level of 5 mg per piece. Another popular item is our buttermelt candies with only 2.5 mg per piece for new consumers wanting an enjoyable experience. Our most popular product are the original chocolate chip cookies that has 10 mg of cannabis per cookie. It retails for around US$25 for 10 cookies. Our retail dispensaries are extremely regulated and consumers are reviewed by dispensaries employees prior to purchasing any products.”
Berliner is trained as a school teacher, however this home baker turned entrepreneur is considered a pioneer in the cannabis infused industry. She often speaks at conferences about her com-
The key will be dosage, packaging and access. The regulatory framework will have to address these issues. Public safety will be key.
Currently, there are Licensed Producers (LPs) of marijuana in Canada. These are mostly growers in the medicinal category; however, they are exploring opportunities to expand their acreage. This could include partnering with food companies for the recreational edible market. As for most food and beverage manufacturers, if they want to produce cannabis-infused edibles, it’s anticipated the government will implement a Production Licence process for those facilities.
Sweet Grass Kitchens, a bakery started in 2009, produces and distributes fresh, cannabis infused baked goods to nearly 500 recreational and medical dispensaries throughout Colorado. Their crop-to-cookie process includes 20 per cent in-house cultivation. Julie Berliner, founder and CEO explains, “Our onsite cultivation is under a separate licence from our production facility. We decided to grow our own for consistency including taste and quality assurance. We work with only two to three other licensed growers for the rest to ensure a consistent high quality product.”
pany’s journey not only about the regulatory obstacles but regarding the production side of cultivating and processing with cannabis. In fact, Berliner is already on agenda at the 2019 International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) in Las Vegas.
In Canada will cannabis infused foods and drinks have a similar social acceptance to wine and beer for a pleasant experience? Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Dean of Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University recently published research in Trends in Food Science & Technology about the Canadian consumers’ willingness to consider “recreational” cannabis as a food ingredient. Almost half of the study participants (total sample size = 1087 including both adult men and women) were willing to try cannabisinfused edibles. Charlebois comments, “Curiosity will drive demand at first. But as soon as the market matures, we may see branding, and other features emerge along the way. It will be interesting to how consumers and industry respond to this new environment.”
Before selling THC-infused products, there are regulatory restrictions to consider.
From the study data, health risks of cannabis-infused edibles were a major concern among the participants. It seems Berliner’s company Sweet Grass Kitchens has successfully addressed this concern at one level for the Colorado marketplace by educating them about edible tolerance. Plus, they describe a step wise introduction and approach on how to experience edibles. Charlebois explains, “The key will be dosage, packaging and access. The regulatory framework will have to address these issues. Public safety will be key, obviously, but industry will need to think about workplace policies. I suspect Human Resource experts will be busy over the next few years.”
As we move closer to October with outstanding questions about the regulatory and industry framework for the edible category, it’ll be interesting to watch the situation for investment, top opinion leaders, education efforts and further health research. / BJ
Jane Dummer, RD, known as the Pod to Plate Food Consultant, collaborates and partners with the food and nutrition industry across North America. www.janedummer.com
The secret behind the smile
The products and resources to make you smile. The joy of seeing your creations turn out just right. The satisfaction of running a thriving business The smile you get when delighting a customer. It’s why you work so hard. Dawn helps every day with the products, support and business-building resources that matter to you. See what partnering with Dawn can do for you. Visit dawnfoods.com/ca/smile.
