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Lou Albanese, CEO, TMF – The Meat Factory, Stoney Creek, Ont
Salted caramel is poised to stay strong this season, as creators play with different varieties of sea salts.
DEPaRtMEnts
ColuMns
Happy Holidays
}Wif it doesn’t taste great, it was a better idea than a reality, and surely we’ve all begun a new year swearing off things that were better concepts than actualities. ’
e’re about to ring in 2012. To say, “Where is the time going?” would be about as clichéd as I could get, but I can’t help it. Crossing into the next millennium can’t have been 12 years ago. If I had one complaint to air to the universe, it’s that the years are going by too fast. I’m sure my sentiment is widely shared. That being said, the passage of time allows us to look back, and from there, look ahead.
Our cover story looks at top 10 trends for the holidays. Our January/February buyers guide edition will also have a focus on bakery trends. This is our chance to look at where people’s preferences have been and where they’re going.
I always find the question of who sets the trends to be interesting. Who is really driving the bus when it comes to consumer preferences? In cake design, designers set the trends, often filtered through the media. But popularity becomes a people’s choice. In other facets of baking, government interests are arguably driving shifts towards lower-sodium and healthier products in the marketplace. Whether this pans out into sales is back in the people’s hands, where choices come more from willpower than from beauty, as they do with cakes. Willpower is a big theme of the holidays, right up there with family. We try not to spend too much, drink too much, or eat too much. But willpower is a funny thing. Studies have shown that the more we use it, the more it is worn down. So all that fighting to eat just a few sweets at party after party ultimately can lead us to eat an entire cake in our kitchen in the middle of the night. Willpower gets tired.
The tricky thing is sifting through what people actually want, as opposed to what they are told to want. I venture to say that, as humans, we don’t always know this difference for ourselves in many aspects of our lives. This is the conundrum of our willpower. Eating is no exception. As bakers, you probably even suffer from being torn between what you want to make for your customers and what they buy the most of. It’s a classic business-owners’ dilemma. Creative freedom can ultimately be driven and even curbed by the marketplace if you are in the business of making money. Few of us can afford to just do whatever we want.
Between the shoulds and shouldn’ts is the very dependable knowledge that we all want food that looks good, smells good, tastes good – these senses all being inextricably intertwined. We don’t just want it; we buy it. Let’s give thanks for this. If, all of a sudden, people put the desire for taste on par with all the other conflicting desires that drive them to buy food, things would get really confusing. Underscoring all trends is obviously how to make them taste great. If it doesn’t taste great, it was a better idea than a reality, and surely we’ve all begun a new year swearing off things that were better concepts than actualities.
Bakers Journal wishes you a wonderful, profitable and happy holiday season, the time of year where the baker in all of us yearns to shine. May your ideas be delicious, and may you have some fun with the top 10 trends. / BJ
DECEMBER 2011 | Vol. 71, no. 10
EDiToR | laura aiken editor@bakersjournal.com 416-522-1595 1-888-599-2228 ext. 250
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No “magic bullet” can protect cocoa from climate change | Fat tax gains weight in Europe | AB Mauri Fleischmann’s raising prices | FOR MORE news in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Big win for Flour Confections founder
TORONTO – Flour Confections founder Lisa Bugeja’s cake creation was named second runner-up in the Grand Wedding Cake Competition at this year’s Oklahoma State Sugar Show.
Her five-tiered fondant wedding cake featuring vibrant pops of colour beat out 80 others in North America’s largest cake competition.
“Every year for the past five years, I’ve been making the 20-hour drive to Tulsa to attend the show,” said Bugeja. “This was the fourth year I entered in the Grand Wedding [cake competition] and I couldn’t be more thrilled that my cake came in third against the best of the best. This is an amazing accomplishment.”
The Grand Wedding Cake competition was the star of the show, but Bugeja’s was also recognized for her talents in several other divisions of the Oklahoma State Sugar Show. She placed first (for the fifth year in a row) in Masters Confections for her cookies, second in Masters Special Techniques and third in Red Carpet Shoes.
purdy’s chocolatier takes
top
truffle honours
VANCOUVER – Purdy’s Chocolates’ head chocolatier, Gary Mitchell, was awarded the top prize for best truffle in the professional baking competition at Canada’s Baking and Sweets Show.
The competition was judged by a celebrity guest panel and presented by Buddy Valastro (TLC’s “Cake Boss”) at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont., Sept. 30 to Oct 2.
Mitchell’s winning entry was a savoury brie cheese and fig truffle, a recipe he has been developing for over a year. The truffle is crafted with triple cream brie, fresh basil and lemon zest, and topped with fig. It is then hand dipped in a blend of three different dark chocolates and adorned with a cocoa butter transfer.
At the moment, there are no plans for Purdy’s Chocolates to introduce Mitchell’s winning truffle piece in shops, but he says he is excited to begin experimenting for next year’s competition.
It was a well-deserved triumph for Bugeja, who first opened the doors to Flour Confections, her multifaceted cake supply business based in Pickering, Ont., on April 1, 2009.
Mom’s Best Ceo among top female entrepreneurs
MISSISSAUGA, ONT. – Mom’s Best Gourmet Foods Canada president and CEO Rae Lindsay has been named one of Profit Magazine’s top female entrepreneurs in Canada.
Mom’s Best specializes in manufacturing biscotti and other specialty baked items. The company also produces baked goods for a variety of private labels for customers across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Lindsay and her sister, Angela Pettigrew, founded the company in 1995 out of Lindsay’s home kitchen. Both sisters were single moms with small children and huge debts.
Lindsay credited her company’s success to the hard work and support of her staff, and the loyal consumers who continue to enjoy their delicious products.
The rankings, published in the November issue of Profit Magazine , list Lindsay at 39.
europain gearing up for 2012
PARIS – Next year’s Europain and Intersuc shows will focus on innovation and trends, supporting decision-makers in their quest to develop their businesses in the face of changing economic models.
During Europain, which runs March 3 to 7, 2012, show organizers will also host the first SuccessFood exhibition, dedicated to “reinventing the foodservice industry.” This unique event is expected to attract 1,000 exhibitors and 85,000 visitors.
This year, Europain will shine a spotlight on seven trends that will help professionals anticipate critical changes in society:
• Bakeries as new social venues
• Innovations – versatile processes and appliances
• Quality and innovation in organic food
• Creativity and sophistication in pastry making
• Pastry making, a never-ending source of inspiration
• Quality and innovation in industrial bakery
• Bread as a health food
Europain will also highlight “Innovation Stars” in the 2012 Innovations Area. The Europain Innovation trophies will reward the best innovations, and Intersuc 2012 collections will showcase sweet and chocolate creations.
A number of other high profile events and competitions will also run during Europain, including, the Bakery World Cup, the International Confectionery Art Competition, the International Cuisine Cup (ICC) and the French Schools Cup.
Professionals must adapt to the development of multifaceted foodservices and, in particular, to the bakery market’s shift toward catering. The new SuccessFood exhibition will provide visitors with ideas in terms of offer creativity, innovation, relevance and diversity.
Highlights of SuccessFood include the SuccessFood Innovation Grand Prix, which will showcase the best foodservice concepts by market segment, and the SuccessFood Awards, which will recognize reinvented foodservices (contract and institutional catering, branded shops and cultural venues).
Other notable events scheduled during SuccessFood include the French selection round for the Bocuse d’Or, where the best French talents will compete to qualify for the next European
Bocuse d’Or competition, to be held in Brussels; and the European selection round for the World Pastry Cup, during which the best teams will vie with each other in terms of inventiveness and creativity to qualify for the final of the World Pastry Cup.
More than 1,000 square metres will be dedicated to successful bakery and food
outlet concepts. This area will provide concrete solutions to help visitors succeed with their own projects.
Designers of the concepts on the Road to Success will share their experiences in terms of both economic strategy and their product offers.
For more information about Europain visit www.europain.com.
A look ahead at the holidays with 10 top trends | By
BRanDI CowEn
Top 10 holiday T rends
rends
Tis the season for tasty treats and get-togethers with family, friends and colleagues. To keep your business hot, even when the weather outside is not, Bakers Journal brings you the 10 biggest trends for the holiday season.
BItE-sIzED sERVIngs
Small will be big for the holidays, as consumers look to stretch their dollars without stretching their waistlines.
“The mini-dessert trend that first made its mark on menus a few years ago is really showing no signs of dying down,” says Lizzy Freier, assistant editor with the market research firm Technomic. “Because the holiday season is usually a time for overeating and overspending, consumers are likely to prefer these kinds of mini-dessert options, where the calories and the spending dollars are both kept at a minimum.”
flaVouR fusIons
This year, traditional holiday flavours such as cinnamon, eggnog, gingerbread, mint and cranberry will be as popular as ever. But mixing and matching types of flavours will also be big, especially among adventurous consumers seeking new taste experiences.
}Bite-sized treats will continue to be a big hit with customers this holiday season. Paring down into portions for two is also making headway as customers seek out such items as cakelets.
“For example, passion fruit and lavender, and lemon and violet, are going to be big for Christmas,” says pho. infusing chocolate with various herbal teas is another way to incorporate the trend.
“Experimenting with smoky, savoury and herbal – either individually or together – could be interesting,” says Freier. She points to the trend toward combining sweet and salty as one to watch, especially when it comes to salted caramel.
This trend will also be at play in the world of chocolate, as chocolatiers pair their main medium with a variety of other flavours.
Master chocolatier Derrick Tu Tan Pho says salted caramel has been big for the past four or five years, and is going to get bigger. “You’re going to see caramel with a lot of different sea salts,” he advises.
Other sweet and savoury combinations are poised to be popular too. Pho says one chocolatier in the United States has taken this trend to the extreme, offering a savoury ham and egg breakfast truffle, with bacon as an optional additional ingredient.
fRuIty anD floRal ChoColatE
Chocolatiers are fusing fruit and flowers to create new flavours that can be incorporated into their chocolate. “For example, passion fruit and lavender, and lemon and violet, are going to be big for Christmas,” says Pho.
Infusing chocolate with various herbal teas is another way to incorporate the trend.
PlayIng wIth PaIRIngs
“We’ve always had dessert wines paired with baked goods, but beer pairings have also started becoming a lot more popular,” says Freier. The fact that beer has become “a little bit heavier and can also be a little warmer” is helping to drive this trend.
Freier notes that beers can add a lot of flavour to the foods they’re paired with, offering up a new taste experience even when munching on a favourite holiday treat. However, like other liquor, beer can also be incorporated into the product itself, giving it an entirely new flavour.
hanDCRaftED foR thE holIDays
“The trend is going to be not moulding anymore, but assembling,” says Pho.
“That means you may have a Santa Claus, but they’re not going to assemble the Santa Claus with one mould; they’re going to use two or three moulds to make that Santa Claus.”
Pho adds that some chocolatiers will be taking this trend one step further.
“They’re going to be getting into handmade, handcrafted more than moulding,” he says, noting that this trend is really gaining ground in Quebec and in Europe.
CatERIng to hEalth
At a time usually characterized as a season of overindulgence, healthy (or at least, healthier) products appeal to customers trying to watch their waist-
lines or manage a health condition.
“More consumers are looking for items that convey a sort of health halo, so seasonal, fresh, local, organic – those things are becoming a lot more popular, but gluten-free, cholesterol-free and low sodium are all gaining ground,” says Freier.
ExPloRIng oRIgIns
“Chocolate has origin now. You’re going to see chocolate with one single origin, coming from one specific country or
area,” says Pho. “With vanilla, you’re seeing the same thing.”
These single-origin products allow chocolatiers to create authentic gastronomic delights associated with a particular region of the world. They can also craft treats that pair origin chocolates and vanillas that have complementary qualities, adding a wider range of flavours to their products
Sea salt is another ingredient enjoying greater recognition of the differences between salts from different areas.
CuPCakE CRazE ContInuEs
Although many trend-spotters have predicted the end of the cupcake craze, the evidence collected by Technomic suggests otherwise. These small indulgences are poised to perform well through the holidays and beyond.
Freier notes that cupcakes tap into the mini trend, as well as the trend toward healthier eating, offering a lower-cost, lower-calorie option than a full cake.
gRowIng PoPulaRIty foR whooPIE PIEs
These fun frosting sandwiches have been gaining ground all year. Dressing them up for the holidays can transform this anytime treat into a seasonal favourite.
Freier suggests gingerbread-, mint- or pumpkin-flavoured pies as festive options that follow popular holiday flavour trends. Offering red or green whoopie pies, or embellishing them with other seasonal elements (for example, candy cane pieces), is another way to serve up a holiday party crowd-pleaser.
a glass of DEssERt
Food-savvy consumers know a lot of time and effort go into crafting their desserts, and they want to see it. That desire is driving the trend toward serving treats in glass jars.
“They’ve been a trendy method for food presentation for various food items recently,” says Freier. “They provide a layering method so that the customer can see the effort put forward in the product and the various things incorporated into the dessert.”
Presenting a dessert in a shot glass, rather than a jar still allows you to show off your creation while at the same time offering a smaller portion size.
Keep these trends in mind and enjoy a holly, jolly holiday season at your bakery. / BJ
By d r. Jo H n Mi CH aelides
Food oF THe gods
Tracing chocolate’s rich history from ancient Mesoamerica to Europe and from tree to treat
Cocoa is made from the seeds in the fruit of the cocoa tree.
The cocoa tree’s origin is in the Amazon basin and other areas of Central America and Mexico, and was used a lot by the native populations of these regions. The Maya and other cultures of this area considered it “the food of the gods.” Indeed, the scientific name of the tree is Theobroma cacao, meaning food of gods in the classical Greek language. The Aztecs used cocoa seeds as a currency, and to make a bitter chocolate drink. Christopher Columbus discovered cocoa beans in the Americas in 1502, but they did not find their way to Europe until a few years later.
}In 1519, Hernan Cortes sent them back to Europe along with recipes for the bitter chocolate drink. The Spanish improved the taste of these recipes by adding sugar and heat. The cocoa press was invented around the turn of the 19th century, allowing the production of cocoa butter. Toward the end of the century, the Swiss developed both milk and solid chocolate.
mature and, normally a second, smaller crop can be harvested that same year. The fruit pods reach 15 to 25 centimetres in length and contain 30 to 40 seeds each. The pods are cut open and the seeds are collected. Immediately after harvesting, the seeds are allowed to ferment for a few days before drying in the sun. They are then ready for further processing.
Commercial processing of cocoa beans is carried out by large manufacturers of chocolate. Chocolate is the major product made from cocoa beans; however, other intermediate products include cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa cake and cocoa powder.
Cocoa processing and chocolate manufacture, although two different processes requiring different equipment and procedures, are linked by various steps in the overall process.
After fermenting and drying, the beans are normally transported to a large processing and chocolate manufacturing
For this reason, the chocolate company Mars supported a research project that, at the cost of about $10 million, mapped the genetic code of the cocoa tree.
facility. They are cleaned, shelled, winnowed, alkalized (an optional step) and roasted to produce nibs. The nibs are then ground into a paste and refined to produce liquor for pressing or for chocolate.
The Mayan and other Central American cultures considered chocolate “the food of the gods.”
refined to produce a chocolate crumb or flake. This is blended with cocoa butter before conching – the process of kneading chocolate to smooth it, enhance its flavour and remove the bitter taste. The word conching originates from the Spanish word “concha,” which means “shell.” This describes the shape of the original conching equipment. Today the process uses different equipment and each company has its own proprietary process, refined through many years of experimentation. During this step, the chocolate crumb or flake is heated up to 95 C and cocoa butter and lecithin are added.
Cocoa trees are usually farmed on small plantations in hot, humid, tropical climates. The trees require about five years after planting before full crop production can be harvested. Following that, the trees can produce good yields for several decades.
Weather and diseases can affect the production of cocoa. In some years, about 30 per cent of the world’s crop has been lost. For this reason, the chocolate company Mars supported a research project that, at a cost of about $10 million, mapped the genetic code of the cocoa tree. The project was completed at the end of 2010. Knowing the code will allow breeders to develop varieties resistant to disease and more tolerant to changing weather conditions.
The fruit requires five to six months to
Cocoa liquor for processing into cocoa butter and cake is refined down to a very small particle size, while that destined for chocolate does not need to be as finely ground. The liquor for pressing may also undergo alkalizing before being pressed to produce cocoa butter and leftover cake. Alkalizing neutralizes the acids in the liquor, and improves its colour and dispersion in water.
The cake is further milled into cocoa powders of various types and grinds. They are utilized by the dairy industry to produce chocolate milk, and by the confectionery and baking industries in cakes, brownies and other products. Cocoa butter is stored in liquid form or moulded for use by the food and cosmetics industries. The butter is largely employed in the chocolate-making process.
Sugar and milk (optional) are added to the liquor and are further mixed and
Liquid chocolate is sold as is, to be incorporated into food products, moulded into chocolate bars or used to enrobe filled goods. Cocoa powders and chocolate are extensively used in the baking industry as flavours in the manufacture of biscuits, cakes, brownies, frozen desserts and other baked goods.
Beyond its pleasant taste, recent research reveals that chocolate – specifically dark chocolate – provides many health benefits. It contains large amounts of flavonoids, which are antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals and prevent the onset of chronic diseases. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, preventing cardiovascular disease. / BJ
For more information, or fee-for-service help with food technical and processing issues and needs, please contact Dr. John Michaelides at John Michaelides & Associates at 519-7438956 or at Bioenterprise 519-821-2960 ext. 226, or by e-mail: j.jmichaelides@gmail.com. Bioenterprise is a company of experienced professionals that coach and mentor emerging agri-technology companies from planning to startup to profitability and beyond.
With Europain, adapt your offer to new consumer trends
• More than 1,000 exhibitors and brands, including 750 at Europain: all the innovations and solutions to develop your business: products, equipments, services, lay-out ...
• The 7 trends area: demonstrations and practical advice, let us guide you
• Prestigious competitions: - The Bakery World Cup - The International Confectionery Art Competition
• With SuccessFood, the exhibition that reinvents foodservice solutions, Europain becomes the biggest worldwide event where you can find solutions to make the most of all consumption moments and locations
o pening doors
The grand opening of CakeStar Inc. is a lifelong dream come true for Barbara Accogli and Monja Chiaravalloti. The two sisters were raised in their parents’ Italian bakery, which opened in 1985 and quickly became a hub for the family. Growing up in the bakery sparked a passion for baking in both girls that’s stuck with them into adulthood.
Four years ago, the sisters staked out a corner of the family bakery. There, Chiaravalloti designed breathtaking
edible art while Accogli managed their fledgling business. Their cake creations appeared on Toronto’s CP24 noon-hour broadcast and the talk show CityLine, as well as on the pages of magazines like Canadian Living, Today’s Bride, and the May 2009 issue of Bakers Journal
Last year, with mom and dad looking forward to retirement, the sisters knew it was time to move into a space of their own. Their search did not go smoothly at first, but everything happens for a reason. Today, they’re thrilled to have a storefront at
3431 Lakeshore Blvd. in Etobicoke, Ont.
Bakers Journal was there for CakeStar Inc.’s media grand opening and chatted with Accogli and Chiaravalloti about finding their dream location, and the possibilities the new space brings.
Can you tell me about your hunt for a location?
aCCoglI / We actually had a location all planned out in the Dufferin and Wilson area. That went through some legal issues. We had been ready to move in there, but we weren’t able to…. We were ready to
Barbara Accogli shows off a flower that will be incorporated into sister Monja Chiaravalloti’s stunning design.
jump out of the bakery and my parents were about to retire, so we knew there was a timeline.
ChIaRaVallotI / We really searched for about a year for a location that we liked.
aCCoglI / We wanted the Junction, but then we were driving along Lakeshore and saw lots of little places for rent. I loved this place! I loved the display windows and I thought, “Cakes!” We called the real estate agent right away and she said it was still free.
There’s lots of walking traffic, which we wouldn’t
have had at Dufferin and Wilson. We’re so excited to have that. It’s changed our perspective. We weren’t going to do retail with the little cupcakes, but then people kept walking in and saying, “Hi, so what are you selling?” And we had nothing! That’s how this came about. First and foremost we’re a custom cake shop, and then we expand because you can only do so much.
what are you most excited about, now that you’re here?
ChIaRaVallotI / For me, it’s that I can now put into play all of these ideas that I’ve had running around: having all these classes and workshops; having special needs children come in; getting involved with the school board. Besides that, I love to make cakes and can really have space to do that. I have my own table now that I can work on!
aCCoglI / The thing that we love here is that we can already feel the sense of community. We grew up with that, with our family being Italian and always around people. We love that we have that community. People have already welcomed us with open arms, so we’re so excited to show them what we can do.
ChIaRaVallotI / And to be part of it!
what’s your favourite thing about being in this space?
aCCoglI / The space – the actual size. And we love the way we turn it into a sort of open studio for people to see what we really do. We didn’t really get that chance before. It was closed off with the wall and people couldn’t see us work.
ChIaRaVallotI / People are curious. They’re always like,
“Oh my God, so that’s what happens!” I take it for granted because I’ve been doing it so long, but for most people, they walk by a cupcake I’m decorating and it’s such an inviting experience.
have you already started offering classes and workshops?
ChIaRaVallotI / and birthday parties. Birthday parties will be great. I love kids. We both have them, and I’m really excited to be able to do that with them too.
aCCoglI / The mom aspect of our business is really important because we are two women with children.
ChIaRaVallotI / We have almost 3,000 fans on Facebook, and a lot of them are little girls. They love cake decorating, and there’s not really all that much out there for the tween-aged group to do this kind of thing, so I want to really offer that platform for them so they can come and learn a little bit. Most of them already have a hand for it.
Did you decide to offer the classes because people were requesting them, or was that something you wanted to do all along?
aCCoglI / We did it at the old location too.
ChIaRaVallotI / I’ve always taught different things – martial arts, makeup – I’ve always sort of fallen into that role.
I’m really self-taught, so at first it was like, “How do I teach somebody?” I had to learn that the first few years I was doing it.
Now it comes naturally. I make them comfortable, show them a few things, they practise. I think it came more because there was a request to learn that put us into that position for teaching. I love it. / BJ
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daily deals: profi T or poorhouse?
Atough economy is a great place to grow a discount. Just look at the explosion of offers in excess of 50 per cent off available through daily deal companies such as Groupon. Just in case you aren’t familiar with the daily deal group buying model, here’s the gist: The deal site creates an offer by first doing a deal with a merchant who will provide the steep discount to its subscriber base. Offers are then redeemed through the merchant, with a commission from each voucher going to the daily deal site. Subscribers to these sites receive a new offer in their e-mail every day for services or products offered at 50 to 90 per cent off their regular price.
Merchant tales of their “offer” experience range from extreme enthusiasm to downright horror show. The deals can bring in new customers and grow brand awareness, but also cripple a company into closure. Love them or hate them, you need to understand them. If a sales rep from one hasn’t called your retail bakery yet, it’s probably only a matter of time before one or 10 will. Let’s look at the lay of the land: how it’s shaped, where it’s headed, what it means for you as a bakery/café operator and, of course, what to consider before participating.
With more than 500 daily deal companies calling Canada home, there are plenty of players to knock on your door.
}The top three products for deals are restaurant/bar, spas and health care, says Josic, so as a food provider your bakery is high on the list of merchants to call on.
capital and other investments, reported the 2011 Daily Deal Investment Index released in July by Daily Deal Media.
exceptional market for the daily deal business, with the city of Toronto second only to Chicago in the North American daily deal market. As you can see, this industry is hot and Canada’s a gold nugget. But is this industry going to go from trailblazing startup to sustainable?
Boyan Josic, founder and CEO of Michigan-based Daily Deal Media, which provides news, data and intelligence for the social commerce and daily deal industry, says there are between 1,200 and 1,500 daily deal companies in North America, with just over 500 calling Canada home. In the first six months of this year, big guns such as Groupon, Living Social and Gilt Group attracted more than $1.69 billion in venture
The number of launches has doubled in the last 12 months and then really picked up steam in about the last six months, says Josic. This has left the landscape with some big players and a whole bunch of copycat offspring running around trying to compete; some legit, some not-so-much. The top three products for deals are restaurant/bar, spas and health care, says Josic, so as a food provider, your bakery is high on the list of merchants to call on.
At the Daily Deal Media conference in Chicago this September, Canada was highlighted by an expert panel as an
Groupon, perhaps the most well known of the daily deal behemoths, shelved its planned initial public offering (IPO) when revised accounting showed the company to be, apparently, unprofitable after showing huge losses in customer acquisition, reported the Globe and Mail in August. The Globe also reported that Groupon was working on a plan to get its financial house in order and get their IPO back on track. They need to raise money, no questions there. In the meantime, Facebook and Yelp have backed out of the daily deals space while Google has jumped in with Google Offers.
“‘Daily deals’ is a hot phrase now,” says
Josic. “Do I think it will be three to four years from now? No. But do I see it going away? No. . . . We see it evolving and being integrated into the greater good of social commerce [e-commerce through social media] and local commerce.”
So we’ve established that we’ve got an infant industry growing fast. If history rewrites itself, as it tends to do, we’ve got changes on the way.
When I ask Josic if he thinks the industry is a little like the Wild West right now, he says yes, and he hears that all the time.
“There’s lots of stuff going on with class actions, fraud incidents and potential government legislation. We’re headed towards regulation of some sort and at the end of the day that’s probably a good thing.”
Industry rules and standards are a natural evolution of industry maturation. The Wild West is not sustainable but we know it can be domesticated into a suburb, which may be less thrilling but far more harmonious for all involved.
Somebody getting the shaft is an inevitable consequence of a Wild West landscape. Right now, it’s the slim-margin merchant feeling the big squeeze of the steep discount, the commission and the potential for attracting scavengers in customer clothing.
“Eventually you’ve got to start treating the merchant a little better, says Josic. “One of the things we hear is a lot of talk of how we can make this a value proposition for the merchants.”
It’s comforting to know the industry is not oblivious to the very real pitfalls it carries for the very people’s livelihoods it relies on to do its deals. No suppliers, no deals. It’s simply not sustainable to ignore the complaints of those you depend on to exist.
Another evolutionary step is the incorporation of location-based marketing technology: How can the retailers reach you when you’re near their store?
“Pop-up deals in the area when you are looking to have lunch – that’s what we’re all talking about,” says Josic.
Canada has home grown a step in this very direction Josic points to. Torontobased Mobile Fringe launched Push a Deal in September, billed as the “first mobile service that pushes offers to consumers as they cross the ‘geo-fence’ and enter a participating store’s immediate vicinity.”
Starting in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, Push a Deal plans to roll out to Canadian cities and universities in the
ensuing months. Mobile Fringe is the company behind retail shopping initiatives such as the Toronto Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Shopping Centre apps.
Mobile Fringe CEO Steve Sorge says the market research done to launch Push a Deal brought to light flaws in the sustainability of daily deal companies as a business model.
“The business model is not sustainable conceptually because it’s not a tool you can use more than once, as it can cripple
your business,” says Sorge.
Sorge launched a beta release of Push a Deal last spring, when the daily deal environment was going bananas (beta is the stage in the software release cycle where the program is available for testing to prospective customers and users).
Sorge is setting an example of having a fair spin for merchants by providing access to a mobile marketing channel and the opportunity to do a deal that’s not a 50 per cent discount. Mobile Fringe
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Today’s customers have coupon fever. Frugal is still cool, helped in part by online daily deal companies.
takes 25 per cent of the deal amount, which is paid by performance, or when an offer is redeemed. Sorge says he doesn’t see how food service can survive on a ton of steep discounts when they operate with such tight margins.
“Let the market dictate if it’s a good offer or not. Don’t put a threshold on what the discount is. Fifteen per cent could be enough of a tipping point for a person that is 500 metres from your store. . . . These characteristics make the platform something you can use consistently.”
Another evolutionary step going on in the daily deals space is consolidation, says Sorge. He notes that when the players get big they start to buy up the smaller ones, and he hears of consolidation going on in the daily deal industry. He says the same will happen for the Push a Deals of the world, but the platform is too novel to be there yet: “We are location-based marketing, they are group deal marketing,” he says of their differentiation as offer makers. Through sheer need for efficiency, smaller players will get eaten up and you will get fewer, but probably more powerful, deal companies knocking on your door.
We may see a shift in what’s a popular deal. The high discounts are better suited to capital-intensive companies that need to fill space: golf courses, gyms, hotels. These exist with staffing as more of a variable cost than the use itself. But when you have a high cost of goods sold, says Sorge, it’s not a sustainable marketing channel and many merchants aren’t savvy enough yet about the deal deal industry to put the right terms on it.
“These are well-trained companies calling directory listings and they do know how to sell independents when it
can be very injurious to their [independents’] business,” says Sorge.
DEal oR no DEal
One of the biggest hopes, THE big hope, for a bakery/café running a daily deals offer would be gaining new customers. Getting people in the door is definitely the name of the game. Turning them into loyal customers is critical to giving your business a long life.
These coupon clippers of 2011 are a tribe that has many members who just go from deal to deal with no intention of ever returning. Not all are like that, but horror stories of greedy customers who spend the amount of the offer and not a penny more plus treat you poorly have certainly been widely circulated.
There is market research to support the theory that your deal could create converts. As noted earlier, merchant experiences have been quite good or quite bad. Food industry research firm Technomic published a Daily Deal Watch on restaurant-goer’s attitudes and usage of couponing sites. The Chicago-based firm found that 67 per cent of the people polled claim they have returned to the restaurant without a daily deal and 83 per cent recommended it to family and friends.
“Consumers at all income levels appear to be very engaged in and satisfied with online daily restaurant deals,” notes Bob Goldin, executive vice-president of Technomic, in a news release. “They are subscribing to multiple services and purchasing multiple deals. The fact that 85 per cent of consumers plan to continue to purchase online restaurant deals and 79 per cent look forward to receiving them is a strong indication of the impact the online daily deal business
is having and of its potential within the restaurant space.”
Lineups out the door can get a bakery operator excited too, and that’s a very real possibility should you sign up with a daily deal company and offer 50 per cent or more off to a huge subscriber base. The temptations to partake are chocolate sweet: new customers and big exposure. But can you handle the extra weight? If you don’t set a cap on the number that can be sold you could find yourself sinking. You’ll need extra staff and preparation. Take the case of The Butchers in Toronto. Unprepared for the onslaught of business their offers drew, the business was crippled into temporary closure and suffered a lot of bad publicity. Different daily deal companies have different terms. You really need to find one that lets you protect your business, then take a microscope to your agreement about 10 times.
Entreprenuer Rocky Agrawal wrote a guest post on Tech Crunch called “Why I want Google Offers and the Entire Daily Deals business to Die” that effectively outlines the potential hazards of daily deals for merchants. His most scathing line is especially articulate: “We have a brand new, overpriced, aggressively hyped, hard to understand product. We have no data on how it will perform over time. It is being sold to people with limited disclosures of important details. Sound familiar? It should. Daily deal providers are the moral equivalent of predatory lenders selling subprime liars loans to people they knew couldn’t afford it.”
On the other hand, I recently spoke with Keren Hadad, co-owner of The Canadian Pie Company in Toronto, and she relayed that she did two deals – Living Social and TeamBuy – shortly after launching the bakery. She said she was really happy with the results and found it helped grow awareness of the new store. There are many factors that come into play in determining whether your story is positive or negative in result, or perhaps even some varying shades of grey. One thing seems to arise from my research: new businesses often have a different outlook and satisfaction level with their deal than established, successful restaurants.
The question this leaves us with: Just how much are you willing to spend and what do you expect to make? The daily deal is a dotted line to be signed only after looking at not only their fine print but also yours. / BJ
BAC’s ‘Transition’ Concerns Addressed by CWB Legislation
The federal government’s Bill C-18 that will remove the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly powers has included key provisions that address BAC’s concerns about supply and forward contracting during the transition in the CWB’s mandate. Introduced on Oct. 18 and known as the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, the bill will remove the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly on the purchase and sale of western wheat at a future date specified by the government but widely reported to be Aug. 1, 2012.
While not participating in the debate regarding the CWB’s mandate, BAC has, on behalf of bakers, expressed serious concerns regarding the ability of the industry to forward contract now through the ending of its monopoly mandate and the ability of the CWB to meet wheat supply needs throughout the first half of 2012.
BAC met with senior Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada officials the day the bill was introduced to review the bill and its intentions. Key among the provisions to address the issues of forward contracting and supply concerns are:
Upon becoming law anyone will be able to immediately begin to contract for sale of western wheat for possession and delivery on the day following the ending of the CWB monopoly.
The CWB will maintain certain powers for the 2011 crop for a period of 90 days following the date ending its monopoly powers in order to fulfil existing contracts that overlap this period. This will not prevent other companies from offering contracts for the Aug. 1, 2012, period forward.
In addition to these provisions, the bill also states that the CWB monopoly will end at a designated time set by the minister, which is reported to be July 31, 2012. The new board will operate the CWB for a period of up to five years on a voluntary basis and during this time the board will either propose a transition to CWB into a commercial entity or cease to operate.
It is the federal government’s stated intention to pass Bill C-18 by the end of 2011. However, the CWB has launched both a public relations campaign and legal action against the government in an attempt to prevent the bill’s passage.
Season’s Greetings and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year
Joyeuses Fêtes et meilleurs voeux pour une nouvelle année
BAKING ASSOCIATION OF CANADA Association canadienne de la boulangerie
BC Chapter
First off, I would like to thank all of our BC Chapter Members for their dedicated, hard work in helping promote our industry:
2011/2012 BC Chapter Committee Members
• Chair : Gary Humphreys, Dawn Food Products
• Vice Chair: Tony Llewellyn, Snow Cap
• Secretary Director:
Christian Mitzel, Qzina Specialty Foods
• Treasurer Director:
Randall Winters, RF Bakery Equipment
• Entertainment Directors
Nicole Higgins, Kerry Ingredients
Ralf Tschenscher, Lesaffre Yeast
• Membership Directors
Melissa Timewell, Thrifty Foods
Ron De Laet, Weston Bakeries Limited/Ready Bake
• Education Directors
Martin Barnett, Vancouver Island University
Jack Kuyer, Valley Bakery
Liz Jang, Vancouver Community College
• Past President / Chair
John MacKenzie, Anita’s Organics
1. Our mandate is to hold two educational seminars/ workshops, and two social events, per year.
2. We held a Trans Fat Overview & Sodium Reduction Seminar on Feb. 2, 2011.
3. On June 15, 2011, we put on our annual BC Chapter Fund Raising Golf Tournament.
4. The Festive Night at the Races was held on Nov. 18, 2011.
5. We are working towards organizing an upcoming Allergen Workshop.
We have really tried to put our emphasis on promoting our industry. Here is how we spent the money generated at our 2010 golf tournament:
• VCC
• VCC
$7,000 (Betterment of the Baking Department)
$2,000 (Bursary principle)
• VIU 3,500 (Betterment of the Baking Department)
• VIU
$3,000 (Bursary in Patsy Frederick’s name)
• Total $15,500
We will announce our 2011 spending very soon.
The Chapter believes our contributions towards equipment and bursaries at Vancouver Community College and Vancouver Island University will play a role in helping to attract quality people to our industry. We also help with travel costs for our BC Skills Canada Winner to participate in the national competition.
Our Chapter also completed an extensive survey for BAC National on the challenges our Industry/Chapter faces. I was so impressed with the energy around the room as we tackled each question.
Also throughout the year our BAC Vancouver Island Committee held informal meetings. Initial plans are in the works for a 2012 educational workshop.
Looking forward to/hoping for a fun, safe, prosperous 2012 for all.
Gary Humphreys
Dawn Foods
BC Chapter Chair
BAC
Email News Service
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Alberta Chapter
While it is an old cliché, it certainly is true that time waits for no one! It’s hard to believe another year has passed and I am tasked with providing “the year in review for Alberta.” As new BAC Chapter Officers just two years ago we are now seasoned and continue with our focus on supporting our professional education system through continued scholarship awards with SAIT and equipment purchases for the bakery at NAIT.
2010/2011 Alberta Chapter Officers:
• Chapter Chair: Randy MacDonald, P&H Milling Group
• Vice Chair: Scott deBoer, Kinetic Sales & Marketing
• Membership Director: Ken Tynan, Puratos Canada Inc.
• Member At Large: Louis Bontorin, Calgary Italian Bakery
• Past Chair: Brian Hinton, Lakeview Bakery
Highlights from this past year include:
Annual Golf Tournament – Inglewood Golf and Curling Club – July 26:
The golf tournament was a great success again this year and my sincerest thanks go out to the organizing committee who volunteered their time and energy in hosting this successful event! It goes without saying that this tournament is as successful as it is thanks in large part to the many companies who continue with their ongoing commitment of support with prizes and monetary sponsorship. We had a change in venue this year that was well received with many positive comments regarding the Inglewood Golf and Curling Club and at time of writing we have committed to holding the tournament at this facility again next year! This tournament was able to provide a financial donation of $2,500 to each of SAIT and NAIT for ongoing Scholarship awards and equipment purchases respectively.
Surprise Retirement Party and Lifetime Achievement Awards – Oct. 1:
A surprise retirement party was held for Gerry Muyser, which was attended by family, friends and business associates. There was a secondary surprise, which included 50-year Lifetime Achievement Award presentations to both Gerry and Pete Plaizier. Both gentlemen started in our industry 50 years ago at Pete’s father’s bakery, the Beverly Bakery, and have made vital contributions to our industry since then. Gerry and Pete were partners in their own bakery early in their careers and each went on to other ventures including but certainly not limited to: Gerry retiring with Weston’s Ready Bake and Pete working most recently as the general manager with Bee Bell Health Bakery in Edmonton. Quite simply there is not enough space in this article to properly speak to their contributions. Thank you and a “job well done,” gentlemen!
Getting Ready for Canada’s New Enhanced Allergen Labelling Regulations Workshop – Oct. 20:
Twenty-two registered attendees from various companies representing manufacturers, bakeries, suppliers, and retail and food service operations. This workshop was presented by BAC and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Thank you to all who attended!
Christmas Dinner and Party – Jan. 6, 2012:
We will be holding our Christmas dinner and get-together this coming January at the Executive Royal Inn Hotel & Conference Centre, 2828-23 Street N.E., Calgary. The hotel has extended a special room rate for the evening of the function for registered attendees and we have an early registration prize of a Moxies Gift Certificate to be awarded at the event. Be sure to check the BAC website or contact any committee member for registration details or further information.
I would like to extend my sincere thank-you and appreciation to the Chapter Officers and all volunteer committee members for their efforts and time over this past year. Thank you to Mr. Brian Hinton for his unwavering support of our industry in this province and support to this committee.
Randy MacDonald
P & H Milling Group
Alberta Chapter Chair
• Martin Barrera: Food Hazard Control: Sanitation and Occupational Health & Safety
• Christine Best: Bakery Technology Unit I
• Bradley Gosselin: Bakery Technology Unit III
• Samantha Nalin Nuwarapaksha: Bakery Technology Unit II
For information on correspondence courses for baking industry employees and the Certified Bakery Specialist (CBS) program, please contact ext. 21 at the BAC office or check out our website at www.baking.ca.
Atlantic Canada Chapter
For 2011, the Atlantic Chapter had two social events for the bakery industry members and guests.
Highlights from events are listed below:
The Atlantic BAC hockey night took place on Wednesday, March 16, at the Halifax Mooseheads game versus the Moncton Wildcats. Forty association members and guests enjoyed a great hockey game in a private VIP Box. The hometown Mooseheads lost the game. A scoring pool took place during the game at the end of each period and a number of lucky attendees went home with a little extra cash. Next year’s event will take place once again sometime in early March.
The BAC Atlantic golf tournament took place at the Magnetic Hills Golf Course in Moncton, N.B., on Monday, Sept. 12. Fifty-plus golfers representing various bakeries and suppliers took place in the scramble tournament, on a beautiful sunny day. This
Ontario Chapter
The 2011 year began with the engagement of a brand new Chapter Management Committee. The following volunteers have committed to at least a two-year term in assisting in the management of activities, events and issues for the Ontario Chapter.
• Chairperson: Phillip Lee Wing (The Food Development Group)
• Vice Chair: Phil Robinson (Dawn Foods)
• Membership: Leon Bell (ADM Milling)
• Membership: Ira Day (Prosperity Foods)
• Education: Kate Nugent (Baker Street Bakery)
• Social: Tom Nowak (Lallemand)
• Treasurer: Dieter Claassen (Del’s Pastry)
• Secretary: Stephanie Jewell (Bakers Journal)
• Past Chair: Frank Safian (P&H Milling Group)
• Member-at-large: Kate Tomic (Nealanders)
• Member-at-large: Maurice Corsi (Caravan Ingredients)
• Member-at-large: Danny Peroff (Olympic Wholesale)
As active members, here are some key points for their participation as a volunteer in our not-for-profit Baking Association Chapter:
• Providing leadership
• Organizational and planning skills
• Staying abreast of what is happening in your industry
• Strategic planning
• Networking with colleagues
To briefly summarize the year, we organized two successful golf tournaments, which continue to attract participants from the Baking and Allied Industries. In March we saw an enthusiastic turnout to our yearly Night at the Races. This event is not only entertaining but provides a great opportunity for our members to network with their colleagues.
was one of the largest fields of players in the event’s history. Over $2,500 in prizes were up for grabs and lots of fun was had by all 13 teams. Special awards went to Most Honest Team: Caroline Fortin, Lallemand; Mary Dunn, Mrs Dunster’s; Mike Timani, Fancy Pokkett and Cheryl Kerwin, Dawn Foods Products. The Championship Team this year was Rick and Carole Coleman, East Coast Bakery Equipment; Eric Carroll of Carroll’s Bakery and Roland Thebeau, Bonte Foods. All in attendance enjoyed a great steak dinner and went home with a special gift from the draw. Next year’s tournament is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 10, 2012, at the Magnetic Hills Golf Course.
We look forward to new opportunities to serve the baking industry in 2012 through our continued events and thank all the local members for their support of the Atlantic Chapter.
In support of providing industry technical and regulatory updates, an allergen seminar with guest speaker from CFIA was organized and presented to our members and the baking community. The large turnout at this seminar resulted in a follow-up workshop, which was held in mid-October.
Lastly, in keeping with the theme from the sold-out Holiday Social last year, a similar format is proposed for this year at a larger venue.
Plans for the new year include the development of a scholarship program sponsored by the Ontario Chapter. The terms of reference for this program are currently being developed and it is foreseen that scholarship funds will be available on a yearly basis. The objective will be to promote education in the baking industry with emphasis on maintaining a viable pool of individuals engaged in bakery production and processing.
The membership committee has also been working closely with the national office to facilitate a transition to electronic mailing to our members. This is currently being implemented and it is projected that at the start of the new year most correspondence will be communicated by this means.
The management committee has been meeting on a regular basis throughout the year to address some of the issues that affect our industry. Our Chapterion not only provides opportunities for social interaction but also to help foster a healthy dialogue in the growth of the baking industry and to keep our members connected through our planned events.
As we approach the end of another year, the Chapter Management Committee would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday. We look forward to see you at our events in the new year.
Phillip Lee Wing
The Food Development Group
Ontario Chapter Chair
Dave Bryson P&H Milling Group-Halifax Atlantic Chapter Chair
By david Fili
prepping For a possiBle doWnTurn
Four steps to help your business weather any turbulent economic times ahead
For business owners, the current economic climate has likely felt like riding a rollercoaster. Three years ago everyone was holding on tight, wondering when the worst would be behind them. For many North American companies, the implications of a slowdown were severe in late 2008 and most of 2009.
Just when things started to get better for many companies in late 2009 and 2010, they started to slow down again in mid-2011. The European and U.S. debt crises are putting pressure on Canadian companies and consumers are losing confidence, negatively affecting consumer demand. Lower consumer demand could result in lower revenue and may tip many companies into a loss position. One sign of a slowing economy is the banks putting more companies on notice for not meeting their loan and lending covenant requirements. If these companies cannot get onside very quickly, they had better find themselves a new banker. Bankers will want to take action before the economy goes into a recession.
}• Forecast near-term cash receipts and cash disbursements based on realistic financial projections. Keep in mind customers will start to pay their bills more slowly than usual as the economy slows down.
• Continue to reduce inventory levels and replenish on a just-in-time basis.
• Continue to liquidate other nonredundant assets to free up cash.
2. stay ClosE to youR BankER
If you have a good working relationship with your lender, you may be in a better position to renegotiate your current loan facilities. Treat your banker as a partner in the business, and keep them informed of critical issues affecting the business and the industry. Over the past three years the banks have shown more patience than they are given credit for. As long as they maintain confidence in the company’s direction and the business
no company wants to drop customers when sales are starting to decline, but it may be prudent to tighten credit terms with some customers during this period of continued economic uncertainty.
Smart business owners need to implement strategies that will help them succeed in this new economy. The following are some practical steps you can take to help you land in a better position at the end of the ride.
1. analyzE youR Cash flow
Cash is the lifeblood of any business. It matters more than earnings. During the recession of 2008 and 2009, many businesses became very cognizant of their cash flow. During 2010 and 2011, some business owners may have eased up on cash-flow issues, but cash-flow monitoring needs to continue as the economy sputters along. To analyze your cash flow:
• Focus on working capital and the cash conversion cycle.
owner, chances are the bank will stick with the business. However, if we are at the beginning of a new recession and your company has not really recovered from the recession of 2008-2009, the bank may finally lose its patience and call its loans now, when things are not too bad, rather than wait until we are in a true recession. You can continue to have the bank’s confidence in you and your business by giving them your plan for how you will fix the business, and then going out and doing it. As the economy starts to deteriorate, the bank will be less supportive of a business with owners or management who are not proactive.
3. ContInuE to slash Costs whERE PossIBlE
Tough economic conditions and falling sales volumes require cost-cutting measures wherever possible. When sales volumes are expected to decline, costs need to be closely monitored. Consider:
• Reducing spending – talk directly to floor and office employees to
see if there are any items that can easily be cut without affecting the sales levels of the company.
• Deferring non-critical capital expenditures in order to conserve cash.
• Making tough decisions about payroll costs. Don’t be too quick to rehire once sales volumes start to increase.
4. ConCEntRatE on gooD CustoMERs anD suPPlIERs
A careful review of your customer base is critical when developing a financial forecast. If customers were slow in paying their accounts even as sales volumes were starting to increase in 2009 and 2010, it could be a red flag that these customers may not be able to ride out a new recession. No company wants to drop customers when sales are starting to decline, but it may be prudent to tighten credit terms with some customers during this period of continued economic uncertainty. You may have to sacrifice some sales levels in an attempt to prevent a bigger loss if the customers go out of business.
Continue to bargain for favourable credit terms with your suppliers, and if possible, negotiate for early payment discounts. Most suppliers will be hungry for cash. Consider whether you can slim down the number of suppliers you are currently using to qualify for larger volume discounts with your existing suppliers.
If the recession of 2008-2009 was hard on your business, you may have felt there was no big upswing once the recession ended. As a result, it may be very difficult to even think about the implications of entering a new recession. The above tips should allow you and your business to weather the possible storm ahead, and come out in an even better position. If you are concerned about the viability of your business, remember that the earlier you seek help, the greater your chances of success. / BJ
David Filice is a senior vice-president and partner in the Restructuring and Insolvency Practice of Fuller Landau LLP, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors (www. fullerlandau.com). Contact him at 416-6456506 or email dfilice@fullerlandau.com.
a waRM-you-uP DIsh foR wIntER
This steamed pudding can be made with frozen blueberries, warming you up from the inside out long after your local blueberry bushes have been buried by snow. Blueberries are a perennial favourite for Canadians.
Blueberries have a special place as one of the few fruits native to North America. Their enduring popularity will serve you well this Christmas season, whether its in the good old standby of blueberry muffins for holiday shoppers eager for a snack or this steamed pudding for an afternoon café break.
Blueberries have the nostalgia all good comfort foods have, plus added bonus of many known health benefits. One serving of blueberries provides 14 mg of vitamin C, which is almost 25 per cent of your daily requirement, reports the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council’s website. We know customers are after all the vitamin C they can get in cold and flu season! / BJ
This recipe is courtesy of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. For more information visit www.blueberrycouncil.com.
foRMula Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter, divided 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup sugar, divided 4 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries, divided 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 eggs
DIRECtIons
Using one tablespoon of butter, grease a 1-1/2-quart microwaveable round baking dish or bowl and sprinkle with one tablespoon sugar. Set aside.
In a large microwaveable dish, toss two cups of blueberries and the remaining sugar. Cover loosely with clear plastic wrap and microwave on high (100 per cent power) until blueberries are tender, about four minutes.
In a food processor, combine cooked blueberries, flour, yogurt, vanilla and the remaining four tablespoons butter. Process until smooth. Add eggs and pulse to blend.
Pour mixture into the reserved buttered dish. Stir in remaining two cups of blueberries. Cover dish loosely with plastic wrap and microwave on high until set in the center, about 12 to 14 minutes.
Prick plastic wrap to release steam. Cover dish with a large plate and let stand 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and remove plastic wrap, then invert pudding onto a serving plate. Serve warm with additional vanilla yogurt, if desired.
Yield: Eight servings.
Note: Tested in a 625-watt microwave oven.
From sweeteners to sugar-melting guns, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” for more on new products for the baking industry, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Market research report on global bread industry
A new market research report from Reportlinker.com analyzes the worldwide markets for bread, providing separate comprehensive analytics for Canada, the U.S., Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world. Annual forecasts are provided for each region for the period 2007 through 2015, and a six-year historical analysis is provided for each market. www.reportlinker.com
sassieshot melted sugar gun
The SassieShot sugar-melting gun by GetSassie! features a no-drip precision nozzle, comfort grip handle and two temperature settings. The SassieShot is designed for use with SassieShotz isomalt edible sugar glue refill sticks, which melt in five minutes or less and dry clear. www.getsassie.com
freshfoodsystem cube from MIwE
The FreshFoodSystem MIWE cube is a modular construction system. Its uniform dimensions are designed to easily integrate into any shop concept. The system consists of a range of combinable components, from the rollable under-frames and the various lower cabinets (also with proofing and cooling functions) to the main baking modules and steam hood. www.miwe.ca
kimber Cakeware’s Batter Babies
CDn candy and deep fry thermometer
Component Design Northwest (CDN) TCG400 candy and deep fry ruler thermometer features an easy-to-read display and a temperature range from 100 to 400 F (40 to 200 C). The TCG400 is made of durable laboratory glass to withstand high-heat candy making, and features a temperature guide right on the thermometer. www.cdn-timeandtemp.com
zero trans-fat goals
ADM’s NovaLipid oils and shortenings help bakers produce zero grams trans fat per serving goods without sacrificing flavour. www.adm.com/oils
DII Dealers Ingredients Inc.
Kimber Cakeware’s Batter Babies, now available from SweetArt Supplies, create unique two-flavour or two-colour cupcakes, while the Batter Daddy lets you create multi-flavoured or multi-coloured cakes in one pan. Both products are made from food-grade polypropylene and should be removed before baking. Batter Babies and Batter Daddy are dishwasher safe. www.sweetartsupplies.ca
stevia sweetener from PureCircle
PureCircle has launched a new stevia sweetener under the trade name Alpha. Alpha is a natural, high-purity stevia sweetener. It consists of a proprietary combination of steviol glycosides developed as a solution for products seeking 50 to 100 per cent calorie reductions. Its composition is designed to provide a more rounded sweetness and less bitterness at higher sugar replacement levels. www.purecircle.com
argin s Whe th e r yo u a re bu yi n g Bas e Ingre di e nts, i mpro v i ng yo u r pro duc t 's val ue p ro pos it i on or twe aki n g margi ns, trus t De al e rs
Ingre di e nts to d e l iv e r re su l ts
Bu tt e r Bu ds
Bu tte r, cre am an d che e se natu ral dai r y co nc e ntrat e s re du ce f at w hi l e enh anc i ng f lav o ur c harac te ri sti c s a t a lo we r tot al co st Im pro ve y ou r pro du ct pe r fo rm anc e – nat ural l y.
Citr i- fi
Ci tri - fi offe rs ex ce pt io n al v alu e an d per form an ce b y im pro vi ng m o is ture man age me n t, r e duc i
P rod uct of t he Un i t ed S ta te s
Prod uct Pe r fo rman ce So lu ti on s - Nat urally
¦ concepts for success ¦
By d iane C H iasson
8 resoluTions For a greaT neW year
Ring in the
Another year has gone by. Hopefully it was a successful one for your bakery. If so, keep on doing what you’re doing, and build on that success. If not, it’s time to figure out why not and make the necessary improvements.
A good place to start is by making a list of New Year’s resolutions to improve your bakery’s business next year. To get you started, here are eight marketing resolutions to help bring in more profits.
BuIlD a MaRkEtIng Plan
}Sit down with your team and put together a solid and viable marketing plan that you can not only afford, but also have the time to execute. Be reasonable with your ideas. You should be able to do everything you want, with success, while staying within your budget.
maintain contact with them. By having the ability to send your customers timely messages, news and offers, you can build a closer bond and get them to come back over and over again.
gIVE youR wEBsItE soME tlC
Your website is one of your most important marketing tools for reaching out to new customers. More than 90 per cent of people research online to find information about where they will eat or shop, often basing their decision on a single visit to your website. Your bakery’s website should attract customers with up-to-date and well-shot photos of your products, a menu and price list, contact information, hours and directions, as well as daily, weekly or monthly specials, events and promotions.
Consider online reviews a free commentcard service. respond quickly to negative reviews or criticisms and make the necessary improvements to keep your customers happy at all times.
IMPRoVE sEo RankIngs
CREatE a sIx-Month EVEnts
CalEnDaR
Your marketing plan should include at least one event monthly to mark an important holiday like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. If you want to do something out of the ordinary, go online and check out some of the more unusual holidays your bakery can celebrate. For example, did you know that Jan. 23 is National Pie Day?
REaCh out to youR ExIstIng
CustoMERs
Now that you have a plan and half a year’s worth of events to promote, you need to reach out to your existing customers. Creating a database or bolstering your existing database must be a top priority. Collect your customers’ e-mail addresses and other info any way you can and
Making your website easy to find with Google and other search engines should be a major part of your bakery’s marketing strategy. Review your keywords, page titles and meta descriptions, and increase reciprocal links to your website. The more often you update your website, the higher you move up in search engine optimization (SEO) rankings. Your SEO ranking could help bring in a lot of extra business. It may be worthwhile to hire an SEO consultant if you don’t have the time or the technological know-how to do it yourself.
stay on toP of onlInE REVIEws
A scathing review could tarnish your reputation for good, so make sure you stay on top of what the public is saying about your bakery online. More and more people are making their decisions about where to shop based on online reviews, so it’s important to monitor what is being said about your operation. Consider online reviews a free comment-card service. Respond quickly to negative
Work with your team to put together a marketing plan that includes at least one event monthly to mark an important holiday.
reviews or criticisms and make the necessary improvements to keep your customers happy at all times.
CREatE a faCEBook fan PagE
Regardless of your personal feelings toward Facebook, it is a phenomenon that is here to stay. Businesses should embrace the tools it offers to help them expand their customer bases. Creating a presence on Facebook makes it easier for people to recommend your bakery. It is also a quick and simple platform for you to engage with your customers.
REgIstER on fouRsquaRE anD googlE PlaCEs
Mobile marketing will continue to grow this year. It will play an even more important role in how people find you. Using location-based services such as FourSquare and Google Places will literally and figuratively put your bakery on the map. Paired with good online reviews, these online services could bring you a lot of extra business. These tips will help you get your business off to a great start in 2012. / BJ
Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping restaurant, foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 25 years. Her company provides 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
new year by ringing up new sales using these eight ideas to help you start 2012 on a fresh foot
By BIll MElVIllE
Know your food safeTy ‘Kneads’
Arecent report by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency found that Canadians remain confident in their country’s food safety system. In fact, 68 per cent gave the system a favourable confidence rating. The report also found that Canadians acknowledge everyone has a role to play in food safety, including farmers, the foodservice industry, the government and consumers. However, when it comes to food safety at your bakery, you are the one responsible for providing your customers with safe food products.
Foodborne illnesses result from eating food contaminated by pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, parasites or viruses. Because pests are able to carry a number of these pathogens, which can contaminate your food and threaten the safety of your customers, effective pest management is an important part of the fight against food poisoning. The most effective method for helping prevent pests at your bakery is to implement an integrated pest management (IPM) program.
Instead of relying on reactive measures to control pests, which often use chemical treatments, IPM focuses on proactive measures to help prevent pests. It relies on a combination of commonsense practices – primarily sanitation and facility maintenance – and is the most economical means of pest management, as it uses chemicals only as a last resort, making it the least hazardous method for people, property and the environment.
You can start by knowing your pest management “KNEADs.” Here are a few tips to help you reduce pests and limit the chances of foodborne illnesses at your bakery.
know thE kEy PEsts
Work with your pest control provider to identify specific pests that are a threat to
Cockroaches threaten food safety by carrying a number of organisms and bacteria that can cause food poisoning, diarrhea and dysentery.
your bakery and ways to proactively protect against them. Common pests such as flies, rodents and cockroaches are generally associated with jeopardizing the safety of the food you serve.
• Flies transmit more than 100 known pathogens, including E. coli, salmonella, staphylococcus and shingles. Flies leave behind bacteria every time they land, threatening food safety.
• Rodents carry salmonella bacteria in their intestinal tracts, and can contaminate food through bacteria passed in their droppings or urine.
• Cockroaches threaten food safety by carrying a number of organisms and bacteria that can cause food poisoning, diarrhea and dysentery. Roaches typically contract these diseases by walking into contaminated environments
and then spreading them to other areas.
nEVER IgnoRE a PEst PRoBlEM
The main pest management responsibility of your staff is to serve as the eyes and ears of your program. Ask employees to regularly monitor for signs of pests and immediately report any pest sightings, or evidence of pest activity. Never ignore the signs of pest presence, which can include gnaw marks, droppings or insect eggs, larvae, trails, webbing and cask skins. Arm your staff with the knowledge they need to keep an eye out for intruders by asking your pest management professional to provide you with educational materials that you can share with staff. The faster you contact your pest management professional, the quicker you can prevent a problem from escalating, should your staff see signs of pest activity.
EnaCt a wRIttEn sanItatIon PRogRaM
While it seems like common sense, it is important to create, implement and maintain a written sanitation program at your facility. A sanitation program must encompass daily, weekly, monthly and yearly steps. Cleanliness is crucial, especially in the areas where food is prepared. Pests are attracted to food or water sources, so it is important to clean up spills immediately, even if they are small, as pests do not need much to survive. Consider using organic cleaners made with naturally occurring bacteria and enzymes, as they eliminate the grease and grime pests can feed on and breed in.
annual ClEanIng Is CRuCIal
While daily cleaning is important, you should also consider a “deep clean” at least twice a year to reach more difficult problem areas. Here are a few tips to help you identify and clean more difficult spaces:
• Thoroughly clean all equipment, particularly in joints and around nuts and bolts, which can be easily overlooked. Dust, grime and food particles can collect in these spaces and attract pests.
• Remove any floor drains and scrub them with an organic cleaner to remove debris that can act as a breeding ground for small flies. If necessary, have an outside company do a deep cleaning of the pipes. Afterward, regular use of an organic cleaner will help keep debris from collecting deep in pipes.
• Use a steam cleaner to remove stubborn residue on machinery and floors.
• If appropriate, pressure wash the building exterior and sidewalks. Pay close attention to bird droppings, which may carry harmful bacteria. Use appropriate personal protective equipment and precautions when removing droppings.
DIal a PRofEssIonal
Taking a proactive step toward sanitation will allow you to focus on the job at hand rather than worrying about the threat of pests. You should also work with your pest management professional to incorporate a specific plan for your business. For example, during cooler months, rodents pose a threat as they migrate into warm buildings to maintain their body temperature. By working with your pest management professional to look for potential pest pressures, you can help ensure that pests stay out of your business.
For your customers, foodborne illness can lead to sudden and violent sickness, even death. For your business, it can mean a loss of customers and a damaged reputation, a fine from regulatory agencies, or even being shut down. So protect your customers and your reputation by working with your pest management professional to implement an IPM program. By knowing your pest control “KNEADs,” you can reduce pests in your bakery and ultimately reduce the risks associated with foodborne illnesses. / BJ
Bill Melville is quality assurance director for Orkin PCO Services. Mr. Melville has 35 years of experience in the industry and is an acknowledged leader in the field of pest management. For more information, e-mail Bill Melville at bmelville@pcocanada.com or visit www.orkincanada.com.
By Mario For T in
ConTrolling CosTs
Manage your production costs well to ensure you turn a profit in today’s competitive world of baking
We have to manage our pricing well to keep our businesses alive in this competitive world. Sometimes you are not able to increase prices because customers or buyers are asking for a better price based on the volume of business they give you. In these cases, the only way to keep profits up is by getting production costs down.
Here are some ideas to reduce costs.
BE a sMaRt BuyER
If you split your purchases between two or three suppliers, you will not get the same price as if you bought all your flour from the same distributor or manufacturer. The best way to get a better price is to be loyal to your supplier. Meet your supplier and discuss giving him or her your volume instead of always playing with the price.
}products – the most important loss in the baking industry.
The other way to get a better price is by paying your supplier within the terms of your agreement. If your supplier always has to call you to get a cheque, you will pay more for your ingredients. Paying on time earns you the respect of your supplier, and he will always be ready to do his best for you.
Be sure that you buy the minimum requested by a supplier to avoid extra charges for delivery. Sometimes it is better to pick up an order with your own truck after making your delivery, or to negotiate your own transport.
REPlaCE IngREDIEnts
There are some ingredients that you can replace to meet a certain selling price. In some cases you can replace:
• Butter with margarine (in croissant, cake, icing)
Be sure that you buy the minimum requested by a supplier to avoid extra charges for delivery. sometimes it is better to pick up an order with your own truck, or to negotiate your own transport.
• Shortening with oil (in bread or pizza dough)
You can also alter your formula to include starches, wheat gluten, fibre, protein or gums, which can increase absorption in your products.
ContRol PRoDuCt wEIght
Controlling your baking is another way to get consistency. The weight of your product changes after baking because of moisture lost. If your baking time is consistent, you will be able to control product weight to meet the final selling weight. A 675 g bread is usually scaled at 770 g ± 5 g, and undergoes 13 to 14 per cent moisture loss during baking and cooling. Giving more weight on each product can cost you a lot on volume. I have seen some bakers giving 20 to 25 g over the selling weight, which costs them a lot in the long run.
IMPRoVE youR PRoCEssEs
Good control of your process will give you consistent cost. You may have to ask yourself if there are new ways to make your product without changing the quality. Is there new equipment that will make it faster with less effort? Be ready for change. Too many bakers are afraid to ask for help because they do not take time to look for new processes.
ManagE BakIng
I know that some people buy from two suppliers to protect themselves in case of a strike, or to negotiate a better price from week to week. But when you switch from one distributor to another, you may get a different yield, which changes your profit. Emulsified shortening is an example of why it is important to compare yields. You may buy a 20 kg cube of shortening for $5 less than your usual supplier charges, but if you make cake icing, you may not enjoy the same yield, since the cheaper shortening does not incorporate as much air as the other. This difference will cost you more by forcing you to put more icing on each cake. If the density is changed, the icing will be heavier by volume. Be sure that you get products with the same specifications from each supplier. Consistency is the best way to save on cost. Doing it right, all the time, is the secret to getting consistency and preventing rejected
• Olive oil with canola oil
• Skim milk powder with whey powder or soy flour (in croissant, bread, cake)
• Cream with milk (in pastry filling)
• Cocoa powder with cocoa substitute (in chocolate products)
The most important thing when substituting any ingredient is to get the same dough or batter texture as usual. Rich formula does not necessary cost more than lean formula – it all depends on the yield.
For viennoiserie, it is possible to reduce the size of the units and keep the same selling price. Six croissants at 65 g may be reduced to 60 g while keeping the same volume through use of a good roll-in fat and by improving the process. Five grams by unit looks like nothing, but it helps to increase profit by 7.69 per cent. You can play with the size of any product except for the standardized bread loaves (450 g, 675 g and 900 g).
You may have the best dough, but baking is the most important part of your production process. If your products are under-baked, they will collapse and have a shorter shelf life. Over-bake and you will dry out or even burn your products. It’s important to bake your product at the same temperature for the same length of time from batch to batch.
usE PRoPER PaCkagIng
A cheap package does not add to product appearance and can even shorten shelf life. Good packaging will help to reduce returns because it will protect your product, lengthening shelf life. Using the same size packaging for most of your products will help to get better buying volume than using different size packages. / BJ
Mario Fortin is an international bakery consultant and owner of FORMA-LAB, a consulting service for bakers and suppliers. If you need technical information, send your questions to info@forma-lab.com.
“Friends in Business” Suppliers of Quality Baking ingredients: Flour, Yeast, Shortening, Fruit Fillings, etc.
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a MosaiC in Flour and sugar
Ethnic bakeries add to the mixing bowl of our eclectic Canadian culture
I’ve done a lot of moving around, settling in many neighbourhoods defined by a specific culture. I’ve lived in what’s known as a Polish neighbourhood, although Ukrainians and Lithuanians were noticeably part of the mix. The bakeries were unmistakably Eastern European. Two area green grocers were both Chinese.
Recently, I’ve been living in a Portuguese neighbourhood. Two dominating bakeries are both Portuguese, one a highly successful province-wide franchise called Nova Era. The area’s green grocer is, well, interesting. They’re Chinese, but because they come from Peru, they’re also fluent in Spanish. It’s disconcerting at first, and then a beautiful discovery, a reminder that the first significant wave of immigrants to Peru in the mid 19th century was Chinese, followed by the Japanese 50 years later.
}bakery standout, but it’s best identified as Persian. That way, we’re not caught thinking about a rogue state.
In North Vancouver’s Little Persia, you’ll find Laleh, in Calgary, Orchid Pastry, in North Toronto, Shirini Sara Pastry House, and in Montreal, Nocochi Café Patisserie, each with varying degrees of sophistication. While Laleh scales up home-style baking, Shirini Sara masters the art of the miniature, providing a sophistication that speaks to exoticaloving foodies.
Another way to draw the cultural map of our current mosaic is to follow an ethnic specialty. I looked for alfajores, pronounced alfa-hor-ez, the sabley sugar cookie filled with dulce de leche. Although they’re said to originate in Argentina, Venezuela stakes a claim to them, and Latins generally think of them in the way that we think of the butter tart – it’s ours.
Calgary’s Coco Karamel specializes in
We have to be careful with what we call our sweets. a foodie message board took exception to kurtos kolasc being called romanian – it’s clearly Hungarian, more than one enthusiast pointed out.
In the coming weeks, I’m moving into a predominantly Caribbean borough, which makes me think of Bob Marley singing One World. Our world, Canada, is changing. So is our food. So are our bakeries.
The 2006 census, Statistics Canada’s most current available data, claims that one in five Canadians was born somewhere else – 19.8 per cent, in fact, the largest proportion in 75 years. Just over 58 per cent come from Asia (more on what “Asia” means in a minute); 16 per cent come from Europe; and neck and neck for third place at just over 10 per cent each are Central and South America, the Caribbean (that’s one group) and Africa.
A few words about “Asia.” The United Nations recently made some changes to what we might call the region formerly known as the Middle East. It deemed the moniker “Euro-centric” and went instead with “West Asia.” Its largest cities are Istanbul, Tehran, Baghdad, Riyadh and Ankara. Of these countries, Iran is the
alfajores, sexing them up with chocolate and extra icing. Think of it as a butter tart crème brûlée. At the other end of the spectrum, at Raviolini in Vancouver, alfajores share counter space with biscotti, tiramisu, Peruvian pastries and Italian savoury foods, matching the owners’ dual origins.
Latino baking is beginning to get noticed. Edmonton’s La Monarca is hugely successful. Winnipeg’s La Fiesta Cafecito wants people know they’re Salvadoran. Toronto keeps Las Palmas, La Rosa Chilena and Pancho’s busy. Elsewhere across the country, though, Latino sweets are primarily found in restaurants, such as La Chilenita and Barros Luco in Montreal, and Café Aroma Latino in Halifax. Ethnic food service seems to follow this path: first comes the specialty market, then the restaurant and then the bakery.
One new specialty to Canada is kurtos kolasc. It translates roughly as “chimney cake,” stands a foot high and is made by wrapping a sweet dough around a perforated cylinder. It’s cooked in the
To make these chimney cakes, sweet dough is wrapped around a perforated cylinder and baked on the outside while steam-cooking the inside.
bakery equivalent of a rotisserie, baking on the outside and steam-cooking on the inside. When it comes out of the oven, it gets covered in caramel and rolled in chopped nuts. Transylvania Traditions is the Vancouver bakery specializing in this sweet. Owners Alexandru and Narcisa Stoian arrived from Romania in 2007 and quickly opened shop. Narcisa is a secondgeneration baker. Her technique is as dramatic as the finished product, intended to be shared over coffee (Alexandru’s specialty). Eastern Europeans have always enjoyed a strong café culture.
We have to be careful with what we call our sweets. A foodie message board took exception to kurtos kolasc being called Romanian – it’s clearly Hungarian, more than one enthusiast pointed out. You might say it’s the Transylvanian butter tart.
Looking ahead, Statistics Canada has made some important projections. By 2031, the agency says, 25 to 28 per cent of the population will be foreign born; 55 per cent will be from Asia. The foreignborn population will grow four times faster that the rest of the population. The number of Arab and West Asian immigrants will triple and be the fastest growing of all ethnic groups. Welcome all and get baking. / BJ
Stephanie Ortenzi (www.pistachiowriting. com) is a Toronto-based food marketing writer.
• Join 5,000 industry professionals including bakers (retail, wholesale, commercial), grocery and foodservice outlets
• Visit the trade show - over 200 companies in 100,000 sq.ft. showcasing ingredients, equipment, services, technology and baked goods (fresh, proof & bake, parbaked, freezer-to-oven, thaw & serve)
• Learn at the informative seminars and workshops
• Located in the Toronto area, the facility is easily accessible by public transportation (Mississauga Transit & GO Trains), major highways, 5 minutes from the Toronto International Airport and provides plenty of free parking
• NEW Show Features Held every other year, it is the only baking specific event produced in Canada
Association of Canada 7895 Tranmere Dr., Ste 202 Mississauga, ON L5S 1V9 Tel: 905-405-0288, 1-888-674-2253 (BAKE) Fax: 905-405-0993
E-Mail: info@baking.ca www.baking.ca
Through years of research and hands-on experience, we’ve learned a thing or two worth sharing. So when it comes to things like the newest trends and decorating ideas, displays and merchandising tactics, we’ll find ways to help you move your business forward. The future of your bakery is out there waiting, and we can help bring it into focus. Contact Dawn at 1-866-277-3663 or e-mail us at dawncanadacs@dawnfoods.com or online at dawnfoods.com
