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BY NAOMI SZEBEN
HOLIDAYS ARE MEANT FOR INDULGENCE
One well-intentioned Christmas, my mother put the kibosh on sugar and caffeine. She decreed that neither my sister nor I would be given any chocolate. We reacted predictably to this prohibition. Much like the speakeasies of the nineteen thirties, we resorted to hoarding and occasional violence. We weren’t alone: Health food fever hit our neck of the woods, and my classmates and neighbours were bearing the brunt of it.
We kids drew the line at setting fire to furniture, but we briefly reconsidered arson when we were presented with carob. It was brown and shiny, with a vaguely roasted flavour, but carob’s similarity to chocolate ended there. Mom’s creative attempt to make chocolate bark with candied fruit somehow transformed itself into a dessert that even mould would not touch.
It couldn’t even be traded for the least edible snacks on the schoolyard at recess. My school friends also lamented the loss of sweet breakfast cereal. My friend Stephane wailed that his normally rainbow coloured cereal was replaced with “tiny hay bales.” We couldn’t bring ourselves to commit possible animal cruelty by handing off these foods on the local wildlife, either. Schoolyard rumour had us believe squirrels who were fed nutritional yeast-topped oatmeal cookies spontaneously combusted. “Healthy” snacks were truly an abomination, in the eyes of our elementary school population.
}Things have changed, since. Many of our friend’s parents, lured by the promise of less hyperactive children removed sugar from snacks and replaced it with higher fibre options. This trend continues today with better flavours, more appetizing fruit-based sweeteners and more options for fibre. Oh, the poor, maligned carob bean. It wasn’t originally intended to be a chocolate replacement, but back in the day, that was the only option for better-for-you snacking. Today, there are plenty of options for sugar-reduced, higher fibre, caffeine-free ways to create an indulgent treats.
Oh, the poor, maligned carob bean. It wasn’t originally intended to be a chocolate replacement, but back in the day, that was the only option for betterfor-you snacking.
Had I grown up in today’s baking environment, my friends and I would have a wealth of options available to us with a wider range of better-for-you treats that offer lower-sugar, caffeine-free, higher fibre options. Desserts are truly getting a makeover with more local ingredients, and luxurious flavours.
Jane Dummer writes about flour alternatives and Elaine O’Doherty’s article describes how whole grain white flours are making holiday baking healthier while keeping traditions alive. The top trends in healthier baking shows that carob is making a comeback, but not as a chocolate replacement. Kids who grew up in the early eighties gnawing listlessly on granola bars flavoured with nutritional yeast and carob would be envious of today’s health conscious options. Dried candied beets pulverized into powder replaces red dye that marks holiday treats in Kevin Yang’s desserts. Truffles and candies have seasonal ingredients and timely flavours at the River Café.
Previous chefs had to cater to the polarized ends of the dessert spectrum: Indulgent or healthy? With whole grain flour options that taste and bake like white flour, better-for-you baking can taste delicious, without excuses. The holidays were made for indulgence and now, bakers have better options. Today, you can have your cake and eat it, too. / BJ
DECEMBER 2019 | VOL. 79, NO. 11
EDITOR | Naomi Szeben editor@bakersjournal.com 416-510-5244
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From equipment for precise batching, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” for more on new products for the baking industry, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
BPS’s twin-screw feeder for precise batching
The Model TSF twin-screw feeder from Best Process Solutions (BPS) is designed for precise batching and weighing applications. The feeder’s dual-helix design combines fast, high-volume filling with accurate dribble flow at the end of the cycle. Its compact design is ideal when limited space prohibits multiple individual screw units.
Two helixes—11⁄2” and 4” in diameter— are mounted on an 18”x22” hopper. They are rated at 17 cu. ft. and 283 cu. ft. per hour, respectively, at maximum RPM with 100%-efficient conveyable product and no slippage.
TSF is ideal for batching to weigh-hoppers; low loss-in-weight scale-monitored flow; low loss-of-weight batch applications with scales; drum and pail packout lines; and recipe-type batching by multiple computer-controlled units. Many options are available.
All-Canadian, all-natural sugar alternative
VitaFiber, an all-Canadian alternative to sugar was launched in Toronto at CHFA East, a Canadian health food show.
The product is targeted at two of the world’s major health problems - bulging waistlines and digestive problems like irregularity. VitaFiber, is scheduled to be on the shelves of select natural health food stores in Canada in six weeks as part of a national retail roll out, following widespread online sales. It will also be available in bulk distribution for large scale and wholesale orders.
VitaFiber is partly named for the product’s fibre content, and comes from Edmonton based life sciences company BioNeutra. VitaFiber is made from the starch of natural plants such as pea or tapioca into a syrup or powder using a patented process.
It is certified halal, kosher, vegan and comes in both natural and organic formats. The Canadian Government has named it a leader among Canada’s 750 natural health and functional foods.
Vegan, gluten-free and Kosher marshmallows
The flagship product of Chicago Vegan Foods, Dandies marshmallows are 100 per cent vegan, gluten-free, gelatine-free, certified kosher and Non-GMO Project Verified.
Produced in the company’s dedicated vegan and tree-nut and peanut-free facility and air puffed to be light and fluffy, this innovative sweet treat provides a better-for-you and allergy-safe option for foodservice and industrial customers throughout Canada.
Compared to its conventional counterparts, the taste is superior and the texture indistinguishable, but what’s inside is totally different. The only vegan and gelatine-free marshmallow on the market, Dandies are made with high-quality, clean ingredients like real vanilla and vegan cane sugar and completely free of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavours and colourings, plus the common allergens gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts and tree nuts.
“By updating the iconic marshmallow to be aligned with the values of today’s consumers, we’re helping our customers deliver on clean-eating and vegan food trends without sacrificing delicious taste even a bit,” shared Dan Reed, Marketing Director for Chicago Vegan Foods in a press release.
“The response from bakeries, restaurants, and product manufacturers using Dandies’ versatile marshmallows in their dessert creations has been incredible. They recognize what’s in it, what’s not in it, and that you can’t beat our texture and flavour.”
For more new products, and the latest news, check out our new website: www.bakersjournal.com.
¦
briefly | Bridor’s North American expansion; IDDBA announced new board of directors; Puratos has a new Innovation Centre | for more news in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Bridor aims to reach billion Euro milestone for 2021
Bridor, an industrial European-style bakery in North America, announced an investment of C$200 million over a period of five years in its North American production plants, and $170 million has been earmarked for its Boucherville plant. At the end of the project, this amount will have enabled the company to expand its building and install new production lines to increase its pastry production capacity by 68 per cent as of next year. This is backed by a recruitment plan for the creation of nearly 200 jobs in Canada and the U.S. Fully half of those jobs will be in the Boucherville plant.
The new announcement consolidates the leadership position that Bridor has built in the industrial bakery sector over the 35 years of its existence in North America. “Bridor has been constantly innovating in a very competitive sector to maintain its sustained growth and leadership and continues to double its turnover every five years,” says Philippe Morin, Bridor’s general manager. “With a worldwide presence, we want to continue sharing our expertise with the largest number of people possible and keep offering our clients the best there is in
terms of baked goods.”
North America is a key market for Bridor to reach the global billion Euro turnover milestone set for 2021.
The investment was announced during Bridor’s 35th anniversary celebrations on Monday, September 30 in the presence of Louis Le Duff, Founder and President; Pierre Fitzgibbon, Member of Terrebonne and Minister of Economy and Innovation; Nathalie Roy, Member for Montarville and Minister of Culture and Communications; Kareen Rispal, France’s ambassador to Canada; Sophie Lagoutte, France’s Consul General in Montreal; and Jean Martel, Mayor of Boucherville as well as several business partners who came from far and wide to attend the function.
IDDBA announces new officers and board of directors
The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) announced the 2019-20 officers and board of directors at their annual business meeting, held recently in Madison, WI.
Gaetano Auricchio, executive vicepresident of BelGioioso Cheese, Inc., assumes the role of the association’s chairman of the board. He has served on the board of directors since 2014 and has been involved in many committees.
“It is an honour to announce our incoming Board of Directors,” said Mike Eardley, IDDBA president in a press release. “This group of industry experts gives tirelessly of their time, knowledge, heart, and soul to support all facets of the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association. They all come together to support the future of our industry,” he added.
Other officers for 2019/2020 are: Executive vice chairman: Dotty VanderMolen, vice chairman: Dominique Delugeau; treasurer: Peter Sirgy; Immediate past-chairman: Rick Findlay, Industry Consultant.
Puratos opens new Innovation Centre in Chicago Bread Symposium is back!
Puratos announced the opening of its newest Innovation Centre in the up-andcoming Pilsen neighbourhood of Chicago.
The company invested $1.5 million into this new 6,700-square-foot facility, Puratos’ sixth innovation centre in the United States. Puratos operates 88 such Innovation Centres globally to help reach customers in the more than 100 countries it serves and to spark creativity and
innovation among commercial bakery, patisserie and chocolate makers.
This new facility will welcome professionals from any size operation, from individual artisans and entrepreneurs to industrial manufacturers or retail operations, who are interested in honing their skills.
The innovation labs are outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment such as MIWE ovens, Rondo sheeters, spiral mixers and Koma retarders. The patisserie section includes a Koma blast freezer and chocolate tempering machines. The entire facility is temperature- and humidity controlled.
Specialized training enables participants to improve a current product range, develop new recipes or benchmark products compared to their competition.
The two-day Annual International Bread Symposium returns on June 3 to 6, 2020, thanks to sponsorship from Puratos.
This year, the focus is “Disruption and the Disruptors,” featuring an emphasis on game changing innovations that have major implications as bakers move into the future.
Proposals are now being accepted for speakers. If interested, please send a description of your topic that includes a one-page abstract, including its title, a short biography, and description of why you are uniquely qualified to speak on this topic. Please send your proposals to symposium@jwu.edu.
Tickets for the 2020 Symposium will cost $400 for the 2 1/2 days of presentations and $125 for the hands-on workshops. eligible fr the hands-on workshops).
Presented by
Jake the Baker wants to celebrate bakers for the great things that they do in their community, and the delicious things they make.
TO
JAKE THE BAKER
Nominate yourself, or a bakery you love. Share the story through our easy to use online form. If you prefer something more dynamic or creative, drop a short video or write a paragraph about your bakery through Instagram or Facebook. You have to use the hashtag: #JakeTheBaker2020 for your entry to be considered a valid entry. Here are some ideas you can discuss in your entry:
• Talk about how you give back to your community.
• How do consider yourself a part of your neighbourhood?
• What is your bakery’s speciality?
• Tell us how your bakery got its first start.
LOCAL, FANCY FLAVOURS
FLAVOURS
It’s a special event, “the big night.” The venue and menu are equally important. But for pastry chefs, it’s all about the desserts.
“My motto is, we can always make it happen,” says Kevin Yang, pastry chef at River Café, a much-lauded restaurant, in Calgary, Alberta. What makes this venue special is that it sits in the middle of Prince’s Island Park, which is indeed located on an island, between two rivers. It’s connected to the mainland by a small footbridge.
“The rivers have always been known for fly fishing and the restaurant is actually housed in a beautiful old cabin,” says Yang. It makes a bucolic setting for special events, in every season.
And then, of course, there are Yang’s creations. Dessert tables reign supreme and it is all about truffles, shortbread cookies, macaroons and fruit bars.
An extensive garden on the property provides edible flowers, berries and herbs.
“We are known for using hyper local ingredients so it can take quite a lot of work to achieve this,” says Yang, who clearly loves all the details. The only exception to the rule is coffee and chocolate, which are not grown in Canada, but Yang adds, “You can’t run a restaurant without them.”
}Truffles get the seasonal treatment. In the fall pumpkin is likely to dominate. The orbs of chocolate are rolled in the pumpkin’s own roasted and crushed seeds for added crunch.
(opposite) The Hazelnut Bombe is the belle of the ball for
(above) Local ingredients make for surprisingly festive flavours
Macarons may contain marigolds. The maple bouchons are flavoured with maple syrup from Langdon Hall’s own maple bush, or with brown butter gardengrown sage.
Yang likes to flavour macarons and shortbread with bergamot, the herb found in Earl Gray tea or sumac for its tangy flavour.
He also loves marigold, “It smells like orange and tastes like sour.” These qualities are especially valuable. Citrus is such an important flavour on a pastry menu, yet citrus fruits are not grown locally, so these are off limits at River Café.
For food colourings Yang makes his own. “I take local beets, then candy them and later dehydrate, before blitzing into a
powder. When I use beet powder in macaroons the result is a vibrant baby pink,” he says. Yang notes he also uses beet powder to colour the buttercream that is sandwiched between the macarons.
And then there are countless fruit bars, especially of the berry variety, in summertime. Crumble bases are made by dehydrating left over in-house made, sour dough bread. This is pulsed into a flour, then combined with butter, sugar and salt from Vancouver Island. The crumble supports the fruit that is baked into a rich custard.
In the fall, pumpkin also appears in the form of bars. But butternut or kabocha squash are equally inviting, so too are varieties of plums or Concord grapes.
And for brides who choose River Café as a venue, there is the added enticement of Yang’s one of a kind wedding cakes. “I like to use lots of piping techniques, texture and shadows, keeping in mind seasonal and local. I also like crunch in-between the cake layers, like chocolate crumb or milk crumb,” says Yang.
For celebrational Christmas dessert tables Yang turns to peppermint truffles; macarons, with roasted apple buttercream; spruce butterscotch fudge; anise hyssop shortbread, along with lemon balm or sumac butter squares.
And then there are plated desserts with a holiday flare. “I like to make desserts based on spruce and quince,” says Yang. “I burn the spruce first, then throw it into milk and let it soak for 24 hours. It creates a smoky resin and slightly citrusy milk. I turn the liquid into a glaze to pour over the chocolate cake, with quince ganache.”
For special events that involve a night
New Year’s Eve and other gala events;
at the River Café.
away, there is Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa, situated inside a Carolinian wooded forest setting, in Cambridge, Ontario. It first opened in 1989 and in recognition of superior standards was awarded membership in the prestigious Relais & Chateaux affiliation, in 1991. Over the years the property saw an expansion in the dining room and in 2016, a new wing was constructed, with a new event space.
“We try to make events festive by showcasing what is unique to our property,” says Rachel Nicholson, pastry chef at Langdon Hall. “Then we elaborate and expand our limits.”
The vegetable garden is maintained by Mario Muniz, head gardener, who works very closely with the chef team to plant a wide variety of produce that can be featured in menus.
As for the ever- popular dessert table, tarts may contain gooseberries or currants from the garden. Macarons may contain marigolds. The maple bouchons are flavoured with maple syrup from Langdon Hall’s own maple bush, or with brown butter garden-grown sage. Truffles get the herbed effect with freshly plucked lemongrass or one of five kinds of lavender grown on the property.
“We have spruce trees growing here, so we try to incorporate that into desserts too,” the pastry chef says.
Nicholson and Jason Bangerter, executive chef at Langdon Hall have also developed their own signature chocolate. After an invitation to Cocoa Barry’s prestigious Noir In, in Paris, the two were asked to select from cocoa beans from around the world. The result is the cocoa bean blend of chocolate they called Terrior Noir 70 per cent chocolate, available in both dark
Wintertime doesn’t have to mean a dearth of seasonal flavouring.
and milk chocolate, exclusively for the guests at the hotel.
“Both chocolates really embody the spirit of the property,” says Nicholson. “We have fireplaces throughout the public spaces and in the guest rooms, so we wanted a chocolate with some smoke and earth to it.”
Not surprising these chocolates make it into a variety of dessert options. And when it comes to plating the delectable concoctions Nicholson says, “I like our plated desserts to look crisp and clean, with no extra fuss on the plate. For our bombes or cakes, I like for there to be texture on the inside.”
One special dessert that guests have enjoyed for both gala events and New Year’s Eve Celebrations is the hazelnut bombe. “The bottom layer is a hazelnut praline, milk chocolate and cocoa nib layer,” explains Nicholson. “The center is a milk chocolate and hazelnut praline Chantilly. The glaze is a white chocolate mirror glaze. It’s made by whipping the Chantilly and piping into a semi sphere mold, then placing the bottom layer on it. We then pop it out and glaze it with the white chocolate glaze.”
At Christmastime, many families choose to leave the bustle of the city for some quiet time at Langdon Hall. One tradition they are guaranteed to find every season is plum pudding. “We use candied and dried fruit and brandy, We steam it and then serve with vanilla crème Anglaise or hard sauce,” Nicholson explains. Beautiful venues help set the scene for special events Stand out desserts in all their various forms help to create nostalgia, memories and a sensational finale to every special event. / BJ
Karen Barr writes about arts, culture and cuisine. She is a graduate of George Brown College and is a Red Seal pastry chef. She was a former Government-appointed member of the Industry Committee for Baker-Pâtissier for Ontario.
mg/day to 2770 mg/day. That reduction places Canada as world leaders in populations sodium reduction and within 20% of the stated objective of 2,300mg/day.
The newly reelected but minority Liberal government placed a great deal of focus on the food supply and food industry in their first term. The question for the sector is will it continue to be under the political spotlight when the House of Commons reconvenes. While at the writing of this article the new Cabinet and their Mandate Letters have yet to be released let’s take a look at what occurred in their first term and what was stated in their election platforms.
In the last Parliament, the Liberal Government came forward with their Healthy Eating Strategy that proposed five pillars of improving healthy eating information, improving nutrition quality of foods., protecting vulnerable populations, supporting increased access to and availability of nutritious foods and improving healthy eating information.
In support of the Strategy, the government released a revised Canada’s food guide earlier this year. The new guide focuses on food selection rather than quantities and a special reference to consuming more plant proteins.
In September, 2018 Health Canada banned the use of partially hydrogenated oils in foods, the main source of industrially produced trans fat. BAC did not object to the ban as Canada’s baking industry had (except for a few outliers) already switched over to trans fat alternatives.
At the end of 2016, new nutrition regulations were finalized with a focus on the nutrition facts table and list of ingredients. Still unfinished are the regulations on food labeling modernization which were to have been completed in the government’s first mandate.
Other unfinished elements of the Strategy include the Liberal governments proposal to impose Front of Package Labelling and restrictions on Marketing of Unhealthy Foods to Children. The Front of Pack proposal would have required warning labels on food products identified as high in fats, sugar and sodium. That proposal never made it past the Gazette 1 stage.
The restrictions on Marketing of Unhealthy Foods to Children initiative was dependent on passage of a Senate initiated Bill S-228 of the same name. That Bill was never given final approval and “died on the order paper” when the election was called. BAC opposed S-228 as it would have declared breads as unhealthy for children and the underling regulations would have prevented even adult focused bread ads. BAC is supportive of food advertising restrictions similar to requirements that have been in place in Quebec for almost 40 years
Health Canada continue to focus on sodium reduction and their 2017 report showed that the average sodium consumption from Canadians had dropped from a previous 3,400
Looking forward to the new Parliament, the Liberal election platform on health does not identify food industry specific initiatives. The Liberal health platform spoke of ensuring all Canadians have access to a family doctor or primary health care team, as well as mental health services, improved access to mental health services, and implementing National Pharmacare. Regarding efforts to restrict marketing of unhealthy foods to children it is worth noting that Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said “A ban was promised by cabinet in 2015 but never passed: any re-elected Liberal cabinet will reintroduce a bill to ban junk food advertising to children. It will absolutely be a priority.”
The NDP is seen as the most likely supporter of the minority Liberal government and therefore their platform is worth reviewing. A snapshot of the NDP plan would place a focus on similar issues as the Liberals including establishing a national suicide prevention action plan, major commitments to address the opioid crisis, implementing a national dental care plan and offering free dental care based on criteria along with a national pharma care plan.
The Mandate Letters to Ministers will more specifically detail the Liberal plan for the minority parliament and what lays in-store for the food industry.
Atlantic Chapter 2019 Year End Review
The BAC Atlantic Chapter held two key events bringing together the Association members and their guests for good collaboration, fun and fellowship activity. I am pleased to announce through the support of the membership there was a record participant turnout during this Chapter Season.
The first event was the BAC Hockey Night held February 23rd at the Halifax Mooseheads game.
The members and guests enjoyed a great hockey game event in the private VIP Box at Scotiabank Centre. The event included several participant scoring draw games that added to the fun and game outcome excitement. Planning is underway for the Winter 2019 Event scheduled for February 20, 2020, where we look forward to membership participation at another great local game contest between the Halifax Mooseh-
eads and Rimouski Oceanic.
The annual BAC Golf Event was held September 17th at Mountain Woods Golf Club in Moncton. The weather was supportive with overcast skies and over 60 golfers enjoying a day of scramble golf followed by reception of steak dinner and prizes.
The tournament reception included the presentation of the Snair Cup for the lowest team score performance. This is the sixth year for the Snair Cup Championship Trophy, in recognition of the late Greg Snair, principle owner of Snair’s Golden Grain Bakery and longtime BAC Atlantic Member.
This year I was delighted to present the Championship Trophy to the winning team. This year’s champion was Maritime Pride Eggs, team members Dwayne Ogilvie, Jason Brine and Ron Daigie.
Finally, I would like to thank once again the association sponsors and attendees for their participation in the 2019 BAC Atlantic Chapter Activities and look forward to the continued support of the members and guests for the upcoming 2020 Season.
Mike Raftus Ardent Mills ATLANTIC CHAPTER CHAIR
BAC Atlantic Golf Participants
Winning Team – Maritime Pride Eggs with Dwayne Ogilvie, Jason Brine, Ron Daigle
Ontario Chapter: A Year In Review 2019
The BAC Ontario Chapter for 2019 held its traditional events with the exception of some juggling of the event dates. This year we held our Annual Seminar; “Developing Your Business to Meet the Challenges of Tomorrow” at Centennial College on March
07th, it was well attended with 4 speakers covering current topics geared toward our industry.
Last year end our board decided after over 25 years of holding 2 industry golf tournaments we would combine the two into one large tournament held at Bondhead Golf and country club
Here are the 2019 Chapter Committee Members:
DAN PEROFF (OLYMPIC WHOLESALE)
on June 13th, in spite of the rain that day it turned out to be a very successful event, and we will be returning there next year to the same location.
The Night at the Races traditionally held in the spring time was held on September 25th this year. With the date change it gave us the opportunity to choose a new room at Woodbine race track that created a new atmosphere for our attendees for a very well attended and enjoyable evening and great buffet dinner.
Don’t forget that we have our Christmas social being held this year at The Old Mill on November 29th, with a theme of a “Victorian Christmas” , tickets can be purchased on line from the BAC website.
I would like to close with thanking our member sponsors, attendees that continue to support our baking industry. Along with a special thanks to our Chapter Committee Happy Holidays and a great New Year to all.
CHAIR/ GOLF
KATE TOMIC (CALDIC CANADA) VICE CHAIR EDUCATION/HOLIDAY SOCIAL
DIETER CLAASSEN ..................................................................................................... TREASURER
KATE NUGENT CHAIR EDUCATION
J C MADOUR (LALLEMAND) CHAIR SOCIAL
STEPAHNIE JEWELL (BAKERS JOURNAL) SECRETARY
VIKRAM CHOWDHURY (REDPATH SUGARS) ........................................... SEMINARS
DAVID SHUTIAK (PACKAGING MACHINERY) MEMBERHIP
GARY FRANKLIN (LANTIC SUGAR) MEMBERSHIP
PHILLIP ROBINSON (DAWN FOODS) .............................................................. MEMBER AT LARGE
Night at the Races with Judy & Gary Franklin, Lantic Sugar, Art & Wilma Mills, AM Ingredients
Peroff
Night at the Races with Vikram Chowdhury, Redpath Sugar, with Helen Chen and Isa Ngai, King’s Pastry
Tess Mitchell
IMCD Canada Ltd
BC CHAPTER CHAIR
BC Chapter 2019 Year End Review
As Chair, I would like to begin by thanking below our BAC BC Chapter Committee Members for their hard work in helping to promote and strengthen our baking industry:
Here are the 2019 Chapter Committee Members:
JESSE LAMB (PORTOFINO BAKERY)................................................................ PAST CHAIR
TONY LLEWELLYN (SNOW CAP) VICE CHAIR
CHRISTIAN MITZEL (CHEFS WAREHOUSE) NATIONAL BOARD REP
MARTIN BARNETT (SERAPHINA’S OVEN).................................................. NATIONAL BOARD REP
GARY HUMPHREYS (CALDIC CANADA) SECRETARY
HARRY KOOL (COBS BREAD) TREASURER
SHERI CASTELLARIN (SNOW CAP) ................................................................. ENTERTAINMENT
PETER BRIMACOMBE (ROGERS FOODS) MEMBERSHIP
RITA GOWER (VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY) EDUCATION
SUSIE FINDLAY (VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE) ..................... EDUCATION
Committee Members at Large
JACK KUYER (VALLEY BAKERY), JOS NAN (BAKEMARK)
BC CHAPTER COMMITTEE
Our BC chapter mandate is to hold educational seminars/workshops and two social events per year. Here is an overview of 2019:
The annual BAC BC Chapter Fund Raising Golf Tournament took place on June 19, 2019 at Newlands Golf Course. Attendance was down a bit this year from previous but it was a wonderful day of golf and a great networking event for all those who participated! The volunteer students from Vancouver Community College were a great help and they generously supplied us with delicious desserts and pastries for the dinner!
On October 23rd, 2019 we had the Fall Workshop at Vancouver Island University featuring Morgan Clemenston, Technical Advisor
from Puratos. She travels all over the world helping clients to create innovative products and training local teams. We were lucky to have her host the sold out event of 50 registrants! It was an informative afternoon of baking and demonstrations – proving these workshops do not disappoint! It just so happened that ten years ago to the date, the BAC donated funds towards a wood fired brick oven for VIU so it was a very special moment to be there on that day and using the oven for part of the workshop.
Our Festive Night at the Races will be held on November 8th, 2019 and it’s already on track to be a sold out event! A fantastic social evening and as always there
are many great prizes to be won and fun to be had.
Our focus has always been towards promoting our baking industry, schools and our students. Our Chapter believes that our contributions and student bursaries will play a role in helping to attract quality people to our industry. We have topped up the scholarships this year and continue to support the educational programs at both Vancouver Community College and Vancouver Island University. We are always looking for new ways of supporting and encouraging up and coming students in the industry and this will certainly be one of our primary focus’ for the new year.
I would like to thank all of the attendees who participated in our chapter activities and thank our generous BC Chapter Sponsors: ADM Milling, BakeMark Canada, Barry Callebault, Caldic Canada, Cobs Bread, Coldstar Solutions, Dawn Foods, IMCD Canada Ltd, IREKS North America, Lesaffre Yeast, Maxim Trucking, P&H Milling, RF Bakery Equipment, Richardson Food & Ingredients, Rogers Foods, Sandel Foods, Snow Cap. The BC Chapter is excited for what is in store for the upcoming year and the planning of our spring event is already underway! Wishing everyone a fun, safe, and prosperous 2020!
Fall Baking Workshop from left to right Ken Harper, VIU; Wayne Llewellyn, Snowcap; Rita Gower, VIU; Martin Barnett, Seraphina’s Oven; Gary Humphreys, Caldic Canada; Angelique Frederiksen, VIU; Rachel Beetson, Old Towne Bakery
VIU Fall Baking Workshop Speaker Morgan Clementson, Puratos
Sample of VIU Fall Baking Workshop pastries made by the students
CHAPTER SEMINAR
Wednesday
January 29th, 2020
8:30am to 12:30pm
LOCATION: MISSISSAUGA CONVENTION
CENTRE (SALON A)
75 Derry Road West
Mississauga, ON | L5W 1G3
REGISTRATION FEES:
$95 + HST per BAC Member
$105 + HST per Non-member (Registration Form attached)
Baking Association of Canada Ontario Chapter Presents...
Exceed The Challenges Of Tomorrow ANNUAL
TOPICS AND SPEAKERS:
HOW TO SET UP YOUR BUSINESS TO SELL ONLINE | Jo-Ann McArthur, President of Nourish Food Marketing and the International Food Marketing Alliance
PLANT BASED PROTEIN IN BAKED PRODUCTS | Mariana Macovei, Project Leader, Ingredion Canada
CANNABIS IN THE BAKERY INDUSTRY | Pierre Killen, Cannabis industry business and public affairs executive
HIRING AND RETAINING IN THE BAKERY INDUSTRY | Anthony Folan, MD, Integral HR Solutions
After the complimentary breakfast, our four speakers will take you through specific initiatives that address the key issues of how to exceed the challenges of tomorrow. Our speakers will discuss ways by which you can be successful selling your products online, new product introductions in the plant based protein segment, the place for Cannabis in the bakery industry and we’ll finish the morning with the topics of hiring the right talent for your company.
The topics are applicable and of interest to bakeries of all sizes along with suppliers to the baking industry. If you’re in Product Development, R&D, Marketing, Sales or General Management, don’t miss this Annual Seminar.
To view a full bio of our speakers, visit baking.ca/chapter
ONTARIO CHAPTER ANNUAL SEMINAR Exceed the Challenges of Tomorrow
Wednesday January 29th, 2020
MISSISSAUGA CONVENTION CENTRE, 75 Derry Road West • SALON A 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
ATTENDEE
Please list names of all attendees: (attach seperate sheet if necessary)
Name ___________________________________ Company ____________________________________
Name ___________________________________ Company ____________________________________
Name ___________________________________ Company ____________________________________
Name ___________________________________ Company ____________________________________
Name ___________________________________ Company ____________________________________
Name ___________________________________ Company ____________________________________
Main contact information: (An email confirmation/receipt will be sent to the main contact)
Name ___________________________________ Tel ____________________ Email _________________
Address _________________________________ City, Prov _______________ Postal Code ___________
PAYMENT INFORMATION
_________ # of attendees X $95 per member
_________ # of attendees X $105 per non-member
_________ Platinum Sponsorship X $3,000 _________ Gold Sponsorship X $2,000 _________ Silver Sponsorship X $1,000
$ ________ = Sub total
$ ________ X 13% HST
$ ________ = Total Enclosed
Please make all cheques payable to: Baking Association of Canada Baking Association of Canada only accepts: Visa Mastercard AMEX Card # __________________________________ Name on card ____________________________ Expiry Date ______________________________ Signature ________________________________
Send completed form with payment to: Baking Association of Canada, 7895 Tranmere Drive, Suite #202, Mississauga, ON L5S 1V9 905-405-0288 TF 1-888-674-2253 905-405-0993 info@baking.ca www.baking.ca PRINT FORM Cheque
ONTARIO CHAPTER ANNUAL SEMINAR Exceed the Challenges of Tomorrow
Wednesday January 29th, 2020
MISSISSAUGA CONVENTION CENTRE, 75 Derry Road West • SALON A 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Learn more about our guest presenters...
JO-ANN MCARTHUR
PRESIDENT OF NOURISH FOOD MARKETING AND THE INTERNATIONAL FOOD MARKETING ALLIANCE
Jo-Ann specializes in food and beverage marketing. She creates marketing strategies that help move products off shelves across Canada, the US and Europe, into the consumer’s shopping basket, on their plates and into their hearts.
Jo-Ann also lectures on Marketing at the Schulich Executive School of Business, the Association of Canadian Advertisers and Food Starter, formerly the Toronto Food Business Incubator. She is founding chair of the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada, a Past President of The Empire Club of Canada and serves on the board as Vice-Chair of ABC Life Literacy Canada.
MARIANA MACOVEI
PROJECT LEADER INGREDION CANADA
An enthusiastic Food Industry professional, Mariana Macovei is currently in a Technical Service role with Ingredion Canada, and has formerly worked as Food Safety Coordinator at Maple Lodge Farms plus had prior Technical roles at Nestle Canada & Wild Flavors. Mariana has a B.Sc. in Food Production Engineering from Sibiu, Romania, is also a Certified HACCP Auditor, and holds a Yellow Belt Six Sigma certification.
PIERRE KILLEN
CANNABIS INDUSTRY BUSINESS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS EXECUTIVE
Trusted business development executive, providing management consulting services to decision-makers in professional and industry associations, government and private sector organisations.International expert in governance, open dialogue and public participation, helping leaders in government and business secure the social license to operate.
ANTHONY FOLAN, MD
INTEGRAL HR SOLUTIONS
Seasoned Managing Director with a demonstrated history of providing Strategic HR Support and Services. Highly competent in Leadership Coaching, Executive Coaching, Workplace Investigations, HR Consulting, Recruitment and Selection, Labour & Employee Relations. Strong business acumen with the ability to build professional relationships at all levels within organizations.
HOCKEY NIGHT IN HALIFAX
HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS VS. RIMOUSKI OCEANIC
Thursday February 20 th , 2020
Scotiabank Centre / Wiser’s Lounge Private Box / Halifax, Nova Scotia Space is limited to 24 seats, please register early!
Agenda
6:00 p.m. Pre-game reception with Hors D’oeuvres 7.00 p.m. Game time
Please fill in the registration form below and return it before January 23rd, 2020
Name:
Company:
Address:
Phone:
Please enclose payment (credit card or cheque payable to Baking Association of Canada) Grand Total:
HOST MILANO 2019
Host Milano, the international trade show that is focused on the restaurant and catering industry ran from October 22 to the 26th. This year, it announced that over 200, 000 visitors came to the FieraMilano to experience the best the food industry has to offer.
The International Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate (FIPGC), are known on the international circuit for establishing and maintaining high professional standards in global competitions.
The biennial event saw an 8 per cent increase in attendees from its 2017 run.
Bakers and pastry chefs came to challenge themselves and find inspiration
among their peers. The baked goods industry was vested in learning who made the best Pannetone at the world Panetonne championships. Three categories marked that competition, dividing it into three categories:
• The Best Classic Panettone in The World
• The Best Stuffed Panettone in The World
• The Best Decorated Panettone in the World
The crowning event was the much heralded Cake Designers World Championship. Teams from all over the world converged to FieraMilano to create cakes that defied gravity, and staggered the imagination.
The challenge was to include features of cultural and historical significance that summed up the competing country’s essence in cake form. The theme this year
was “National Art and Tradition.” Each team was comprised of three competitors and one chef leading the team. Each cake was judged on the following categories: chocolate sculpture and praline, sugar sculpture, a definition of a “modern cake” pastillage sculpture and single-portion ice cream.
Poland walked away with three awards: Aside from the Best Cake Decoration, chef Jawita Woszczyńska also won the Best Taste Test award and the Best Public Exhibition, as well. Her cake featured Polish tiles, and candy figurines of Frédéric Chopin and Nicolaus Copernicus (both prominent figures in Polish history.)
Third place was awarded to Peru’s chef Monica Munante. Her cake displayed the colourful local fauna of Peru, and was topped with a
beautiful confectionery sculpture of a Peruvian aboriginal figurine.
Japan was awarded The World Trophy of Pastry Championships. The Japanese team consisted of [in alphabetical order] Tomohiro Tabata, Seiji Takishima, and Tomohiro Sugawara won the gold medal and a prize for the Best Modern Cake division.
Second place for the World Trophy of Pastry Ice Cream and Chocolate FIPG went to China. The country also won awards for Best Live Decorating, Best Artistic Sculpture and a prize for Journalistic Criticism. Third place was awarded to Italy.
The Silikomart prize was awarded dually to both Romania and USA.
Take a look at Bakers Journal’s online article on the World Pastry Championships, featuring live video of the event. / BJ
This year over 200, 000 visitors came to FieraMilano for the Host Milano event.
IN-HOUSE LABEL PRINTING
In house printing is gaining popularity with small and mid-sized bakers, particularly those who have a limited budget. Bakers Journal spoke with Kellie Garber, Senior Product Manager for Primera Technology, about the pros and cons to in-house printing. “In house labelling allows owners to make a dozen of one, two hundred of another, it just allows for that kind of flexibility and allows to make those quick changes with short lead times. It brings control back to the business, and not depend on a commercial print house. “
For bakeries who create edible cannabis-infused goods, the labelling laws are clear about the use of colour, and its potential to appearl to children. Creating an attractive but child-safe label can be onerous when dealing with a design firm; it can mean many visits with the visual design team and possibly, costly corrections or re-prints.
In house printing for bakeries can bring design control and cost reduction to the bakery owners.
}In house labelling allows owners to make a dozen of one, two hundred of another…it allows for those quick changes with short lead times.
For bakers just starting up a small batch bakery, an in house labelling system can be that cost effective tool that doesn’t take up much space, as it’s roughly the same space as an ordinary desk-top printer. The cost advantage to a DIY approach has its appeal for start ups, in particular. “- if you’re doing a few thousand labels of one design, from a commercial print house, you’d pay anywhere from five to seven cents [per label.]”
Storage is often an issue for companies that have small floor space and little to no storage outside of their pantry. With a smaller amount of labels on hand, bakeries can print a few hundred of one type of label and a couple dozen of another, using space more effectively.
Garber shared some considerations a start up bakery would need when considering their labeling requirements. “The big thing would be purchasing the printer, and it would have to be hooked
up to a computer, either a PC or a Mac, and keeping control of those designs as well, so having those available and making sure you have ink and materials in stock would be the big considerations.”
Aside from the initial purchase, there are conditions to consider how the labels would be used, and what environmental conditions they would be subject to. Some printers can print boxes and bags, but Garber adds that those looking into such options might want to consider if the unprinted boxes can handle ink jet printing from an in-house printer. She adds that bakeries should also consider how the machine would feed the labels, bags or boxes. It can be time consuming for a staff member to feed boxes one-by-one in to a printer, and some labels come in rolls for self-feeding, making life easier.
As for choosing ink, Garber notes that there are two kind of ink on the market at the moment. “One is a water-based dye ink, or a pigment ink, which for the food
industry isn’t the best. That one is best for the outdoors, as it’s better for water-resistance. Dye ink will give you brighter colours, so most bakeries use that.”
In all, Garber recommends bakeries ask clear questions prior to making a printer purchase, such as what a company’s trouble-shooting is like. Does the company offer online chat tech support or live-in person call?
“If a unit goes down, see if there is an offer where a device can be swapped out with a functioning one while the defective printer is sent back for repair or replacement. See what the cost or repair or replacement is: In some cases, might be higher than the cost of buying a new one altogether,” suggests Garber. “See if someone can log in remotely, if it’s a mechanical issue, if it’s under warrantee, see if they come with at least a one year guarantee for parts and labour.”
In short, a bakery considering in house printing should consider the cost of the printer, ink and material, and the potential for the cost of replacement and alternatives if a printer isn’t replaced quickly enough. This should be food for thought for any small bakery contemplating a creative solution to their labelling. /
BY ELAINE O’DOHERTY
LET THEM EAT TREATS
The holiday season can feel like an “eat-a-thon.” ’Tis the season to cook, bake and treat ourselves, and food service and bakery operators follow suit with decadent limited-time offers and themed menus.
Today’s health-conscious consumer is looking to literally have their cake and eat it, too. “Better-for-you” treats are in high demand; a prime example is consumers who are looking for foods with fibre that help promote gut health. Research shows that 86 percent of Canadian adult consumers say they are interested in food with high-fibre content, with 24 per cent willing to pay more for it. This means added fibre can bring more appeal to baked goods – including traditionally indulgent items. Using whole grain flours is an easy way to make small changes to festive treats while still retaining nostalgic flavours.
WHOLE GRAIN HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES
Each 56g cookie has 10 grams of whole grain.
Yields approximately. 10 dozen (120) 56g (2 oz) cookies
KG G
INGREDIENTS
1 300 Ardent Mills® Bakers Hand™ All Purpose Flour
2 315 Granulated sugar
80 Baking powder
40 Salt, fine
415 Eggs
105 Vanilla extract
PREPARATIONS
1. Weigh out all ingredients.
2. Preheat convection oven to (350°F).
3. Place butter and granulated sugar into mixing bowl; cream on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl and set aside.
5. Add egg and vanilla extract to the
well-creamed butter mixture and mix until well combined.
6. Add flour mixture to main dough in three stages. Mix well and scrape down bowl often to ensure an even mix. Remember: Do not eat the raw dough!
7. Form mixture into several dough balls of a similar size. Lightly flour a surface and rolling pin, and then roll each dough ball to a thickness of 3 mm (1/8”).
8. With your favourite floured holiday cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible. Gather and roll the leftover dough.
9. Place cookies on parchment-lined sheet pans 25 mm (1”) apart.
10. Sprinkle and decorate cookies with coloured sugar before baking, or frost and decorate after baking.
11. Bake for 9-11 minutes until slightly golden in colour.
PREVENTING BURN OUT
“The team’s exhausted. They’re burned-out, and I am too. I don’t know if we can recover. We’ve been working at 150 per cent for over a year – at least most of us have.”
“More change? Really? We’ve been through three major transitions in as many months. Everyone is really on edge. I am pretty sure Susan is going to quit”.
“Team? We work in the same building, but that’s about where it starts and stops. I’m hoping to get out of here soon.”
Even in the best of times, creating and maintaining a high-functioning team is work. When the team is burned-out, the task is infinitely harder, but it can be done.
STEP ONE:
The first step is accepting a list of truths.
Truth One: People have different levels of buy-in, a range of professional goals, and varying home/work demands.
}Truth Two: Not everyone experiences burnout in the same way nor is work always distributed evenly in most organizations. Some people probably are more burned-out than others.
Team members’ perception of the team’s condition are their truth...until people are ready to listen and believe what you show them, what they think is what it is.
Truth Three: Great teamwork will compensate for a lack of resources in the short term. However, teams that are stretched too thin for too long begin to show signs of wear and tear after a while.
Truth Four: If the leader isn’t a believer in what the team needs to accomplish or isn’t working as hard as he or she can to bring the team over the finish line each day, team members will know it and react in a range of ways— most of which are neutral at best.
Truth Five: Transparency matters. People don’t like being left in the dark, or worse still, lied to.
Truth Six: Too many changes at once usually don’t go over well unless there’s a logical flow to them, a sense of fairness about what’s being changed, and the absence of unnecessary chaos or drama.
Truth Seven: Elephants in a room stay there if they’re allowed to do so. If a team is not prepared to operate with candor and address any unspoken issues, there’s only so much that can be done to save the group.
Truth Eight: Team members’ perceptions of the team’s condition are their truth. You may have plenty of data to argue to the contrary, but until people are ready to listen and believe what you show them, what they currently think is what is.
STEP TWO
Once you’ve got a firm understanding of the basic truths, the next step is taking a long and hard look at what’s working, what isn’t, and why. Does everyone understand and buy into the team’s mission? Is work distributed fairly? Are some people doing more than they should have to do and others doing less than they should? Are people resentful of each other? Is there drama, and do you know the source? Is the team’s burnout a recent phenomenon or has its decay been long in the making? Is the burnout caused by internal factors, external factors, or a combination of both? Have people been misled or lied to in the past by those in positions of authority?
Those questions are just the tip of the iceberg and some ideas to get started. In fixing burnout, asking the right questions is as important, if not more, so than taking action. A good list of
questions will help you reduce the likelihood that you are treating symptoms or curing the wrong disease altogether.
STEP THREE
When you think you have a good grasp of the current situation and have verified your findings with others, it’s time to start thinking about what could be. A fast way to imagine a different state is to work through some more questions.
• Why does our team matter to the organization and what value do we offer?
• How do we want to feel about our work?
• What gets us excited about our work or what do we enjoy?
• What changes do we need to our work product, our work processes, or our people interactions?
• What needs to stay the same?
• What level of performance do we need from each team member?
• What are we going to do if those levels aren’t met?
Purchase Options:
• What additional resources do we need?
• What would success look like?
• What can we do to encourage transparency and communication?
• How will we celebrate improvements?
STEP FOUR
With a clear view of the present and a possible future, the next step is prioritizing. In most cases, burned-out teams don’t burn out overnight. Often the process is long and marked by a series of declines, bad luck, and unfortunate circumstances. Consequently, the recovery process is often long. In fact, the team may never realize some of the elements identified in step three for a long time, or maybe ever. Most recoveries don’t happen overnight. The trick is to keep the truths discussed in step one in mind as you prioritize a plan of action to get from the reality you uncovered in step two and the future you envisioned in step three.
STEP FIVE
The final step in the recovery planning process is creating a deliberate com-
munication plan. Recognize that you need to over explain and repeatedly share information. Once is not enough. Also, not all recoveries are linear. Your team will have some good days and bad. What’s important is making progress in the right direction over time. After a series of successes, everyone who is still with the group should be feeling a little less burned-out and a lot more excited about the work at hand.
With these five steps well in hand, you’re positioned to provide some immediate triage to your team members that are battling burnout. Burnout can be pervasive throughout an entire company, so get your first-aid kit out as soon as you pick up on the problem, and mitigate the issue before it negatively impacts your operation. / BJ
Kate Zabriskie is the president of Business Training Works, Inc., a Maryland-based talent development firm. She and her team help businesses establish customer service strategies and train their people to live up to what’s promised. For more information, visit www.businesstrainingworks.com.
BY DIANE CHIASSON
SIX BAKERY HOLIDAY RUSH TIPS
6 easy things you and your staff can do to prepare your bakery and bakers for the holiday rush
The countdown is here. Every year, like clockwork, starting right in November, time seems to speed up until all of a sudden, it’s this frantic time of the year. As a retailer, you are about to enter the most profitable time of the year. The holiday season offers a huge opportunity for bakery retailers of all sizes, but the competition for customers has never been more intense. As a small bakery owner, you have to make sure that you are totally ready. How should you prepare your bakery store for the holiday season? Here are 6 things you should do to prepare your bakery for the holidays:
1. PREPARE YOUR ADVERTISING
CAMPAIGN
}Before you plan for the holidays, you need to review last year’s campaign to see how you did. Identify your previous successes or failures in order to see areas where you can improve. You can then plan special holiday menus, advertising strategies and flyers to give out to customers. Many companies start planning their holiday events and parties as early as October; it’s always a good idea to have something to hand out. You should post on a daily basis some great photos of your bakery products on Facebook and Instagram. Posting photos on a regular basis will remind your customers to order that scrumptious cake or to check out a new macaron flavour. Google Ads is also a great place to get your seasonal message across. Create ads targeting holiday shoppers.
should prepare for an even bigger crowd than usual for the holidays, particularly during peak hours. It’s always better having too much supply than too little! Running out of ingredients for special cakes will make your staff and clients unhappy.
3. CONTACT YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS RIGHT AWAY
The key to optimizing holiday sales is to start communicating with your customers ASAP. The bulk of your sales will likely come from your regular customers but you certainly want to also attract new customers during the holiday season. You should get in touch with all of last year’s customers who ordered special treats for their office, catering events or special functions. Get more active via email during the holiday season. Communicate your seasonal plans to your customers with email or social
Get more active via email and social media during the holiday season. Get in touch with last year’s customers who ordered special treats for their office.
media campaigns to reach out to your customers on your database. Post signage throughout your store, and make sure your website is up to date.
4.
GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY
customer service. If you want to offer quality service during your busiest season, you must hire additional staff and train them properly. The holidays are busy for everyone, including your staff. Will you staff be adequate for large holiday parties and increased business? During the busy holiday season, it’s always a good idea to schedule more staff than you usually need. Start planning now if you need to hire additional people for your bakery before your competitors scoop up the most reliable talent. Many university students are home for the holidays and want to make some extra money before returning to school. To save time, call former employees that left for university and see if they will come back to help you out during the holiday season. Don’t forget that great customer experiences, lead to positive word of mouth, additional social media exposure, and leads to more business.
6. PROMOTE YOUR GIFT CARDS
2. CHECK YOUR INVENTORY
“Out of stock” means a lost sale. When it comes to holiday retail, one of the biggest mistakes a bakery can make is not having enough inventory to stock shelves or miss some ingredients during the holiday season. A well-establish bakery s
The winter holidays are a great time for community giving and charity. The holidays tend to bring out the best in people when it comes to lending their time, money, or assistance to charitable causes. Donating unused food to a food bank or supporting a local shelter are a great way to support your community and demonstrate your brand values. Playing an active role in food rescue is a great way to give back and check out the many local programs in your area. Bring a platter of some special sweet treats to a nursing home or a senior living centre.
5. ORGANIZE YOUR STAFF SCHEDULE
One of the most important operational aspects of being successful with the holidays is scheduling your staff effectively to provide the best possible
Don’t wait until the holidays to decide you need a gift card for your bakery or online store. Gift card programs can be set up quickly but just remember the holiday season is the busiest time in the year. You bakery will definitely increase sales with a gift card program. It’s that simple. When you offer a gift card program, it brings at least two customers into your bakery — the giver and the receiver. You should have a gift card program — one that includes plastic gift cards as well as eGift cards. Let your customers give the gift of your bakery during the holiday season. According to some recent surveys, gift cards are the most requested gift item during the holiday season, restaurants, and retail stores gift cards lead the pack. Think of setting up a big display area at the front of your bakery, and package each gift card in a box or gift bag with a bow and ribbons. Make sure you include a blank holiday card with the gift card. / BJ
Diane Chiasson, FCSI, provides innovative, revenue-increasing foodservice and retail programs, and more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultlants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com
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BY JANE DUMMER, RD
BAKERY MIXES GO DELUX
The rise of premium mixes makes for inspired baking options
Since the nineteen fifties, the traditional Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines baking mixes and branding has always conjured up the image a housewife in an apron wanting to create a dessert for her husband and kids, with the convenience factor in mind. Fast forward to 2019, there has been a revival in home baking and more specifically in the baking mix category. With more and more premium baking mixes on shelf, I’m seeing rebranding and new launches in this category at conferences including International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE).
}Beyond convenience, the trend of lifestyle nutrition has changed how premium mixes are created today with a new approach to everyday baking. Thinking about Lenny & Larry’s ready to eat baked goods like the Muscle Brownie and Organic Gemini’s Tigernut Vanilla Muffin & Cake Mix, consumers are craving decadent, and delicious, yet options to meet their demands for dietary preferences, fitness routines, plus their need to understand ingredient lists.
nut-free, gluten-free and grain-free sweet goods baking.”
As the consumers in Canada and USA increasingly opt for simple, quality ingredients, there are lines of premium baking mixes touting tag lines such as: ‘wholesome made easy’; ‘made with real ingredients’; ‘made local ingredients’; and, ‘just add honey and nut or seed butter.’ These mixes have front of package statements including no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Nutrient content also contain claims such as a good source of fibre. This is making the baking aisle more appealing to the health conscious consumer looking for a convenient dessert or snack they can make at home for themselves and for their families.
Sprouting grains, pulses and seeds are resurging in the baking and snack categories as I observed at IBIE. Sprout-
Whether it is premium quality, organic, vegan, keto friendly, gluten free, non-GMO or transparent ingredient lists, companies who are agile will deliver, especially among the Millennials.
in recent years, as requests for less sugar and no gluten have gained popularity.
With these factors in mind, George Papanastasatos, CEO of Organic Gemini, based in California explains, “We are noticing food bloggers and social media influencers have inspired moms to do more baking at home. Many of these moms want to access healthy, freshly made baked goods, but also have dietary preferences such as less sugar, no gluten or grains. All of our products are available online, super convenient for the home baker. We’re developing a series of baking mixes including pancakes, brownies, and bread all with tigernut flour. They will be launched in early 2020. With its nutrient profile, sweet flavor and versatility, tigernut flour has become the number one option for
ing gives a premium value-add to an otherwise traditional blend. Cooking whole grains, seeds and pulses is often inconvenient and time consuming. Sprouting reduces cook time, in most cases by half, making preparation much quicker and easier. Second Spring Foods based in Seaforth, Ontario has a line of six organic sprouted baking mixes with simple ingredients and flavours like sprouted pumpkin muffin mix and spouted black bean brownie mix ideal for everyday baking.
Meeting the demands of today’s consumers is a much faster pace than when Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines hit the shelves. Whether it is premium quality, organic, vegan, keto friendly, gluten free, non-GMO or transparent ingredient lists, companies who are agile will deliver especially among the Millennials. This cohort is eager to try new ingredients and recipes, and then post on social media and/or blog about it.
Food business veteran Michael Theodor, President MT Consulting
describes, “When it comes to consumers using baking mixes at home, they want natural, organic, and premium ingredients. Mixes with ingredients like almond flour (grain-free and gluten-free), and zero calorie sweeteners such as monk fruit are marketed in the USA as keto-friendly and are popular among people following a low carbohydrate diet. Moving forward in the baking space, keep your eye on yacon flour, powder and flakes. All are gluten-free and are high in non-digestible soluble fibres with a slightly sweet flavour.”
Everyday baking is changing as consumers want more control over the ingredients they use, while craving premium, convenience and exceptional flavour. Lifestyle nutrition continues to be an important aspect in all areas of food production, including premium baking mixes. From on-the-go snacking to desserts, consumers desire new ingredients, new recipes and new usages. In the premium baking mix category, I’m anticipating more top quality mug cake mixes to fit this market for the single serve option. / 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
Baking mixes have become more luxurious
Great tasting cake mixes, Eh!
With a history dating back to 1856, when we started our operations in Kulmbach, Germany, we are still quite new to Canada. We are doing our best to fit in as well as possible, just as we do in the more than 90 countries we also have customers. One thing we have learned is that “EH” should be used as much as possible, eh? So, eh, we would love to invite you to bake some of our cake mixes. Try cookies together with some milk to create the, eh, all-time favourite of milk & cookies. Our cake mixes are available from all large wholesalers in the country, eh! Or call us for a free sample, details below, eh. German quality made for Canada, EH!
