1 in 2 consumers find premiumness important when buying a cookie 42% declare finding ”gooey” textures appealing in a cookie!
COOKIE INSIGHTS AND RECIPES FROM OUR RENOWNED CHEFS
BY NAOMI SZEBEN
INSPIRATIONAL BAKERIES
The contest formerly known as the Jake the Baker contest changed its name to the Inspirational Bakery contest, but its values and criteria remained the same. The Founding Sponsor, Ardent Mills, carried on the tradition of having the previous year’s winner, Derek Kedzierski of the St. Joseph Bakery co-judge. Judges looked for a bakery that was innovative, and told a story that demonstrated its connection to its clients and community. Everyone on the panel was very interested in what the entries had to say, and the story of this year’s winner, Mark Burton of Best Kind Bakeshop, was very relatable.
Elaine O’Doherty, Marketing Manager, Canada, at Ardent Mills, particularly liked how Burton’s bare-bones operating schedule minimized waste, reduced inventory for unconsumed food and ran the bakery on a hyper-efficient mode. “There is professionalism behind it,” explained O’Doherty. “It’s a great story for the times we’re living in: it’s about the loss of a job and how he found something to pivot to, and then became successful with it.”
Reid McEachran, Marketing Associate for Ardent Mills, was enthused with the Best Kind’s innovative use of its website to reach out to new and existing clients. “It’s just so cool because it’s a passion project turned professional business. [Burton’s] just a guy who started making bread for his friends because he wanted to spread some joy. And then it turned into this full awesome business.” What appealed to the contest’s Founding Sponsor was the environmental ethos behind the bakery. “It’s really impressive that every week they update the website; pictures of the new product they’re going to make, as they make them all to order. You know they’re really focusing on the environment and not generating any waste.”
Food entrepreneurs love hearing about businesses that have struggled but regained footing. Bakers are creative by nature, and are inspired by stories of those who have found an innovative solution to a problem or changed their operating model on a dime. Best Kind’s story will keep you vested in Burton’s struggle, and you’ll celebrate his clever business pivot.
}“In these times, so many people were impacted during the pandemic. Although essential, us bakeries were also impacted. To have continued supporting people and causes without turning anyone aside is an amazing thing!” — Derek Kedzierski
Burton had lost his job, and instead of taking this situation sitting down, he rolled up his sleeves and started baking.
There were so many stories that appealed to the judges. As every year, it was a challenge to choose only one. Kedzierski was particularly impressed with two Canadian bakeries. He was moved by the story behind Dinah’s Sourdough. “Starting a farmers market in your parking lot to help support local farmers! Hats off for community support. We have a great infrastructure in Niagara to get farmers to market, but even with it, there are still several famers who don’t have a way to get their products into the hands of the end consumer! Dinah’s identified a community need, and helped solve it and is expanding on it!”
Kedzierski related to a Montreal doughnut shop’s entry: “DoughNats thinks like me…. Support the people who support you. In these times, so many people were impacted during the pandemic. Although essential, us bakeries were also impacted. To have continued supporting people and causes without turning anyone aside is an amazing thing!”
As a man who works from his heart, Kedzierski particularly liked how DoughNats owner Nathalie Kaspy-Shtern listened to hers. “She took a leap and started a new destination in Montreal. In a city where there is so much competition, it is truly amazing you can rise and become a star so quickly.”
With so many heartfelt, inspiring stories, it says something that Best Kind Bakeshop was selected as the winner. The Bakeshop’s name comes from Newfoundland’s lingo: “Best Kind” is a synonym for “the tops,” or “just great.” “How are you feeling today?” “I’m best kind, never been better,” his website explains. Burton’s winning entry was truly the best kind of heartwarming story. Bakers Journal wishes the bakeshop every success! / BJ
JULY 2021 | VOL. 81, NO. 6
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briefly | Handtmann celebrates a manager; New faces and positions for Kwik Lok and RBS | for more
in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Handtmann’s new sales and business development manager
Chris D’Aoust, Managing Director of Handtmann Canada Limited, recently announced the appointment of Rafal Rusiniak as National Sales and Business Development Manager.
“Raf has the perfect blend of sales and technical experience in various facets of the food processing industry for this role. That diverse sector experience combines with his ten successful years with Handtmann working with customers in Ontario to help build their businesses and more recently as Key Account Manager supporting our national sales team and their customers to provide the service perspective that makes Handtmann such is dependable partner,” said D’Aoust in a statement.
Rusiniak studied Mechanical Engineering Technology at Humber College and Business Management at Ryerson University prior to assuming technical sales and service roles with ABI LTD and Mosur Machine.
New board chair for Kwik Lok Corp
Kimberly PaxtonHagner, co-owner of Kwik Lok Corporation, has been elected to the role of Board Chair for the company.
Kwik Lok is a third-generation global company that was founded by her grandfather, Floyd Paxton. Paxton-Hagner assumed the role as chairperson at the company’s recent board meeting on April 1.
She succeeds John Rothenbueler as chairperson upon his retirement. Kwik Lok is now owned by sisters, Kimberly Paxton-Hagner, Melissa Steiner and Stephanie Jackson.
A key focus is Kwik Lok’s committed to sustainability. The company has been innovating products that help customers lower greenhouse gas emissions and use less petroleum-based plastics while still maintaining the packaging’s safety and freshness.
New project manager for RBS
Reading Bakery Systems (RBS), manufacturers of snack production systems, has announced the hiring of Daniel Garrison as project, manager for the parts department.
In his new role, Garrison will oversee all project level orders, and serve as customer liaison and supervisor on retrofit, upgrade, and design projects.
“We’re pleased to have Daniel join our project management team. His vast experience with food and beverage capital projects will be a valuable resource for our customers to properly operate, maintain, or enhance their baking systems. We are excited to welcome him to the RBS team,” said Mike Johnson, Vice President of Thomas L. Green, RBS in a statement.
Garrison, who previously worked for The Boston Beer Company and Nestle since 2009 in various project lead and engineering capacities, holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Perdue University.
From the latest in dough dividers to most recent advances in order fulfillment, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” for more on new products for the baking industry, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Cimcorp Automates Bakery Product Handling and Order Fulfillment
Cimcorp, a turnkey robotic order fulfillment and tire-handling solutions provider, announced it has helped Midwest convenience store chain Kwik Trip automate product handling and order fulfillment in its La Crosse, Wisconsin baking facility’s warehouse.
Within the 87,000-square-foot warehouse, Cimcorp designed a spacesaving, high-density layout and custom automated solution centered around its MultiPick robotic order picking system. The solution is able to rapidly manage 80,000 trays of fast-moving bakery products and process orders for 53,000 outbound trays to over 700 Kwik Trip stores each day.
The warehouse is part of a 200,000-square-foot baking facility opened by Kwik Trip in the fall of 2018 in response to growing demand for its self-produced baked goods—namely bread and buns. With the goal of producing and distributing four times the volume of output of its previous baking facility, Kwik Trip wanted to automate as much of its operations as possible. Today, the state-ofthe art facility features various automated systems that handle the majority of production, packaging, warehousing and outbound distribution in a well-orchestrated, fully integrated fashion.
Derek Rickard, Director of Sales, Cimcorp, said in press release, “Surges are a common challenge in bakery distribution—where warehouse managers and employees must keep products efficiently moving out the door amid spikes in order volume. These are often seen seasonally but can also occur due to other external market factors. For instance, at the onset of COVID-19, Kwik Trip saw demand nearly triple in a single week. But thanks to the rapid handling and adaptability of our MultiPick system, the La Crosse facility was able to maintain the same product flow and level of order accuracy as its normal daily operation. From the beginning, it was important that our solution offer such flexibility, as well as scalability, to meet Kwik Trip’s warehousing needs as the company sets its sights on continued growth ahead.”
Handtmann unveils new rotary dough divider
Handtmann unveiled their servodriven Rotary Dividing Solution for bread dough scales with +/-1% accuracy at up to 200 ppm.
It’s designed for operations that produce a large range of premium products on a single cutting unit.
With the VF 800 divider, the single lane SE 442-1 Rotary Divider delivers higher dough yields without oil, in a short product path and with exceptional dough quality. The consistent and continuous scaling of each dough piece also ensures a stable, process-reliable operation.
This Rotary Divider uses standard Handtmann inserts that are available in a variety of customizable shapes and diameters that range from 30mm to 95mm. The Handtmann rotary blade is designed with an undercut function that increases precision.
Blade speed is adjustable for different dough densities and the rotary blade and conveyor belt speeds can be controlled separately. This enables exact product depositing with equal spacing so dough orientation on the belt can be optimized for downstream processes.
New Bulk Bag Filler from BPS
Bulk bag fillers manufactured by Best Process Solutions, Inc. (BPS) are designed to fill any size bulk bag with high accuracy, while offering years of trouble-free maintenance.
BPS’s Model BBF loader features an inflatable fill head that offers a dust-free seal when loading, dust port with dust cartridge, and manually adjustable bag supports for varying bag heights—great for low ceiling heights. Many options are available.
The company manufactures a complete line of custom-engineered, bulk-processing equipment and systems. With more than 100 years’ combined experience, the company serves a wide variety of dry processing industries from chemicals and food to aggregates and recycling.
Automated cooking oil management system for food industry
Cargill is collaborating with Frontline International and developed the Kitchen Controller™ an automated oil management system. This management system, is a digital solution for foodservice operators under the new Cargill Serve™ umbrella, an initiative to help customers streamline kitchen management.
Cooking oil management helps maintain consistent food quality while operating on a thin profit margin. This solution leverages Cargill’s foodservice experience and oil quality knowledge with Frontline International’s equipment expertise and customer relationships, providing foodservice operators with an integrated, intelligent approach to oil management.
The Kitchen Controller system simplifies cooking oil management by automating the oil filtering and replacement process. At the heart of the system, a fry vat sensor gathers oil quality data. The data is then analyzed by the Kitchen Controller proprietary software and fed to a touchscreen pad. Kitchen staff use the green, yellow and red on-screen indicators on the touchpad to take action with the oil. This helps to ensure consistency and quality of fried foods and improves profitability.
“Although these aren’t new products to the industry, what makes them stand out from the competition is the unique design which incorporates all the features from other models into one quality product, while offering them at a significantly lower price point,” said Joe Flaherty, senior vice-president in a press release.
BEST KIND BAKERY
Bakers are already operating in an era where issues like food waste is a concern and energy conservation is key, but the pandemic has sharpened that focus. By reducing oven time, and tracking orders carefully, environmentallyaware bakeries have achieved cost reduction as their goal. Less food waste, more ingredients; less hydro, more operating funds.
While preserving resources is commendable, many have resorted even leaner operat-
ing models, like this year’s winner of the Inspirational Bakery Contest, Best Kind Bakehouse of Vancouver, BC.
Many restaurants and cafés operate on a skeleton crew, shifting to an online ordering model. With indoor dining areas closed, cafés and bakery-delis have pivoted to outdoor seating or curbside pickup after a phone call or online order.
That’s how Best Kind Bakehouse’s winning entry caught the judge’s attention. Owners, Mark and Carly Burton know what it feels
like to have lost employment due to the pandemic. They put their skills to use; Carly was a former event manager at the Fairmount Hotel Vancouver, and her husband, Mark, was chef and instructor at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. Together, they run an all-virtual bakery out of a commissary in Vancouver.
“Due to the pandemic, the hospitality industries were very, very hard hit. So, I started baking bread. But, being from that professional kitchen background I can’t just make one loaf of bread,”
“Best Kind,” is Newfoundland slang for “the tops,” as in “how are you feeling?” “Best kind, never better.”
chuckles Mark. “We had to start giving them away.” Their journey began with a visit to a friend’s place with some artisanal bread that piqued neighbours’ curiousity.
“We started taking the opportunity to jump on our bikes and start riding around and just literally handing out loaves of bread. And, you know, people were coming down and greeting us and they were very excited. They were saying, ‘hey, my neighbor saw me coming up with this package of bread and they were wondering
where I was getting it from?’ I was like, ‘oh, okay, I might have an extra loaf.’ Then, it was just basically through networking through our friends.”
“At that time, we had no website. We weren’t doing any marketing. It wasn’t even a business. It was literally, just making [bread at] a loss.”
}Despite baking and taking orders, and texting to notify bread lovers their order was ready, he didn’t consider his craft a business. It was only until one person offered to pay for Mark’s hobby that he realized this could be a lucrative opportunity.
The couple takes orders all week until Thursday, then Mark spends all of Friday making bread and pastry: The weekend is spent delivering. They choose to stay small and keep their environmental footprint low, and baking all the orders in one shot prevents needless waste of electricity. By taking orders in advance, he doesn’t generate food waste with overstock.
Once Mark’s order list
logged in at 62 loaves a week, it was Carly who suggested a larger workspace. “The beautiful thing about a commissary kitchen is you can start with a little bit of space and then eventually
home a little bit more, people like the convenience, the safety and comfort of having fresh baking show up at your door,” explained Carly. “When they come through our parking lot at the Commissary
“With everyone being at home, or most people being at home a little bit more, people like the convenience, the safety and comfort of having fresh baking show up at your door,” — Carly Burton
grow into more space, should your business start to grow,” recommends Mark.
With a larger workspace to produce profitably, the couple realized people outside of their social circle were to ready buy baked goods online the same way they were willing to buy clothes, books and groceries through a website or phone app. His wife, Carly, created their online presence using her mouth-watering photographs. “The website was simple: I used Squarespace as a pre-set… you just drop in the wording and the pictures and it’s very user friendly.” Carly cited the simplicity of online ordering as the key to their success.
“With everyone being at home, or most people being at
Kitchen to do their pickup, and they just stop alongside of the building, pop their trunk, we drop it in the trunk for them. Give them a wave, say ‘thank you,’ and off they go. We make it really easy for them.”
From Best Kind’s slick online presence to their orderand-deliver system, you wouldn’t guess the entire operation is run by only two people. Mark’s creativity and energy is seemingly boundless. “Carly tells me that I’m very odd,” laughs Mark. “After twelve hours in the kitchen I still come home and cook, and I still love cooking.” The inspiration for intriguing flavour combinations like peanut butter paprika cookies
or their double chocolate rosemary sourdough cookies comes from their love of local ingredients and their imagination. “We are tied to the community and we are tied to ingredients that grow here, they are the things that will grow best…. it’s not that everything local is best, but a lot of products that you have access to are very seasonal, fresh and exciting to us.”
The dynamic duo expresses the hope that they will be able to expand their operation in five years, but want keep it scaled to a manageable size that will allow them to put their personal touch on their brand. “I’m not looking to scale this to the point where it’s straight across Canada just yet…I think that we can grow with our consumer base with our customers to the point where they’re satisfied. We’re still providing the same product the same service. And we’re still getting the satisfaction and running the business the way that we want it to be run.” / BJ
The bakery started out with bread, but is also known for its fine pastry from kouign amman to croissants.
MODERN TRADITIONS, ANCIENT GRAINS
Ancient grains are making appearances everywhere –from traditional applications like breads and bars, to pizza crusts and beyond. Why?
More than ever before, consumers have the option to choose foods that align with their individual values, whether that’s personal health, planetary health or transparency. Because of ancient grains’ versatility, they are positioned well to reshape the way we think about food. Let’s dive into how this popular trend is making its way into the baking category.
ANCIENT GRAINS ARE GAINING STRONG TRACTION WITH CONSUMERS.
It’s no surprise that health-conscious consumers remain at the forefront and continue to push baking trends and innovation. Plant forward is a significant trend we are seeing play out in the betterfor-you category. Ancient grains can play an important role here since they can provide protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, B vitamins and antioxidants, depending on the grain. Ancient grains such as quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, teff and millet are also glutenfree, which is another draw for consumers with dietary restrictions and those who perceive gluten-free products as healthier. Bread and baked goods are an easy way to incorporate these ingredients and capitalize on this trend. However, even in perceived healthier products, taste still rules the day. An easy way incorporate an ancient grain flour into your favourite recipe, is by replacing a portion of the traditional flour. Starting with something simple like spelt is a great way to begin. Spelt flour performs similarly to traditional wheat flour and is an easy swap; you
can begin with larger amounts than other grains. As you become more comfortable with ancient grain baking start swapping out small amounts of flour for other grains such as teff, millet or amaranth. Consumers are are interested in the story behind ancient grains. Where does it come from? How is it grown? 65 per cent of consumers want to know the story behind the food and drinks they buy (source; Innova Jan 2020). Ancient grains offer a unique story to tell, not only in terms of its rich history and versatility, but also in sustainability. A great example is quinoa, we’ll discuss that in more detail below.
QUINOA IS THE ANCIENT GRAIN.
Quinoa is one of the most popular grains on the market today and is also seen as the healthiest (Cargill Ingredientracker, 2021). Why? It’s extremely versatile, can be used in a seemingly endless number of baking applications, it’s a great source of protein, fibre and omega-3’s, and it’s sustainable.
}Spelt flour performs similarly to traditional wheat flour and is an easy swap; you can begin with larger amounts than other grains.
Quinoa only needs about 8-12 inches of water, is a highly resilient plant and thrives where no other crops are viable. Our North American quinoa, grown in Colorado, is a great example of that. For every 1,000 acres of quinoa planted, approximately 366M gallons of water are saved compared to a traditional crop rotation – the equivalent of 555 Olympic sized pools.
And, when it comes to baking, quinoa can be easily incorporated in many ways from flour and flakes, to seeds, and more. It provides versatility and gluten-free options and a perceived healthier halo for the finished product. A few interesting
ways we’re seeing quinoa being used in baked goods is in biscuits and muffins, cookies and granola. One of our favourite applications right now is using cooked quinoa in items like cakes and muffins. A decadent dark chocolate cake with cooked quinoa in the batter adds just a little something extra.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?
Teff, millet, sorghum and amaranth are ancient grains to keep an eye on. We predict these will become increasingly popular due to their unique flavours, applications and versatility. Teff is great because it offers a slightly sweet, molasses-like flavour that’s compatible with other grain flours. Millet is also ideal for blending with other grain flours. Sorghum is highly versatile and can be formulated easily into baked goods. And finally, amaranth has an appealing peppery flavour. Using these ancient grains, or ancient grains blended with conventional flour, can provide an easy way to add flavour, interest and texture to bread and baked goods.
Ancient grains have limitless potential in bread and baked goods. With increased fibre, new and unique flavours, and gluten-free options, it’s safe to say that this trend is here to stay. Ardent Mills is proud to offer a broad range of ancient grains and specialty ingredients that help you meet this consumer demand. As an added bonus, ancient grains work very nicely blended with our traditional flour offerings. And, you can count on our team of technical experts for formulation questions, application troubleshooting, and more. / BJ
Elaine O’Doherty is the Marketing Manager, Canada at Ardent Mills.
concepts for success ¦
BY DIANE CHIASSON
PREP FOR YOUR HOTTEST SEASON YET
Six steps to prepare your bakery for the summer and get clients looking for vacation-worthy treats
Summer is just around the corner. It has been a critical and tough time for many small bakery businesses for over a year. Some of you may be finding it difficult to get your customers back into your bakery. Summertime is all about bright, fun colours and sunshine. Kids are now off school, and families who in the past were planning their holidays out of the city or country, may not be going too far this summer.
}It’s more than likely that these families will stay near their home and will have more free time during the summer months to come by and visit you. Hopefully, soon, we will see more and more bakeries reopening seating areas and offering customers to eat and drink inside. Make summer a time of increasing both sales and interaction. Following are six steps to promote and get your bakery going for the summer season.
but least, keep the proper distancing in your outdoor seating area, clean your tables and chairs frequently, and respect the maximum occupancy per table.
2.
MAKE YOUR ENTRANCE YOUR PATIO SUPER-WELCOMING
Make sure that your front bakery is spotless and inviting. Sweep the entire front area of your bakery, Ensure that your storefront windows are spotless, and wipe down all the outside signage and menu boards. Check to make sure that your patio is in excellent condition. You may need to touch up the paint on your fence, scrape up and pieces of gum or other dirt, and you may even consider sprucing up your outdoor area by planting some colourful flowers and plants.
This is the perfect time to advertise your freshly-made pies to-go. I would even strongly suggest that you prepare some grab-and-go picnic options such as allfruit brochettes ready for grilling.
3. SHOW OFF COLOURFUL BAKERY PRODUCTS
1. CLARIFY SAFETY MEASURES
One of the first things your customers are likely going to be worried about is the safety and cleanliness of your bakery. Make sure your customers to feel safe and welcome in your bakery by posting your safety guidance right at the front entrance door.
Display mask posters in your front door and windows. Display all the precautions your bakery takes to keep your customers safe. Always offer anti-bacterial hand gel at the front of your store. Ensure that all your staff members are wearing masks, visors or both. Have some of your products ready-bagged. Make sure to limit your customers in-store and have all your staff members enforce the rule. I strongly encourage that you move to card and digital payment system. Last
Summer yields a wide variety of fresh and colourful fruit items at the peak of their season and can be easily incorporated into your bakery items. What about raspberry chocolate muffins or cakes, peach or pears fruit tarts, blueberry galette made with local blueberries, strawberry shortcake cups, and your freshly-made strawberry pies?
4. ENTICE YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH GRAB-AND-GO OPTIONS
Many people will go to picnics and barbecues at their own backyard, poolside, or a nearby beach or park this summer. This is the perfect time to advertise your freshly-made pies to-go. I would even strongly suggest that you prepare some grab-and-go picnic options such as all-fruit brochettes ready for grilling. For those brunch, lunch or cocktail gatherings, small mason jars filled with hummus, dips, salsa, spreadable cheese, and a variety of crudites can appeal. You could easily put together some fresh sandwiches, drinks, and an assortment of freshly-baked cookies or dessert bars. Offer your customers a personal variety of to-go
options that they can order and collect in-store; this will certainly set you aside from your competitors.
5. SPICE UP YOUR DISPLAYS
You will certainly draw attention to your bakery with the power of mother nature’s beauty. Fresh blooming flowers make for great displays, both inside your cold cases and in the windows of your bakery. There is also a big attraction during the spring and early summer months with edible flowers. Topping cupcakes with rose petals will certainly brighten up your products and will also warm up your customers’ hearts. Don’t forget to market your picnic packages by setting up an eye-catching picnic or barbecue display in your storefront window.
Balloons are an eye-catching, fun, and inexpensive way to draw attention to your bakery. Have your brand/logo imprinted on your balloons, and make sure the colours match your brand. People who see balloons immediately think that there must be something special happening at your bakery. Parents with small children will be more inclined to shop at your bakery just so that they can get their child a free balloon.
6. EXPAND YOUR LOCAL ADVERTISING
Create some small posters and flyers to let your community know that they can now sit in again. As you know, the power of social medial during this lockdown has been incredible. Continue putting together some great content to promote the reopening of your bakery. You could also do some pre-wrapped little tasters to passers-by to regain their attention. Ensure that whoever will stand outside with a tray of your goodies and give out handouts has the proper safety equipment. / BJ
Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 35 years by providing innovative and revenue-increasing food service and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultlants.com , or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com
BY SUSAN ROBERTSON
DECISION MAKING
Sustain flexible thinking and nimble action by overcoming cognitive biases
To survive the pandemic, companies were forced to adapt very quickly to radically new circumstances. Even large organizations, where it’s typically difficult to shift directions quickly, managed to accomplish it. Leaders discovered that when required, their organization could act more quickly and nimbly than they normally do.
So, the obvious questions are 1) What was different? And 2) How can you hardwire this flexibility into your organization so it continues strong?
WHAT WAS DIFFERENT?
All humans have a set of cognitive biases, which are mental shortcuts that are used for problem solving and decision making.
}Cognitive biases are NOT individual or personal biases. They are phenomena that all humans share. It’s important to understand that they operate subconsciously; They affect your thinking in ways that you don’t realize.
solutions and/or poor decision making. But, we don’t realize that we have sub-optimized because all of this has happened subconsciously.
In typical circumstances, several of these cognitive biases conspire to make us perceive that continuing with slower, incremental changes seems like the best decision. It feels familiar, it feels lower risk, in sum: It feels smarter. Choosing to do nothing different is often simply the default. It frequently doesn’t even feel like we made a decision; instead it feels like we were really smart for not making a potentially risky decision.
But during the pandemic, changing nothing, or changing very slowly, are simply not options. This particular situation is so unique that our brains didn’t have the choice to stay in short-cut System 1 thinking. System 2 thinking was required. Since we realized we MUST change quickly, our brains started working harder in System 2 mode, and the normal cognitive biases weren’t a factor.
The key to maintaining flexible
“System 1 is the ‘intuitive,’ quick and easy thinking that we do most of the time. System 2 thinking is deeper thinking; the kind that’s required for complex problem solving and decision making.”
You have two different thinking systems, commonly known as System 1 and System 2, sometimes referred to as thinking fast (1) and thinking slow (2.).
System 1 is the “intuitive,” quick, and easy thinking that we do most of the time.
System 2 thinking is deeper thinking; the kind that’s required for complex problem solving and decision making. This deeper thinking requires more effort and energy; it literally uses more calories. Since it’s less energy efficient, our brain automatically and subconsciously defaults to the easier System 1 thinking whenever it can, to save effort.
Cognitive biases result when our brain tries to stay in System 1 thinking, when perhaps it should be in System 2. The outcome is often sub-optimal
thinking and nimble behavior is to not allow our brains to fall into the trap of cognitive biases. Since these are intuitive and subconscious responses, this is not an easy task. But there are proven ways that we can better manage our brains. Here are a few ways to start.
Negativity Bias describes how bad experiences have a larger impact on your thoughts and behaviors than good experiences. We are more motivated to avoid negative experiences than we are to seek out positive ones. We are much more prone to reject new ideas than to accept them, because rejecting ideas feels like we’re avoiding potential negative. Respond to “yes but…” with “what if…?” This requires a conscious mental effort by everyone to monitor their own and the team’s response to new ideas. Every time “yes, but…” is said, the response should be, “what if we could solve…?” Reframing the problem as a
question triggers our brains to look for solutions, instead of rejecting the idea.
2. Short circuit the status quo bias: The status quo bias is a subconscious preference for the current state of affairs. We use “current” as a mental reference point, and any change from that is perceived as a loss. As a result, we frequently overestimate the risk of change, and dramatically underestimate the risk of “business as usual.”
When weighing a choice of possible actions, be sure to list “do nothing” as one of the choices, so you are forced to acknowledge it is a choice. Also include “risk” as one of the evaluation criteria and force the team to list all the possible risks. Then comes the difficult part: Remind the team that their subconscious brain is making them perceive the risks of doing nothing to be lower than the reality, so they should multiply the possibility of each of those risks.
3. Curtail the “curse of knowledge.” In any subject where we have some expertise, we also have many subconscious assumptions on that subject. Under normal circumstance, this curse of knowledge (latent assumptions) limits our thinking and suppresses our ability to come up with radically new ideas.
Rely on objective advisors. In other words, seek out advice from people outside of your industry. When evaluating ideas or actions, these outsiders won’t have the same blinders that you have, so they will likely have a more clear-eyed view of benefits and risks.
The bad news is that cognitive biases will always g be a factor in our problemsolving and decision making; they’re hard-wired into us. The good news is, with some dedicated and continuous mental effort, we can mitigate them and become nimbler in the face of change. / BJ
Susan Robertson empowers individuals, teams, and organizations to more nimbly adapt to change, by transforming thinking from “why we can’t” to “how might we?” She is a creative thinking expert with over 20 years of experience coaching Fortune 500 companies. As an instructor on applied creativity at Harvard, Susan brings a scientific foundation to enhancing human creativity. To learn more, please go to: www.SusanRobertson.co
INSPIRING OLIVIA
IO Bakes” stands for Inspiring Olivia, so it makes sense that the owner Olivia Lam, signed up for the Inspiring Bakery Contest.
The contest’s Founding Sponsor, Ardent Mills were impressed by her treat boxes that helps her local artisans while donating to a good cause. Bakers Journal sat down with Lam, owner and baker, to see what inspires her. “For a long time there was quite a struggle to find baked goods that were completely nut-free, because there’s always that possibility of contamination. So, I wanted to offer treats for other people who were like me. And so that’s why I started the bakery.”
Her bakery is allergy-free (nut-free and gluten-free) and she works with local farmers to acquire seasonal ingredients. “I wanted to keep the money in the local economy,” says Lam. “A lot of times I try to source local ingredients from farmers or there’s vendors in Ottawa that actually produce cocoa powder and sugar, and things like that. It was actually a lot easier to find those ingredients than you would think.
“It’s nice because seasonally, people are always looking for different treats: We follow the trends of the different produce that’s available or the flowers that you can have. It’s quite nice to be able to change the menu of them that way.”
}Lam prides herself on providing allergy-free baked goods, for those who have nut allergies and/or are celiac, unable to digest wheat.
Monthly treat boxes not only helped keep her business aloft, but she reached out to bring a source of income to local artisans, too.
Creating a menu made with seasonal and local ingredients sounds like it might present a challenge, but not for Lam. Her cookies are as artful as they are sustainable, made with local edible flowers that are in season. “Our most popular item is our lemon curd,” says Lam. “People really, really love our lemon curd.”
Versatility is one of Lam’s defining traits. Having opened in 2020, at the start of the pandemic, Lam began thinking beyond pastry, and ways to help her fellow makers. Monthly treat boxes not only helped keep her business aloft, but she reached out to bring a source of income to local artisans, too. Each month, a themed box is on offer from
their website. For June, she offered a Father’s Day themed “Dad Box.” It offers a four-cupcake selection (lemon-strawberry or double chocolate) four palmiers, four vanilla cake pops and a bag of coffee from Mighty Valley Coffee, a local roaster situated in Smith Falls.
Lam connected with makers in her area through an artisan market in Ottawa called Freewheeling Craft. Their motto is “Local goods made by really good people.” Each monthly treat box includes something from a local artisan. “So far, we have included items from women-owned businesses in Ottawa, from scrunchies to tea. We hope to continue providing a portion of our sales to a different charity each month.”
“For March we did a theme around International Women’s Day. Additionally, for International Women’s Day, our boxes included a local product and a donation to a women’s charity called Interval House Ottawa. We try to highlight causes like that; if there’s no holiday in that month,” explains Lam. Part of the charm of the monthly box is her spirit of inclusion and her willingness to help the economy by helping her neighbours. Her generosity isn’t limited to her business. During the pandemic, Lam continued to donate to Interval House Ottawa, a shelter for the homeless.
“I think [the pandemic] affected them in that there was less for them. The shelters have limited space. Resources are thin, even food banks are low, because so many people are in need of those resources… I think every dollar really does count. / BJ
Maple Bu er Cupcakes
Cook time 23 minutes
Experience Medium Makes 8 - 10
INGREDIENTS
For the Cupcakes:
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¼ cup Lantic & Rogers Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup Lantic & Rogers Maple Sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose our
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 340 °F .
For the Frosting:
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups Lantic & Rogers Icing Sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp TMTC Amber Rich Maple Syrup
Garnishes:
• ¼ cup Lantic & Rogers Maple Flakes
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter with granulated sugar, maple sugar, eggs, and vanilla with an electric hand mixer until the buttercream is uffy.
3. Sift the our and salt in a separate mixing bowl and add to the wet ingredients, mixing until everything is incorporated.
4. Scoop the cupcake batter into the cupcake mould with an ice cream scoop and bake for 20-23 minutes.
5. Once the cupcake is nished baking, let it cool completely before adding the frosting.
6. To make the frosting, mix softened butter with icing sugar, vanilla extract, and maple syrup with an electric hand mixer and beat until smooth.
7. Transfer the maple buttercream into a piping bag and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes
8. Garnish with maple akes and enjoy!
BY JESSICA HURAS
CULINARY SCHOOLS IN CANADA
The pandemic has created widespread challenges; baking schools have grappled with the particularly difficult task of adapting hands-on training in an era of physical distancing. From technologyenhanced teaching kitchens to virtual cooking demos, Canadian baking schools are finding creative ways to safely educate the next generation of bakers.
Niagara College has adopted a hybrid model for its Baking and Pastry Arts program, shifting theory-based classes to online learning while continuing to teach kitchen labs in person. “We decided we wanted our students to have as much hands-on experience as they could get,” says Dean Craig Youdale. “We weren’t convinced we could deliver the hands-on components in a virtual world the same way that it would have been for someone who studied pre-COVID.”
Niagara College’s baking labs may not have gone virtual but the school has implemented new technology to facilitate COVID-conscious in-class learning. Youdale says they quickly realized that teachers were struggling to communicate clearly through the masks and shields they are required to wear so the school has equipped them with wireless microphones.
}“There’s a new opportunity to reach a larger audience and people who might not have been able to come down to the college can now register for a class.”
He adds that, in the past, students would have gathered around their professor to watch demonstrations but teachers now model baking techniques on camera. This allows students to observe via video screen while remaining physically distanced at their stations.
In accordance with the varying provincial restrictions, Youdale says class sizes have been as small as 10 people in
kitchen labs that could normally accommodate up to 24 students. “One strange positive is that it created a good studentto-teacher ratio,” says Youdale. “Because the classes were so small, the students had a little bit more time to talk with the professors than they would have had in a full class.”
The Professional Baking and Pastry program at Red River College has transitioned to a similar model, moving some classes online but continuing “essential hands-on learning,” as Karen McDonald,
chair of hospitality and culinary arts, describes it. “A lot of things were suggested to us like delivering the ingredients to the students and having them bake at home but there are just so many things an instructor can’t do [in that scenario],” she says.
“If you’re making bread and you make a mistake in a lab, I can stop you. I can demo and I can give you advice. I’m with you for that whole process. It [virtual learning] is just not going to be the same kind of experience.”
Unlike Niagara and Red River, however, George Brown College shifted its baking classes completely online, creating hundreds of demo videos with the help of videographers and editors in partnership with their staff and instructors.
George Brown College’s culinary arts department appears quiet, having moved completely online.
Live online classes are recorded and made available to students, allowing learners to interact with their instructors and ask questions in real-time and then easily review the learning material later.
Jamie Zanna, program manager - continuing education for the centre for hospitality & culinary arts, believes this strategy has had a number of positive impacts on George Brown’s baking students.
“They watch the video, they have the session, and then they replicate what they’ve seen in their demos in their own home kitchens,” he says. “They can engage a bit more [in the live classes] and then they can go back and refresh their memory when they’re doing the recipe themselves.”
Zanna adds that the online format gives students more flexibility to learn on their own schedule, plus it has enabled students who might not have been able to commute to George Brown for in-person classes to access the school’s programming.
“There’s a new opportunity to reach a larger audience and people who might not have been able to come down to the college can now register for a class
anywhere in the province, outside of the province, or anywhere in the world,” he says. “There are a lot of people that have really embraced it. They love the flexibility. They love working in their home kitchens but still having access to expert instructors.”
Zanna says that George Brown is already planning to continue offering virtual learning even after COVID-related restrictions are lifted. “We’re excited for what the next phase will be. This is our next big project to figure out.”
The impact of COVID on the foodservice industry means that it’s not just how students are learning that’s changing — it’s also what they’re learning.
McDonald says that many of Red River’s baking students saw first-hand how local bakeries have adapted to the pandemic during their summer 2020 co-op. The installation of Plexiglas barriers and the shift away from self-serve models that allow in-store customers to choose their own baked goods are just a few of the changes bakeries have made to keep their staff and customers safe.
Youdale says that Niagara College is
tweaking its curriculum to better prepare students for offering takeout and delivery services. “When it comes to things like styles of food preparation for takeout and long-term storage packaging, we would do some of that in the baking program but I think it’s something that may be expanded and developed a little further,” he says.
“Although businesses were forced to pivot into alternate delivery of food, they now realize they have an additional revenue stream so even when we go back to pre-COVID restrictions, I think that part is going to continue to expand. So we’re looking at ways of expanding that in the program as well.”
In spite of a challenging year, McDonald thinks the future looks bright for baking students and new grads. “We were able to place all of our baking students in our co-op last summer and that was amazing to me because bakeries were just so busy,” she says. “Aside from those operational changes that owners had to make in bakeries, from what I’m hearing from our advisory council, their business is just as good as it was pre-pandemic. If anything, it went up.” / BJ
TAKEOUT SURVIVAL TIPS
In a talk presented by SkipTheDishes, Restaurants Canada brought experts from the Fast Casual segment to talk about how incorporating or even pivoting to an all take-out model can save your business. They discussed how they transformed their operations, and your bakery can learn from their experiences, and help your operation move forward once cities open up again.
In the last year, surviving bakery-cafés, delicatessens and pizza parlours were forced to pivot their entire business model from full service to take-out and delivery. Those lucky enough to have a patio, experienced a fifty per cent capacity drop, due to social distance regulations.
Learning how to focus business operations was central, but nothing divided companies between the quick and the dead like optimization
through online ordering. Companies that added their menu to third party delivery companies and promoted their menu and specialties heavily on social media saw their companies survive.
FOCUS ON OVEN TIME AND STAFF
Alan Bekerman, Founder and CEO of iQ Food Co, said, “March 15 of last year, I think we were all kind of staring into the abyss and had no idea what
was in store. We laid off 95 per cent of our staff, because we were closing all of our restaurants. Today, we’re back with about 60-65 per cent. “Certainly, limiting hours at certain restaurants and we’re being a lot more mindful. Pre-pandemic, we had freedom to operate with more ‘looseness’ around “slower times,” now you have to be laser focused about when it makes sense to be open and when it doesn’t, and simplify your menus.”
With a short time to linger at the cash, making your cashier’s area mouthwatering can motivate your clients to make impulse purchases.
An attractive and navigatable website contributed to Best Kind Bakery’s success. (See cover story, page 8.)
CLEAN, EASY-TO-USE WEBSITES FOR ORDERING
Having a website that features clear, well-lit photos of food with sharp edges and clearly defined features that can pick out the details of texture really help make a potential client’s mouth water, prompting them to order.
that it’s as seamless as possible, so we’re one of the first in Canada to fully integrated in Skip The Dishes into our POS systems. So, we were able to be able to skip that input step, which was avoiding have a ton of errors as well as an addition of time.
close as it can get in terms of that in dining experience.”
YOUR ONLINE ‘FOOD STORY’ CAN BE ABOUT PEOPLE
my local takeout spot, it’s little things like that that that really kind of communicate that folks care.”
BANG FOR THE BUCK
Keeping an eye on food trends and consumption preferences was another way to tap in to consumers’ mind set. Beckerman recalls the early days of the pandemic. “Our offering traditionally has been kind of on that individual office worker who’s grabbing lunch for themselves, and headed back to their to their desk. So, with most folks working from home now, the shift that we’ve seen is people aren’t really so interested in single meals that satisfy only that one time. They want things that will perhaps stretch over multiple meals, or feed more than one person in their house.”
TRAVEL-SAFE PACKAGING
If placing an order is key, ensuring that the packaging is sound but appealing is the next step. Once the delivery
}Scott Boatwright, Chief Restaurant Officer, of Chipotle adds, “I think most brands who have invested [in digital platforms] are going to fare well, and those who haven’t need to figure out their path forward as it relates to digital and, and then figure out what’s the right economic model, or find out what can their economic model sustain as it relates to delivery, because we all know that can be expensive.”
Boatright adds that it’s really centered around the idea of access. Bruce Miller, President, The WORKS Craft Burgers & Beer, South St Burger, Big Smoke Burger & Tosto Quickfire Pizza & Pasta, agrees. Miller says, “the layouts on the app is very important that it’s intuitive for our guests. Next is to ensure on the operation side
Getting your customer’s attention is the largest part of the equation. Beckerman adds that sharing your café or bakery’s story isn’t limited to food: “The stories that we tell on social media are now about the food, and more so the profiles of the people that are actually crafting the food.
We asked, ‘can we take what we do and showcase the products that we’re serving in our restaurants, but do it in a way that’s a little bit more befitting of the experience at home? ” — Alan Beckerman
is made, a customer would like to know that food is still warm (or cold) and either easy to assemble, or requires no “fixing” to make it palatable. Miller feels that a successful food delivery model is one where the customer doesn’t feel they are ordering take out.
Miller adds, “We’ve really focused and relaunched a whole bunch of our packaging, to make sure that it contains the heat well…. so when it shows up on your doorstep at home, that is as
So, really just doing little things like that…those small, magic moments that our customers traditionally had in our restaurants.” Beckerman suggests posting in a way that “bridges the gap” between customer and client. The best way to reach out during and after a delivery is a surprisingly personal touch.
“Handwritten notes or notes thank you notes. Just something as small as a person’s name on a takeaway bag, and a little smile,” explains Beckerman. “I mean, I get that from
“We asked, ‘can we take what we do and showcase the products that we’re serving in our restaurants, but do it in a way that’s a little bit more befitting of the experience at home?’And these are not one-off, $15 and $16 grain bowls or salads that they might get at our restaurants, but $45 to $70 meal that serves two to four people that they’re cooking in their homes themselves.”
Beckerman’s view of providing a dining-out experience for those dining in means that the quality of the food must remain exactly the same as it was for pre-COVID dining. Boatright agrees, “I think the food has to speak for itself, and Bruce and Alan both talked about this as well. It’s got to be a great experience. it’s got to be what I’m traditionally used to…I think it’s got to be uniquely yours, it’s got to be a great experience. Otherwise you’ll just miss the mark, and you lose the, you lose frequency from your consumers.” / BJ
NEW LOOK, VINTAGE FEEL
Bakery shops can be designed in a variety of styles, yet successful stores have one thing in common – a sense of freshness. As a shop gets older and the years begin to show on the walls, floors, ceilings, and fixtures, that freshness can fade and start to look more like three-day-old pastry. One quick and easy way to rejuvenate the look can be a ceiling makeover. Ceilings are often ignored by designers, but they are highly visible, and present an opportunity to redecorate with minimal disruption of your business. Bakeries like the Helen Bernhard Bakery in Portland, OR have used decorative thermoformed ceiling tiles to implement an affordable upgrade that keeps its fresh look for decades.
The Helen Bernhard Bakery is a family business run by two families for almost 100 years. It was established in 1924, starting as a home business, baking cakes for friends and neighbors, and expanding until it took over the entire house. By 1939, it was so successful that Bernhard and her son Ben built their own building, where the bakery still operates today. In 1988, the Bernhard family sold it to Richard and Mary Laufer, who passed it along to their daughter and son-inlaw, Kellie and Mike Snaadt, in 2011. Over the years and through numerous changes to the shop, the families have prided themselves on keeping a home bakery feel.
}The kitchen at A Dash of Delicious is continuous with the front-of-house. The washable thermoformed ceiling is approved for use over food preparation areas, and unifies the space.
“Somebody had exploded a pop can on the ceiling,” Snaadt recalls, “and a couple of times they’d tried to put up a light fixture and loudspeakers;” all attempts that lefts scars and holes
“When we took it over,” recalls Snaadt, “nothing had really been done to the front end, other than a couple of new cases, in probably 40 years.” There was a lot of tradition in the shop, but some of it was in bad condition. The walls had ½-inch thick wood tongue-in-groove paneling, a detail worth preserving. But the ceiling was lath and plaster that had been damaged and stained significantly.
“Somebody had exploded a pop can on the ceiling,” Snaadt recalls, “and a couple of times they’d tried to put up a light fixture
and loudspeakers;” all attempts that lefts scars and holes. Lighting was supplied by rows of surface-mounted fluorescent fixtures with wrap-around acrylic lenses that had yellowed badly and couldn’t easily be replaced.
The challenge was to refresh the appearance of the shop without losing its heritage. The Snaadts focused on the ceiling, the lighting, new paint, and new display cases. Some of the paneling was painted white to lighten things up, but enough was left natural to keep the original feel. Instead of the old fluorescents, they found LED disc lights that look like recessed can lights. Purchasing new cases was not a problem.
SELECTING A CEILING
They didn’t know what to do about the ceiling, however. At a relatively low eight-foot height, it was visually prominent, and showed significant damage. Mike and Kellie found that fixing the plaster would be difficult and costly. Ripping it down and drywalling the entire ceiling would have entailed an extended shutdown of the front end of the business. They watched home shows and searched the internet for other options.
“We’d always talked about a pressedtin ceiling look being really cool. We looked up pictures of old bakeries, and most of them from the turn of the previous century had some kind of pressed ceiling,” said Mike Snaadt. However, he was reluctant to use actual stamped metal tiles, both because of the high expense and the hazardousness of handling and cutting the tiles
with their razor-sharp edges.
Then, Snaadt made a discovery online, thermoformed ceiling tiles made by Ceilume in Northern California. The tiles are thin, lightweight sheets molded into three-dimensional designs, ranging from traditional patterns reminiscent of ornate plaster and stamped metal to contemporary geometrics, timeless coffers, and other architecturally versatile looks. The Snaadts looked at some competitive vinyl tiles, too, but ultimately selected Ceilume’s as the only choice that seemed substantial and durable.
They selected “Nantucket,” a shallowrelief design that captures the stampedmetal look they were seeking. After considering different colours and finishes – Ceilume offers ten colours as well as three wood-grain and three metallic finishes – the couple decided that the low ceiling height called for white tiles to create an illusion space. “Any kind of colour would have made it look too cave-like,” according to Mike.
INSTALLATION
He used a layout tool on Ceilume’s website to figure out how much material he needed, and ordered what he describes as “a four-foot stack of tiles.” He got an electrician to install the LED disc lights while his tiles were being shipped.
Snaadt laid out the center lines of the bakery ceiling and got to work gluing up tiles with help from his father-in-law. When Covid-19 forced the bakery to cut back staff, he was able to do most of the installation by himself, and never had to close the shop for it. “I did 80 per cent of it myself with a four-foot ladder and a pair of tin snips. Cutting the edge pieces was no big deal at all. Every couple of days, I’d put up 20-30 tiles, glue them up while I wasn’t waiting on customers. I had ordered all new cases for the front end, and I figured I’d better get the tiles put up before the new cases came in.”
After the glue-up was completed, Snaadt discovered he needed to install additional LED disc lights, but they proved easy to add. “It was really simple to cut the hole out and set the light fixtures.”
The thermoformed tiles are stainresistant and impermeable to water. When painting the walls, Mike was able to remove any fresh paint that got onto the ceiling with a damp rag. “If anything gets onto it from the other construction
work,” he reports, “it comes off with ease.”
As the remodel took shape, the Snaadts’ youngest child Clarissa summed up the change saying “It used to look old. Now it looks vintage.” The bakery’s new look has gotten many compliments from customers, too, especially the ceiling.
SUSPENDED CEILINGS
A shop with a suspended grid ceiling can also take advantage of the thermoformed ceiling option, since the tiles are compatible with most standard T-bar grids. Common mineral fiber acoustic tiles found in many suspended ceilings cannot be washed without damaging them; Ceilume’s thermoformed ceilings, however, are easily cleanable. In a suspended grid, they can be wiped down in place, or even taken out and washed in the sink. Because they have smooth, non-porous surfaces, they are approved under health and safety codes for use in food preparation and food service areas. This allows designers to open-up the kitchen to the front-of-the house and create a unified, hygienic, and engaging look throughout the shop.
For example, A Dash of Delicious, a cupcake specialty shop, took a plain white store with an open-kitchen and transformed it into an appealing boutique by giving the walls and ceiling texture, with linear wall paneling and a
shallow coffer ceiling (Ceilume’s “Cambridge” style). Saint Cupcake pursued a similar strategy, using a contemporary ceiling pattern called Roman Circles that recalls cupcake baking pans. In both projects, the decorative ceiling provided a way for the shop itself to express the concept essential to the brand, the idea of baking with style.
In buildings with fire sprinklers, Ceilume’s thermoformed tiles offer an interesting technical advantage; they can be installed underneath the sprinklers, avoiding the expense of extending the sprinklers below the ceiling and having to the cut holes in the tiles. The thermoformed tiles are approved as drop-out panels; in the event of fire, heat softens the panel so that that they drop out of the suspension grid and allow the sprinklers to activate and suppress the fire. That property proved valuable to Small Batch Organics, a commercial granola bakery in Vermont (see Baker’s Journal, April 2020 page 13). Two years ago, the company renovated a former warehouse space to build their new kitchen, and faced a huge plumbing bill to extend the sprinklers. Using the thermoformed drop-out panels allowed them to keep the existing sprinklers. According to the firm’s general manager, “this saved enough money that the ceiling paid for itself.” / BJ
Saint Cupcake opted for a contemporary ceiling pattern that recalls cupcake baking pans.
A Niagara-on-the-Lake bakery and pastry shop reaches a milestone in sales — and aims for more | BY
INCLUSIVE KITCHENS
As Canada Day arrives, Canadians of many cultures and diverse backgrounds celebrate our country, but systemic racism is still omnipresent in our kitchens and restaurants.
On March 2, Restaurants Canada hosted a panel featuring some of Canada’s best-known BIPOC food experts to talk about how they experienced the
devastating effects of racism and give advice on how to break down barriers and biases to create change and encourage inclusivity for the food industry.
The panel was moderated by Philman George, and the attendees were Suzanne Barr, chef, social advocate and author; Eden Hagos, founder of BlackFoodie; Roger Mooking, celebrity chef, TV host, cookbook author and recording artist; Joseph Shawana, chair of
Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations and professor at Centennial College.
The issue of abolishing the practice of tipping in order to establish a living wage for restaurant and bakery workers was discussed.
Suzanne Barr observed the first place to start would be ensuring everyone in the food industry has a living wage.
“We all have a role. We have a part to play in it, and we need
Representation in menu, staff and online presence will do more than mere diversity hiring.
to start to look at these issues head on and not be scared. Just know that we’re not going to always get it right, but it’s one step at a time.”
Roger Mooking observed, “I’ve been cooking in restaurants since I was about 15 years old, and I tell you, usually, I was the only black person in the kitchen… There was an era in restaurants right during the ’80s and ’90s, that the Sri Lankan people would be running the
dishes, they would have a whole system for prep cooking, but they would never get to the level of first cook, sous chef, head chef. There was a cap.
“I used to work in a very prominent hotel in Toronto. One day I looked on the job board of all the chefs in this organization globally. And not one of these people looked like me at all. Not even close: maybe not even five per cent melanin. I knocked on the chef’s office and I said, ‘You know chef, I know that there’s hotel operations in the Caribbean: There’s a lot of black people in the Caribbean, but when I look on the board, I don’t see anybody looks like me…what’s up with that?’
“And I’ll never forget this: He said to me, ‘It just seems like y’all are not that interested.’ That was a moment that solidified the situation to me. Well, clearly I just have to build my own joints and take it from there, because it’s just never going to happen.” Eden Hagos added, “More often than not, you’re just not hired. You’re not promoted, you’re not considered for [promotional] campaigns.”
}Hagos also noted that many restaurants display a bias when serving BIPOC clients, and she often was treated with indifference or disdain. “I was made to feel like I didn’t belong. Or, like I wasn’t a good customer just because I was black, and so there were a lot of assumptions about me, like the thought that I wouldn’t tip, or that I wouldn’t pay. So many things like that are just inherently racist.”
Hagos added, “I started diving deeper into the food arena, and learning about the marketing campaigns and how people pitch products, or even tell stories around food, you just see how much erasure happens. I think that Canada is great at erasing…I think that’s what the bigger issue is when
our food isn’t represented, like roti.” Hagos added that when attempting to discuss or promote Caribbean food, there was resistance. White restaurateurs and chefs often express unwillingness to prepare or price food for Caribbean or African dishes, arguing that clients would not be willing to pay for upscale versions of the same meal.
“Part of the way to change that is to have is to have our foods represented, have our stories and our chefs represented, so people have a different narrative of our cuisine.” Hagos emphasized that quality should not be lumped in with venue size. “You can have amazing food from a small street-food vendor, and you can also have an amazing sit-down meal with a black chef, in a black owned restaurant. Both things can be true at the same time, you know you can have that range. I don’t think black folks, especially, are given space for that range.”
happen.” Shawana said that despite the prejudices that still exist, he’s “very proud” to have come to Toronto. “It’s a very multicultural city.”
Shawana added that bias discussions in culinary schools and public forums are part of an evolutionary process. “I feel like we are on track to get toward a conversation to tell our stories. As long as we can tell our own personal stories, it will help at least one person get through one day, from an offhand comment from a chef or even someone less senior than they. [Racism] is a very hard subject to talk about, but it is a subject that needs to be dealt with every single day.”
Mooking expressed frustration at pitching global cuisine menus to be met with indifference or rejection. “I’m trying to tell a story on the plate. I’m always presenting recipes that tell those stories. On the surface [companies] come and they say, ‘Yeah, we come to you because you can represent all these things…
“Part of the way to change [erasure], is to have is to have our foods represented, have our stories and our chefs represented, so people have a different narrative of our cuisine.” — Eden Hagos
Unfortunately, culinary racial bias exists for Indigenous chefs and clients. Chef Joseph Shawana recalls times he was in culinary school when fellow students would grab his hair as he was cooking. “When I moved to Toronto to further my culinary career, I felt [racism] was a prevalent thing, but growing up the way I did, I grew thick skin. I knew how to stay true to myself and focus.” Shawana observed that there was a lot of that systemic racism still built into culinary schools’ curriculums. “We all have to work twice as hard, three times as hard, to get where we want. Unfortunately, right now that’s just the way the world works and it’s about little changes that are going to
in life, and stand behind your passion. And I think when we think about fundamental steps that we can start taking to actually start making some real changes, I think we need to stop diversity hires.”
Barr clarified, “It’s great to hire people, because everyone needs to get a little money in their pocket, but I think we need to go even further, we need to go deeper. We need to understand fundamentally what the core value is of your brand, your restaurant…are you just trying to be a voice of ‘yes we stand with you, we align with you,’ but what does that mean for you as a company, you as an individual, you as a restaurateur? Do you have a team of people that look like myself and everyone on this on this panel today?”
and it’s cool and that’s what we want.’ And then you give them that. And then they say, ‘Yeah, but can you do a grilled cheese or a hamburger?’” Mooking stated how important it is to present culturally diverse menus and bring them to the public at large so kids growing up knowing there is more to food than “mac and cheese.”
Suzanne Barr, who won the Social Advocate award, was asked, “How can restaurant management make an impact and change the systemic structures in our industry?”
Barr advised, “I think it really comes down to being persistent about the things that you know are important
Barr suggested turning to the people that comprise the majority of the business, to avoid missed opportunities in talking to the people at every stage of the food service industry. “We talk about sustainability of food, which is beautiful, but if we don’t start talking about sustaining people, I think we’re going to miss a major opportunity.” She noted, even a diverse team can be silenced or have a message diluted if the culinary team feels their input will be ignored or may threaten their position. “It’s easier when you do ‘just enough,’ or you just say the right things to keep your job.”
Shawana added he became a teacher to educate youth who will one day be part of food industry culture. He wants restaurants to be aware of foods’ significance beyond trends. “Storytelling plays a major role in how we can overcome racism, whether it’s in our generation, or my son and his generation.” /BJ
BY JANE DUMMER
SNACKING OPPORTUNITIES
How the pandemic changed snacking, making baked goods more appealing than ever
Working from home has increased the opportunity for snacking occasions. Shopping has changed with increased online transactions and less in-person trips to the bakery. For some consumers, snacking replaced traditional mealtime, giving bakers more opportunities to sell baked goods.
The pandemic has also driven interest in health and wellness. Craving health and comfort can be at odds. Referencing Delifrance’s newest research – Prove It: A Viennoiserie Focus, Stéphanie Brillouet, Marketing Director - Northern Europe & North America, Délifrance explains, “Indulgence, taste and treating are the key reasons that consumers opt for pastries, and viennoiserie is the ideal answer for those looking for permissible indulgence – after all, health and wellness in the Covid era is also about self-care.”
}Snacking is getting more indulgent as consumers think of “wellness” in terms of self-care.
COBS BREAD describes, “As people are eating most meals at home, and cooking more because of the pandemic, they have been introduced to our freshly baked bread and treats. They are enjoying it as part of their breakfast, lunch, dinner and
Move over morning, the increase in snacking gives operators even more opportunity to sell viennoiserie throughout the day. Try expanding the offer to include hybrids like cruffins and cronuts, which can be enjoyed as a dessert or standalone snack.
In Europe and North America, we’ve observed additional snacking occasions during the stay-at-home restrictions. Brillouet says, “Move over morning, the increase in snacking gives operators even more opportunity to sell viennoiserie throughout the day. Try to include hybrids like cruffins and cronuts, which can be enjoyed as a dessert or snack. We created our Brownie Swirl – a cleverly crafted product that brings together much-loved French puff pastry with one of the most popular desserts, the brownie – to be enjoyed at different times of the day. Products like these not only play to the consumers’ love for a treat but are big on taste and flavour –the number one factor when choosing a pastry.”
Similarly, Brad Bissonnette, VP of Marketing and Franchise Recruitment,
snacking occasions. An interesting trend we observed when we introduced online ordering is that the online orders contain a high amount of freshly baked treats, such as 6-packs of scones or cinnamon buns. We believe this increase is a result of consumers having more time to browse online without the pressure of a lineup behind them, or a Sales Associate waiting to take their order. It’s likely this online trend will continue post-pandemic.”
Matthew Faust, General Manager, BrodFlour Bakery in Toronto identifies, “Our demand for sweets has always been strong, but in these uncertain times, we find our customers have desires for items that align with comfort. Our salted chocolate chip cookie, cardamom knots and sourdough rye brownies are highly sought after and always sell out on the weekend! Our cardamom knots will be a staple that will continue post-pandemic. We started introducing seasonal pastries, such as a lemon coconut square for Mother’s Day. Plus, rotating shortbreads
that feature a different grain each month. They will also hang around post-pandemic.”
The global health crisis brought attention to both sustainability and packaging in the food industry. There is a growing audience for sustainable snacks that come with a story. Brillouet states, “Some 70 per cent of respondents say sustainability is important when choosing where to buy pastries and almost as many (69 per cent) believe authority and heritage is key.”
As we transition out of pandemic life and restrictions, and become more mobile, consumers will be seeking small-size packages again. Brillouet explains, “While 25 per cent of consumers say the environment has become a higher priority since the start of lockdown, 63 per cent of UK adults would prefer to buy products with packaging to protect the contents from contamination. That said, sustainability is still a priority for both businesses and consumers, and there is a reluctance to make single-use plastic a firm fixture in the longer term.”
The momentum for baked snacks will continue. And there are many options including sweet, savoury, as part of the main consumption, as a snack, dessert, or a treat aka self-care indulgence (thanks global health crisis for that term!). / 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
“Hand-scooped” by Vemag.
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