The voice of the canadian baking industry
PIE ART
baker by accident finds her path
O U G H
I V I D E R
What makes the Vemag Dough Divider so special? Versatility and weight accuracy The Vemag Divider adds versatility to every production line and is perfect for all types of breads, buns, rolls and English muffins. It features a positive displacement double screw system that is the most gentle extrusion divider on the market. The Vemag is easily adjust able to produce a wide range of exact-weight portions, crumb structures and dough absorptions. Test the Vemag for yourself – cont act us to arrange a demo at our Reiser Customer Center.
The Vemag VD D8 07 Dough Divider produces uniformly spaced dough portions onto the conveyor, eliminating doubles and downtime It features a servo-drive cutting device that can produce up to 320 portions per minute.
The Vemag is easily adjusted to produce b oth open-crumb and uniform tight-crumb structures. W H Y T H E V E M A G
The Vemag does not require mineral oil, saving thousands of dollars annually while eliminating product air pockets and surface blisters.
Batch after batch, the Vemag consistently produces precise weight portions at 1% standard deviation.
The Vemag is easily adjustable to produce a wide range of portion sizes – from 5g to 20kg
The Vemag can handle absorption rates from 45% to 95% – from stiff bagel doughs to soft English muffins.
Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin is taking pie
BY LAURA AIKEN
REFLECTIONS AND LESSONS
After nearly seven years as the editor of Bakers Journal , I have moved to a different group within the magazine’s parent company. Naomi Szeben, a passionate home baker and experienced journalist and researcher, will be taking the reins. Naomi holds a master’s degree in research and is a former senior editor for Entrepreneurs in Canada . I have been working with Naomi through this transition, and her kindness, dedication and enthusiasm will be a perfect fit in an industry that I have experienced nothing less in.
Change is the real spice of life, and although this departure is a change I chose, it is still sad to say good-bye. There are many things I will miss about the bakery industry; most certainly the people (I can’t complain about my luck with all the treats either). I have worked in a number of industries in my career and each have taught unique lessons. Here are some of my favourites from the world of baking.
The capacity for human reinvention is endless: Having interviewed countless baking entrepreneurs over the years, I still marvel at the how many stories involve someone in a totally different line of work crossing over and finding success as a baker. Perhaps they started by taking cookies to work that people really liked, or they found themselves divorced and needing to start over. Our cover line says “an accidental baker finds her path”, and that cover line could have been used many a time before. Bakers are some of the world’s ultimate re-inventors, driven by an internal quest for creativity and self-fulfillment that opens the oven door.
}After nearly seven years as the editor of Bakers Journal, I have moved to a different group within the magazine’s parent company.
Try — and then try, try, try, try again: As ‘mad scientists’ in the kitchen, bakers could teach the world a thing or two about failure. It’s one thing working to keep a business afloat, and another tweaking a recipe innumerable times to perfect it. Bakers have taken on the challenge of vastly improving gluten-free and vegan products, along with changing formulas to reflect morphing consumer preferences in ingredients. These changes to formulation would never have happened at the fast pace they did without the tenacity of bakers.
The meaning of passionate work: When people are passionate about their work, they have too much pride and care for what they are doing to put out a crummy product. Quality is not a choice; it’s a compulsion. It’s no surprise bakers reinvent themselves or exhibit a high degree of perseverance, for it’s been my observation that so many truly care about the service they are providing in the world. Bakers believe in the efficacy of food to bring nourishment and joy to their customers, family and friends. I have met many bakers who truly love their work and acquire much satisfaction from the inherent act of baking, but the stories they tell are all about the customers; the people benefitting. People need food to live, and providing it, with all the long hours and sweat equity typically demanded of those who do, is a commitment of great generosity.
Naomi is lucky to have found herself amongst such fine and talented people. As I go forward in embracing the many changes of my spring, I do it with the benefit of all the lessons, nourishment and joy the baking industry has provided me. Thank you! / BJ
MAY 2018 | VOL. 78, NO. 4
EDITOR | Laura Aiken editor@bakersjournal.com 416-522-1595
TECHNICAL
EDITOR | Philip Oxford, Puratos Canada foxford@puratos.com
NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER | Stephanie Jewell sjewell@annexweb.com 705-826-2254 1-888-599-2228 ext. 268
ACCOUNT COORDINATOR | Shannon Drumm sdrumm@annexweb.com 519-429-5176 1-888-599-2228 ext. 219
MEDIA DESIGNER | Curtis Martin
CIRCULATION MANAGER l Beata Olechnowicz bolechnowicz@annexbusinessmedia.com 416-442-5600 ext. 3543
GROUP PUBLISHER | Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexbusinessmedia.com
COO | Ted Markle tmarkle@annexbusinessmedia.com
PRESIDENT & CEO | Mike Fredericks
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065710.
ISSN 0005-4097
Published ten times per year (Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug/Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec) by Annex Business Media.
CIRCULATION lmalicdem@annexbusinessmedia.com
Tel: 416-510-5187
Fax: 416-510-6875 or 416-442-2191
Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto ON M2H 3R1
Subscription Rates
Canada — 1 Year $ 30.00 (with GST $31.50 #867172652RT0001, with HST/ QST $33.90)
USA — 1 Year $ $55.50 USD
Occasionally, Bakers Journal will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.
Annex Privacy Officer
privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374
Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.
No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission.
© 2018 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.
briefly | Tim Hortons gets a makeover; Ultra violet is the colour of the year; A snacking preference poll cites baked goods as the global favourite; | FOR MORE news in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Tim Hortons rolls out new restaurant experience
Tim Hortons, the iconic Canadian chain, is revitalizing its restaurant design.
The new Welcome Image is a part of the restaurant chain’s efforts to improve what they call the guest experience, through a more contemporary restaurant environment, the company reported.
“We know that Tim Hortons is a fundamental part of Canadian culture and we’ve worked hard with our restaurant owners to ensure we’re delivering exactly what our guests have come to expect from their favourite local coffee shop – we want Tim Hortons to always be their home away from home,” said Alex Macedo, president of the Tim Hortons brand, in a press release. “Throughout the creative process, we conducted extensive market testing that revealed our new Welcome Image is not only approved, but loved by our guests across the country.”
Over the next four years, the company will invest $700 million to bring the new design to a majority of Canadian Tim Hortons restaurants. As part of the new image, the restaurant exterior will be designed with natural looking, lighter and “more inviting materials.” Inside, restaurants will be decorated with artwork, such as a commissioned portrait of Tim Horton, a mosaic of iconic brand images and a photo wall that features their coffee-sourcing and proprietary blending process. Patrons will also enjoy upgraded, open-concept seating.
A purple reign for food trends predicted
Dutch market research company Innova Market Insights forecasted strong colour vibrancy as a top trend in the food industry this year.
Pantone decreed the Colour of the Year for 2018 as ultra violet. German-based global food colouring corporation GNT Group also forecasts that a major product theme for this year will revolve around the colour purple.
A press release from GNT stated: “The trend towards purple foods and beverages is rooted in health and wellness, as well as visual appeal. For fruits and vegetables, purple indicates a high phytonutrient content which signals health and well-being to consumers. As a result, purple vegetables such as purple carrots, sweet potatoes and yams are appearing more frequently in supermarkets.”
The allure of purple coloured food may be attributed to its photogenic qualities, said Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Research. She cited social media apps as being an influence in food choices.
“People do fantastic Pinterest pages, for example, all colourcoded or highlighting really interesting things like that,” she said in a press release in 2017.
“We know that around 10 per cent of consumers in the Netherlands, Australia, Spain and the U.S. are really influenced by social media when it comes to purchasing foods and beverage, but in some countries – like China – it’s double that.”
Global study reveals preference for baked goods
Despite health consciousness among consumers, the world still loves baked goods. A global market research study by Mordor Intelligence suggested saltier flavour options and organic foods may provide future growth opportunities.
The study segmented the global snack food market into salted snacks, bakery snacks, confectionery, specialty and frozen snacks. Bakery snacks were the most consumed globally, with 37 per cent of the market share.
Salty treats had 25 per cent of market coverage. Snacks such as potato and corn chips, popcorn and pretzels are expected to have the highest market growth during the forecast period.
PIE ART DEMYSTIFI
ED
Prior to designing 3D piescrapers and celebrity pietraits,
Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin, the creator of Pies Are Awesome, said she had never baked a day in her life.
“I couldn’t even crack an egg,” ClarkBojin laughed. Known on Instagram as @ thePieous, the Vancouver based pie-artist has managed to launch a successful business and build her reputation as a world-famous pie-artist, all without any formal training and without actually selling pie.
So why pies? As a new year’s resolution to live a healthier lifestyle but still satisfy her cravings for the sweeter things in life, Clark-Bojin set out to bake pies as an alternative to cakes and other treats.
For her very first pie she bought Classic Crisco shortening crust, made an apple cheddar pie and topped it with a firebreathing dragon she added by colouring the dough.
“My friends and family thought it was cool and so encouraged me to keep baking and posting online,” she said. On April 20, 2016 Clark-Bojin posted on Instagram that she was a baking newbie “that had developed a pie making habit and wanted to share her assorted triumphs and shameful failures” on the social media platform. At the time when she browsed the web for inspiration there was no shortage of amazing cake, cupcake and macaroon designs, so she found it odd that no one did anything fancy with pie.
and other fancy desserts.
}Armed with no experience in the kitchen, she took it as a challenge to come up with techniques and hacks to create the most epic pies ever seen.
rocks the internet with her creations going viral on many occasions.
When she asked friends in the industry, including veteran bakers, why this was, she was told that pie was “difficult.” It’s unpredictable and to work with pie dough one needs to work quickly, they told her. Armed with no experience in the kitchen, she took it as a challenge to come up with techniques and hacks to create the most epic pies ever seen. Fast-forward two years and her Instagram boasts 15,400 followers, she has had 46,411 views on her YouTube channel, made TV appearances on shows such as ABC’s The Chew and
Clark-Bojin is no stranger to art. In her life before pie, she was a filmmaker, designer, teacher and sculptor. The fine art major has worn many hats in the B.C film industry. In 2016, her first feature film Charlotte’s Song won five Leo Awards (British Columbia screen awards). While working on her second film, her friend and early contributor to her business told her to take “the pie thing” seriously. In order to validate her business idea with the market Clark-Bojin took her project to Kickstarter, an online crowd-funding tool for creatives. With a grand total of 599 backers, she raised $32,146, surpassing her funding goal by a whopping 1,600 per
cent. Initially she wanted to raise just $2,000. With this money Clark-Bojin was able to bring her pie-baking tools to the world. Clark-Bojin has since quit film to focus on pie full-time and has made it her mission de-mystify the belief that pies can’t go head to head with wedding cakes and other fancy desserts
If you fancy a unicorn or a rocket ship as the centrepiece of your pie, Clark-Bojin created pie guides to make pie crust designs quick and easy. Powder guides are similar except they come with an additional thinner stencil that allows you to add finer details. Combined they can allow literally anyone from novice to expert to be able to produce their best pie art as they speed up the process of creating designs in pie dough.
With no formal training in baking, Clark-Bojin said her skills came from lots of experimenting. As challenges arose Clark-Bojin kept a log of “happy accidents.” She studies the properties of the
The pie artist said she wants to show the world that pies can go head to head with wedding cakes
ingredients to make them work for her, rather than against her. For example one of her favourite pie hacks is to add vanilla wash to pie dough to help the details stand out.
Always one to share, Clark-Bojin gives most of her knowledge and content away for free on her social media or on her blog. There are no pie-decorating secrets between her and her pie-oneers (a term she coined for the pie-art community). She shares all her tricks and techniques and also enjoys seeking out inspiration from other pie-artists. Along with her loyal pie-oneers, Clark-Bojin continues to bust the myth that pie-art doesn’t exist. Name a celebrity, cartoon character, holiday theme and she will be able to come up with an original pie, if she hasn’t already done so. Everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Harry Potter has inspired one of her pie creations.
At the beginning of 2018 she started to focus on posting more content online and engaging in meaningful conversations with her followers.
“Social numbers are tricky but from comments you can tell exactly what [your followers] are talking about,” Clark-Bojin
said. She always takes requests and recommendations from her comment section.
To be influential on Instagram and other social media, she recommended staying focused on making good content people are excited about.
“Current trends in pop culture are always a hit,” Clark-Bojin said. She also suggested bakers do some digital community building. “There is no pay wall between me and the pie art community. Build a community around your art.”
Once in a while she will make a nerd pie just for herself and her community. Like her glow-in-the-dark Tron-inspired Easter egg pie she made dedicated to the release of the new “Tron light cycle” set from Lego. When she isn’t trying to reinvent the pie, Clark-Bojin is an Adult Fan of Lego (AFOL). She also enjoys comics, watching movies with her son and eating lots of pie in her spare time.
Because she doesn’t sell the pies she is showcasing, Clark-Bojin said she generates revenue in three ways. She sells her baking tools, her cookbook called Pie Modding – How to “Epic-Up” Store
5 of Jessica’s pie-art hacks
1. Add vanilla wash to pie dough to help the intricate details stand out
2. Mix gel colours with vanilla extract for a rustic look and with vodka or almond extract when you want them brighter
3. To transfer fancy pie lids, glue the pieces together with egg and tap down
4. Throw on minced candied ginger on top of filling and crust for some sparkle
5. For glow-in-the-dark filling, boil agar-agar powder, sugar and lemon juice in tonic water then chill for half an hour. Watch the link here:
https://youtu.be/tcI9iU98olk
5 of Jessica’s favourite pies in 2018 (@thepieous/Instagram)
1. Oprah Winfrey pietrait
2. Hermione (Harry Potter theme)
3. Beatrix Potter-inspired bunny for Easter
4. 24 Carrot goals inspired Honey Carrot Ginger Pie
5. Jake and Finn from Adventure Time (cartoon duo)
Bought Pies and Be the Hero of the Party, and from commissioned videos she has created for the Food Network and Cooking Channel that have garnered millions of views. In the future she plans to release more cookbooks to continue sharing new techniques.
As for making her pies available for sale, Clark-Bojin said she’s more interested in teaching people how to recreate her magical desserts at home. She plans to do this by focusing on creating more simple tutorial videos that will continue to tackle the misconception around pie baking and its degree of difficulty.
By simply re-imagining the traditional dessert, Clark-Bojin has managed to combine all her passions, interests and talents into one job. That’s why the entrepreneur encourages fellow bakers to experiment.
“Get over the fear of trying new things and failing,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to make a big mess!” / BJ
For more profiles, please visit www.bakersjournal.com.
Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin garnered 15,400 followers on Instagram and 46,411 views on her YouTube channel through showcasing her amazing pies and sharing her tips and tricks.
New combi-steamer
Rational Canada introduces its latest product: The SelfCookingCenter XS.
The Rational SelfCookingCenter features a self-learning device that memorizes a chef’s favourite settings, and applies them automatically while still allowing for the option of saving personal cooking programs. Doing more, with less space is the
Stainless steel hopper feeder
Manufactured to FDA food grade standards, Best Process Solutions vibratory hopper feeder features a 8” X 30” flat trough and 3 cubic-foot capacity hopper. Model HFE-830-7-1/2-(3) can handle hot and cold materials. Typical applications include feeding to packaging, batching, mixing and drying. www.bpsvibes.com
concept behind the combi-steamer. A SelfCookingCenter XS takes about 1 square metre of space yet can cover up to 95 per cent of all common cooking applications, reported the company. Citing ease of operation and consistency in results, Rational stated their combi-steamer will quickly become the ideal kitchen assistant.
www.rational-online.com
Cupcake transportation box
The CakeSafe company from Rhode Island launched their new transportation box, CupCakeSafe. Patent pending, CupCakeSafe is designed to keep fully-assembled tiered cakes or cupcakes cool, as well as safe from weather and motion-related challenges.
This new product can be used with their original product, the CakeSafe. The CupCakeSafe features a
removable shelving system with a hole that holds the cupcake in place and with pins that secure it in place without damaging frosting or decorative additions.
Each section of the holder is 10.76 cm high between each shelf for extra tall cupcakes. The CupCakeSafe system is specifically designed to fit only in the Mini, Small or Medium CakeSafes.
www.cakesafe.com
| BY KAREN BARR
VEGAN CONVERSATION
Once, it would have been unthinkable to create baked goods without eggs or dairy. As diets continue to change, so do the variety of available products. Some customers seek out vegan baked goods because of allergies. For others, it’s because they simply don’t eat anything from animals.
For Tori Vaccher, owner of Tori’s Bakery in Toronto, vegan is a way of life.
“I guess I would call myself an environmental vegan, if that is such a thing,” she said. “I feel like we are trying to grow things faster than nature wants them too.”
Creativity has always been part of Vaccher’s life. She went to an arts high school and then studied prop and set design at Ryerson Polytechnic University.
But Vaccher’s hobby became an obsession.
“Baking was taking over my world. My apartment was jammed with equipment.” Vaccher was experimenting by taking her Grandma Jean’s recipes and making them vegan.
A job at a bakery would follow, then taking baking classes at night. Once she perfected 15 recipes, five of which she derived from her grandmother’s originals, she was ready for business. Vaccher set up shop in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood in 2012.
The bakeshop owner shares a surprising fact.
“We don’t gear ourselves toward the vegan market.” Vaccher said. “I want everyone to feel welcome. I don’t want to push my agenda on them.”
About her vegan customers: “I’ve also said, ‘the vegans will come. The vegans will seek us out.’ And they have.”
Her business has grown from a team of four bakers including Vaccher, and three counter staff, to 13 staff between
two retail locations and a central downtown production kitchen. Tori’s Bakery also has nine wholesale clients in the restaurant industry, from cafés to juice bars, with multiple locations. Sales have increased a whopping 40 per cent since the first year, she said.
Today, Tori’s Bakery has 40 different products that are switched seasonally. The most popular baked goods include cinnamon buns, “cruffins” (a cross between a croissant and a muffin,) gluten-free vanilla bean doughnuts, and gluten-free chocolate cream cheese cupcakes.
EDIBLE FLOURS
For Amanda Huhn of Edible Flours, a vegan bakery in Vancouver, vegan baking had never crossed her mind.
“I never thought about it before I applied for the job at Edible Flours,” she admitted. And as a non-vegan, she was sure they wouldn’t hire her. She was surprised by both the job offer and the taste of the baked goods.
“It’s just as good if not better than regular baking,” she said. “People tend to have a pre-conceived notion that vegan baking has no flavour.” Huhn said good quality, natural ingredients are key.
After a year of working for Edible Flours, the seven-year old bakery recently went up for sale. Huhn took the leap from baker to bakery owner.
“I knew this was my dream” said Huhn, who studied culinary arts and
Macarons are a top seller at Petit Lapin vegan bakery in Montreal.
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), and Mitacs Canada, a Canadian not-for-profit funding agency supporting industry-academia collaborations.
Anew research project at the University of Saskatchewan aims to enhance the information available on the Canadian consumption of foods made from both whole and enriched non-whole grains.
Both whole grain and enriched nonwhole grain foods are important parts of a balanced diet for Canadians.
While whole grain foods have been studied significantly, and the nutritional benefits of including them in one’s diet are well known, there is less information on the consumption of enriched non-whole grain foods like white bread, bagels and hamburger/hot dog buns, and the nutrition and health benefits of consuming these foods.
University of Saskatchewan’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and School of Public Health, the project utilizes the recently released 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) data to provide better guidance to Canadians and policy makers on the contribution
of both whole and enriched non-whole grains to the diet.
Led by Hassan Vatanparast of the
The project is being funded jointly by the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat), the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC), the
“We want to ensure that consumers and policy makers have the best information available to them,” said Sask Wheat Chair Laura Reiter, “Evidence from other countries has shown that foods made from both whole grain and enriched non-whole grains provide nutritional and health benefits to those who included these foods in their diets. We need this research done here to help Canadians make informed decisions that will benefit their health and well-being.” Canada’s Food Guide is currently being revised and Health Canada is proposing Canadians increase their dietary intake of whole grain foods and decrease their intake of foods made with enriched non-whole grains. However, studies using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey have recently shown the inclusion of enriched non-whole grain foods contribute to nutrient intakes and diet quality in children and adults. The results of Vatanparast’s project are expected to benefit consumers and policy makers with better health and nutrition information on the consumption of all grains-based foods.
CHAPTER
Tuesday JUNE 12
FORMAT - 4 PERSON SCRAMBLE
Put your foursome together or if you are only one or two players, we will arrange your playing partners for you.
TOURNAMENT GIFT FOR ALL, DRAW PRIZES, PUTTING CONTEST PRIZES, CLOSEST SHOT TO THE HOLE CONTESTS & LOTS OF TEAM PRIZES
ONTARIO CHAPTER ANNUAL SPRING GOLF TOURNAMENT
TUESDAY JUNE 12, 2018
Carlisle Golf & Country Club (West of Guelph Line off Derry Rd.)
Registration & BBQ lunch starting at 10:00 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. Shotgun - SCRAMBLE – Start 11:30 a.m. Contact:
Email:
PLAYERS
ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
TICKETS @ $195 (golf, cart, lunch & dinner)
TICKETS @ $80 (dinner only)
NON-MEMBERS
TICKETS @ $205 (golf, cart, lunch & dinner)
TICKETS @ $110 (dinner only)
SPONSORSHIP
Company Name (as it is to appear on sign)
BC CHAPTER REGISTRATION FORM
PLEASE RESERVE
Spot(s) for Golf & Dinner @ $150 each (*142.86 + 7 14) $_________________
Spot(s) for Dinner only @ $50 each (*47.62 + 2.38) $_________________
Platinum Sponsorship @ $500 (*476 19 + 23.81) $_________________
• Sponsorship identification at the registration area
• Sponsorship identification at the banquet dinner
• Tee sponsor signage
$______________
included in prices Tax# 887064798RT)
Please enter us as a foursome Please place me on a team As always - we appreciate your prize donation! Prize = Yes No
restaurant ownership, as well as baking and pastry arts at Vancouver Arts Institute. “And I realized there was a big need for vegan baking.”
Female millennials are a big customer base. The bakery has 12 seats inside and four seats outside. During the week there are students or business workers on computers, enjoying a break. On weekends, groups of customers visit for coffee and fresh baked goods.
Hahn said Edible Flours has been a success, because even in Vancouver there are very few vegan bakeries. Even fewer offer the product depth that her bakery offers. Customer favourites include Nanaimo bars, classic chocolate brownies and cupcakes.
“We change cupcake flavours every day. The batter is always the same – either chocolate or vanilla, but we change the icing depending on what we are icing the cakes with that day,” said Huhn.
}Edible Flours makes custom order cakes using vegan buttercream, a mix of palm shortening with plant-based margarine, and a blend of natural oils.
“All of our cakes are vegan and use predominantly organic ingredients, as well as all natural colouring derived from vegetables,” said Huhn.
Healthy online sales make up 50 per cent of Petit Lapin’s overall revenue and come from as far away as Australia. And then there is a new book Les desserts de Petit Lapin , published in March, with 50 recipes using simple ingredients found in most grocery stores. It’s available in bookstores such as Indigo or on Petit Lapin’s online store.
The vegan conversation has grown in recent years, although a recent poll at Dalhousie University suggests the number of vegetarians and vegans has remained steady over the last decade or so. The results of Dalhousie’s poll show that 7.1 per cent of Canadians consider themselves vegetarian and 2.3 per cent identify as vegan. Despite the number of vegans/vegetarians remaining steady, the per cent of Canadians saying they are following a type of dietary regime is 32 per cent. As the conversation with these three bakers indicates, the appetite for vegan products goes beyond those who adhere to veganism as a diet. By offering something vegan on menus, bakeries will be sure they have something for everyone to enjoy. / BJ
They would ask, ‘How can you make this without dairy or without eggs?’ Today, people understand we are replacing one ingredient with another. For more on industry trends, please visit www.bakersjournal.com
The bakery makes tiered cakes for weddings and special occasions, but birthday cakes dominate. Cakes provide most of the revenue for the bakery. Their most popular cake is chocolate hazelnut. It’s topped with hazelnut frosting, has a crushed hazelnut crust and garnished with a chocolate ganache drip.
PETIT LAPIN
Vivian Nguyen opened her bakery Petit Lapin in the Westmount area of Montreal in 2014 as a way of sharing her desserts. At only 10 months old, her little boy was diagnosed with 30 food allergies. Yet, as a mother she wouldn’t give up on finding a cake he could eat to celebrate his first birthday. “A birthday isn’t a birthday without a cake,” she said. Nguyen first perfected a cupcake, then mastered the cake. The birthday party was a success. And before her son turned two, Nguyen was armed with a list of recipes for cupcakes, cakes, cake pops, doughnuts, cookies, cream puffs, macarons, madeleines, breads and mini pies.“It was very challenging at first. It was research, trial and error in the kitchen.”
Nguyen then set up her bakery. Initially, customers were skeptical. There were many questions.
“They would ask, ‘How can you make this without dairy or without eggs?’ Today, people understand we are replacing one ingredient with another.”
Petit Lapin has a strong customer base of locals who enjoy her products on taste alone, as well those seeking allergy free or vegan, she said. A Montreal favourite, one of the top selling products is the macaron, made without eggs, almonds or flour. Favourite flavours include lemon and coconut, although “most children prefer chocolate,” she said. She also produces cupcakes in red velvet, chocolate and lemon.
Karen Barr writes about arts, culture and cuisine. She is a graduate of George Brown College and a Red Seal pastry chef.
¦ concepts for success ¦
BY DIANE CHIASSON
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
If you are building a new website for your bakery, here are tips to keep in mind on the most important assets.
Planning a new website design for a small bakery can be daunting. There are many elements besides designing a beautiful, professional, secure and customer-friendly site. Above all, you have to make sure it matches the look and feel of your overall brand. Your domain name (URL) should just include your bakery company name; keep it simple. I always recommend the .com domain to my clients as customers usually type that extension when they enter a web address. I also suggest avoiding dashes and numbers, which more than likely will confuse your customers. Here are a few more handy tips.
BE MOBILE FRIENDLY
}who works at your bakery. Tell them how you got started, how long you have been baking, and what your favourite baking products are. Your customers will connect best with you when they can relate to your story. Break things down into short paragraphs, use bullet points, and highlight important words or phrases.
Menu page: It’s no surprise that a site like Pinterest is so successful. Consumers can quickly scroll through hundreds of beautiful food images. Through great photography, visitors to your site should be able to figure out right away what your bakery does. If you can afford it, use a professional photographer or take an online video course on how to take excellent food photos. Pictures coming from the latest smartphones are pretty amazing. This is where you want to show off your cakes, cookies, cupcakes, pies, wedding cakes, etc. You need to post high quality photos of your bakery products and
Where possible, include a sentence or two with photos and the name of the customer as this will add authenticity to each testimonial.
Having a mobile-friendly website isn’t just good practice – it’s a prerequisite. A few years ago, mobile overtook desktop as the primary device for people searching the internet. Your site design needs to be mobile responsive and optimized for basically anything with an internet connection, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops.
THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
Home page: You should have a clean, concise and short-to-the-point home page. Don’t make it content heavy, as less than 30 per cent of visitors actually read home page content. This is your “pitch sales” page and should give a brief overview of who you are and what you do, a brief description of your products and services, and what they can find on your site.
About page:Your potential customers may want to learn a bit more about who you are and also know something about the people who are behind your company. Give your site a personal touch by including not only your profile and background but also a profile and a picture of every staff member
short descriptions on your site in order to delight and tantalize potential clients. In the end, simplicity, basic colours and elegance are your best bet. When making your pictures, save them as “web” sized but at the highest quality you can. Your website will load a lot faster and you will make happy customers.
Testimonials/Reviews page: Positive comments from others will make your products or services more tangible to potential customers who are visiting you site for the first time. Include testimonials from your current customers to show that you are a trustworthy and reliable bakery shop.
Where possible, include a sentence or two with photos and the name of the customer as this will add authenticity to each testimonial. Just remember that people love to hear stories from real people. Contact page: Let your clientele know exactly how to reach you. Include your complete physical mailing address, including postal code and city. You should also include your phone number, email address, any social media links like
If you can afford it, use a professional photographer or take an online course on how to take excellent food photos that will bring your menu to life.
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc., and your bakery business hours.
PHOTO GALLERY
If you are not going to sell your bakery products online, you may still wish to showcase your products or services in a special photo montage gallery. This can be as simple as a series of photos of your best cakes and pastries as well as your staff training certificates, photos of your professional baking team at work, and some media articles and photos.
I hope this information has provided some handy tips of important assets you need to include to ensure your bakery’s new web design showcases the business best. / BJ
Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 30 years. She is recognized as the industry leader in providing innovative and revenue-increasing foodservice and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns, and much more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-926-6655 or chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com.
CONVERSATIONAL COMMERCE
If conversational commerce is highlighted to be the next big thing in retail, it begs the question: “Then what have we been doing all these years? Ordering by mime?” While the exchange of commerce has always been an interactive and involved conversation, it’s notable now because of one important development: We’re not the ones conversing with the customer. Machines are.
Call them Virtual Assistants, Voice Recognition, Chat Bots, Siri, Alexa, Google or call them late for dinner (as the old joke goes). Conversational commerce in today’s marketing theory is defined as communicating in an interactive manner with businesses that you want to hear from and have questions for. These organizations can include your bank, an airline to confirm flight status or an online store to which you have an account set up. Many of us are already using voice recognition to get our bank balances, program a trip into our car GPS and to get the answer to mathematical calculations.
}While all of this may feel like a Dr. Who episode, these devices are simply pulling into their feed whatever data human beings had already programmed into them.
this form of commercial interface grows, you are in control of what information gets repeated.
where possible? Is your location on Google Maps accurate along with your address? Google reports that the search term “find (business type) near me,” increased 130 per cent in 2015 over 2014.
OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE
Gartner reports that 30 per cent of interactions this year will be conversationbased. As the tools using voice recognition are exposed to more language, accents, phrasing and other nuances, they get “smarter” and more accurate. It’s reported that an Amazon Echo in the U.S. called the sheriff for a terrified victim of an assault as she was being attacked. While all of this may feel like a Dr. Who episode, these devices are simply pulling into their feed whatever data human beings had already programmed into them.
When I ask my Amazon Echo how she’s feeling today and she replies “Fine, thank you. I’m enjoying the longer daylight and more of my favourite colour, infrared,” it’s worth reminding myself that some dude named Joey with a big beard and a hoodie working at Amazon actually crafted that response, not the robot. Here lies the important thing for you to keep in mind as
If one starts to actually believe these devices are human, then we’re giving away too much power. Businesses see what’s happening and become dejected because they don’t believe they can keep up with the technology. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact; these tools actually level the playing field in terms of competing with the big companies. They are surprisingly cost-effective and efficient at converting traffic to taking whatever action you de-sire. To win at the conversational commerce game, here are a few steps you can take now to be ready.
CLEAN UP YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT
Remember the adage, “garbage in, garbage out” because your online presence will provide the pool from which any devices or interfaces will drink. Check all the places your hours of operation are listed, including your website, Facebook page, Google listings, Yelp, etc. Are your hours displayed and accurate? Does the listing include easy links back to your website, email or phone? Are your social media channels linked
Winning the digital race comes down to two things: being easily found and then having interesting content that results in the exchange of money. If your webmaster isn’t regularly updating meta titles and descriptions and creating new landing pages that match your business objectives, then you are probably not connecting effectively with what your customers are searching for.
What people forget is that we change what we search for depending on the time of year. Mrs. Jones may be searching for “chocolate covered strawberries” in June but in October she is keen to find a bakery with great pumpkin pie. Changing the images on your site to show seasonal products is one thing. If your tags and descriptions in the coding for your site don’t have your keyword “world’s greatest pumpkin pie” attached, Google won’t index you as having “pumpkin pie” content and you will miss those people searching for you.
Amazon Echo incorporates a sense of humour in its programmed responses, a good tip to consider.
How
A SWEET DEAL
Over the last decade, we’ve seen a significant rise in the demand for natural alternative sweeteners in the products we make, buy and consume. Some of these natural alternatives are well-known like honey and maple syrup, while others such as palm sugar and monk fruit, are less familiar to consumers.
This article breaks down the major players in the alternative sweetener space and useful tips to consider when incorporating them that will help keep you out of sticky situations!
A PERFECT STORM
There are multiple factors that have come together to create a perfect storm for this market. Leading the charge is an overall effort to reduce excess amounts of sugar consumed, and a desire from consumers for less processed ingredients due to health concerns.
}Tapped straight from nature and quintessentially Canadian, maple syrup is a good option for cookies and sweet bread applications.
The dextrose equivalent (DE) of the alternative sweetener should be equal to the sweetener it’s replacing.
Other significant factors include the call for increased transparency and clean label foods. In Mintel’s “Global Food & Drink Trends 2018”, transparency and the need for food and drink manufacturers to be forthcoming about their ingredients, production processes and supply chains was listed as their top trend.
SWEETENERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
With an increase in the demand for alternative sweeteners comes an increase in the types of sweeteners available to bakers, food manufacturers and consumers. Here are a number of options along with potential applications.
Natural simple syrups: Simple syrups like brown rice syrup, agave, honey and maple provide a viable alternative to high fructose corn syrup used in popular baked goods like croissants and pastries. High fructose corn syrup, which is a liquid sweetener made from cornstarch, has come under scrutiny in recent years. Many companies and consumers have moved away from this sweetener completely, opting for ingredients in the list below.
Brown rice syrup: This thick syrup can have a nutty flavour and is made by fermenting brown rice and breaking down its natural starches into sugars. Popular uses include pie filings, glazes and sauces.
Agave syrup: Derived from the leaves of the blue agave, this native Mexican plant is also used in the production of tequila. Agave is sweeter than honey, but less viscous, making it ideal as a sweetener alternative for coffee, tea and soda drinks.
Maple syrup: Made from the sap of maple trees, this syrup has a rich, distinct flavour profile, and is a good option for cookies and sweet bread applications.
Honey: Produced by bees from the nectar of flowers, honey is minimally processed and is popular with consumers. Honey can be used in a multitude of items such as beverages, sauces and bread loaves.
Organic, raw granulated sugars
For consumers looking for certified organic and minimally processed ingredients, organic and raw granulated sugars like coconut, palm and cane sugar are all options. These sugars can be substituted 1:1 for white granulated sugar.
Coconut sugar (coconut palm sugar):
Derived from the sap of the coconut palm tree, this amber coloured sugar is enjoying a moment due to the current coconut craze. It tastes similar to brown sugar and is ideal for baking pastries, croissants, and any application that incorporates granulated sugar.
Palm sugar: Not to be confused with coconut palm sugar, palm sugar is derived from the sugar palm tree and has traditionally been used in Thai dishes. However, palm sugar can be used in diverse recipes and formulations, including baked goods such as muffins and cupcakes.
Natural cane sugar: There are a few differences between natural cane sugar and white granulated sugar. Natural cane sugar is made from sugar cane whereas white granulated sugar is made from sugar cane or sugar beets. Natural cane sugar is less processed than white granulated sugar. Natural cane sugar tends to have a slight amber colour due to the molasses content, meaning baked goods like sugar cookies will have a rich colour and taste.
STEVIA
Stevia is known for being a natural zero-calorie sweetener and a good option for the diabetic market because it does not affect an individual’s blood sugar levels.
START USING CHATBOTS
If you pride yourself on exceptional, personal service, the thought of using a chatbot may feel cold and impersonal. You may also feel that this type of technology is beyond your reach financially. You’d be mistaken on both counts. Think of chatbots as simply automated text messages that are programmed to respond to a set of predetermined queries.
Chatbots can converse with customers via Facebook Messenger or even be embedded into your website. This technology truly shines when you leverage it to answer routine questions like, “do you have gluten free cakes?” Or, “where are you located?” If you cater events, chatbots are a perfect way to capture leads around the clock. If a chatbot window pops up on your site with the question “Do you have any questions I can answer?” A potential client might respond, “I’m wondering if you cater weddings?” The bot can be programmed to say “Absolutely! We’d
love to have someone call you tomorrow. Would you like a copy of our menu to look at before we speak?” The bot can then take their information for you to follow up with a personal call and then the bot can email the menu to them. Chatbots can increase conversion rates. Overthink group reports that Amtrak had chatbots answer five million questions annually realizing an increase in bookings by 25 per cent. The lead is now much warmer than if the customer sends an email or fills out a contact form because you’ve connected immediately and have already started discussing the opportunity.Technology ideally supports human efficiency and interaction; it does not replace it. Chatbots can be used effectively to conduct a “live chat” session if people need customers support. You would be wise to inject a bit of personality into your bot-programmed responses. Amazon’s Echo device has a wicked sense of humour and half the fun is asking her opinion on various topics. Even if your responses are by text, make them sound human and you will create a rapport from the start.
THE ART OF A GOOD QUESTION
Any good digital marketer will tell you that having an engaged customer interact with your business is the key to the kingdom. Engagement is defined in digital terms as a reader interacting with your social media posts. “Likes” are considered the least impactful as it doesn’t require much effort on the part of the reader to click the button. You want to see your posts shared or to be commented upon. Make sure you respond to those comments and you can even prompt more engagement by asking a question in your posts.
Don’t be intimidated by the technological advances because that could cause you to pull the covers over your head and assume you can’t keep up. You can and you must use these tools. Start with the tips we’ve outlined here and consider buying one of these voice controlled speakers. Ask Alexa what to do next. She’ll probably have some good advice. / BJ
Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional with experience in the food, pharmaceutical and financial services industries. She specializes in brand strategies.
Derived from the stevia rebaudiana plant, a South American herb, stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar. This means the amount of stevia used should be significantly reduced when substituting for conventional white sugar. While stevia can have a bitter aftertaste, research and development progress has been made to make stevia increasingly palatable, available and affordable. Ideal applications for stevia include sugar reduced applications like chewing gum, sport, energy and soda drinks. For baking purposes, stevia can be used to make certain reduced calorie products like biscotti style cookies.
SWEET CONSIDERATIONS
With the need to change, comes the opportunity to innovate. Here are aspects to consider when exploring substitutes for conventional sugar and artificial sweeteners. Let’s get technical: The dextrose equivalent (DE) of the alternative sweetener should be equal to the sweetener it’s replacing. DE is a measure of the amount of reducing sugars (glucose and maltose)
present in a sugar product, expressed as a percentage on a dry basis (soluble solids) relative to dextrose. For example, if using granulated white sugar, it can be substituted with granulated organic cane sugar or coconut sugar. It’s important that both sweeteners have the same DE is because it allows bakers to easily substitute the ingredients using the same ratio without having to reformulate the recipe.
Sugar shelf life: Since sugars serve as preservatives, they play a key role in determining the shelf life of a product. Bakers should select an alternative sweetener that has the same shelf life as the one it’s replacing. If the chosen sweetener has a shorter or longer shelf life, labelling changes must be made and consumer expectations managed. This consideration supports product consistency.
The flavour factor: Taste, texture and aroma are all considerations consumers make when deciding what they like and what they don’t. This means bakers must also make these considerations when substituting ingredients in existing formulations or delving into product innovation. How does the chosen sweet-
ener enhance the overall taste of the bakery item, and what flavour notes does it impart? For example, agave syrup has a neutral and mild flavour, especially when compared to maple syrup or honey, making it an ideal substitute for conventional sweeteners in beverages and pie fillings.
Underlining all these considerations is knowing how to best serve the target market and respond to changing consumer preferences. If the target consumer is looking for minimally processed items, organic granulated sugars may be the way to go. If the consumer is steering away from high-fructose corn syrup, any number of simple syrups may be worth exploring. / BJ
Ben Carnevale, B.Sc, is a food scientist for Blendtek Fine Ingredients, an innovative food ingredients and solutions company that supplies the basics and the inspired including specialty flours, proprietary blends, natural extracts and sweeteners, gluten free products, organic products, functional food systems and much more. For information visit www.blendtek.com and follow on Twitter @Blendtek_Inc.
THE ADVANCED ART OF BAKING & PASTRY
The main goal of Advanced Baking and Pastry is to present the right balance of topics and depth of coverage, encompassing items produced in the bakeshop, including breads, Viennoiserie, creams, pies, tarts, cakes, and decorative work in a professional manner that is easily approachable for the advanced baking and pastry student and professionals alike.
This book provides theoretical information along with tested recipes, detailed step-by-step procedures, and additional online support material.
In addition, a supplemental recipe database will provide readers with a foundation of recipes and techniques that they can then apply throughout their career.
& CONVEYOR
Ingredient Dispensing Systems Since 1953
CHRISTY TOPPING DISPENSER & CONVEYOR SYSTEMS
Consistent, reliable dispensing and delivery of dry and moist topping ingredients is why Christy Topping Dispensers and Conveyors lead the industry. Our products durability and engineered simplicity provide topping solutions that have withstood the test of time. Do you have a problem ingredient? Christy's engineers will develop a solution specifically for your needs.
DEPOSIT DRY OR MOIST MATERIALS:
• Deposit within a pan/peel, in rows, across the belt or spot deposits
• Easy and fast pattern changes with deposit density controls
• Agitation hoppers in custom and standard sizes
• Affordable, quality stainless steel wash down construction
• Interchangeable components for ingredient and size changes
• Dedicated flour and corn meal dusting systems
• Mounts to existing conveyors or Christy conveyor
• C-Stand mounts on casters
• Straight conveyors
• Offset conveyors
• 180 degree curve conveyors
• 90 degree curve conveyors
• Specialty performance conveyors
• Incline conveyors
• Reciprocating conveyors
• Right angle transfer conveyors
BY JANE DUMMER, RD
PLANT BASED BAKING
Peanut brownies on display at the Winter Fancy Food Show in California.
The range of plant-based ingredients continues to grow and nowhere is this more evident than in baking. From vegan cakes to better-for-you plantbased protein cookies, new and exciting products were exhibited at both the Winter Fancy Food Show (WFFS) and Natural Products Expo West in California this year. Pairing the plant-based trend with protein benefits baking from improved ingredients when it comes to taste, texture and overall appeal for the final product. Key ingredients that caught my attention at both shows included seeds, nuts and pulses (chickpeas, lentil, peas and beans).
}Now, with better ingredients and products, the plant-based trend is becoming more mainstream. Jennifer Evancio, Best Cooking Pulses’ director of sales and marketing agrees: “We are seeing vegan and vegetarian food manufacturers requesting egg replacer options in baked goods including cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins and pancakes. We first started looking at pulses as a vegan, clean-label egg replacer when aquafaba hit mainstream awareness. Our interest also coincided with the 2016 United Nations International Year of Pulses.”
and blending techniques for seeds, nuts and pulses have improved over the past decade. I met with Jenny Berrien, Kite Hill’s vice president of marketing, at the WFFS and she explained their process.
“Our nut cheeses are made the same way as dairy milk cheeses. Starting with high quality, non-GMO almonds pressed into milk at our San Francisco Bay Area facility, we add cultures, an enzyme [developed on a vegetable medium] to thicken it, a little salt and let the magic of fermentation run its course. One of our co-founders, Stanford University biochemist Dr. Patrick Brown, systematically tested 27 different nut varietals to determine which ones had the right macronutrient composition with enough fat and protein to form a curd.”
Using time-honoured techniques, Kite Hill has figured out how to make buttery fresh ricotta, aged nut milk delicacies, and cream cheese that all
Now, with better ingredients and products, the plant-based trend is becoming more mainstream.
Peanut brownies on display at the Winter Fancy Food Show in California.
dairy ingredients in baking.”
Improved versions of egg replacers can be used in applications that traditionally rely upon eggs to provide structure for macarons and meringues. Evancio feels that Angel Food Cake remains the ‘holy grail’ for egg replacement options, and states she’s “seen promising work” that pulse-based egg replacements may provide a solution for food formulators.
When I recall the first few products on the market that had replaced dairy and eggs in baked goods, the mouth feel was not desirable. Luckily, processing
work for the plant-based baking applications. Tal Ronnen, co-founder of Kite Hill and founder and chef of Crossroads Kitchen said: “Cheesecakes have long been made in Italy using ricotta but most American recipes only call for cream cheese. We found that using both Kite Hill ingredients provides a great texture for a plantbased option. Our cream cheese is made from cultured almond milk for a silky smooth texture and subtle tang. Traditional Italian cheesecakes are more ‘curdy’ which the Kite Hill ricotta is ideal for in keeping with traditional, dairy-based ricotta.”
Aside from value-added almond ingredients, new peanut formats have caught my eye. Sherry Coleman Collins, dietitian and consultant to the National Peanut Board explains.
“Peanuts have traditionally been associated with baked goods and desserts. Peanuts benefit from a high but healthy fat composition which lends itself to a desirable thickness and smooth mouth feel when replacing
New to the market is Elmhurst Milked Peanuts. Dr. Cheryl Mitchell, food scientist and innovator at Elmhurst Milked describes the beverage: “In addition to eight grams of protein per 250 ml [8 oz] serving, it’s made with rich Dutch cocoa and whole, raw peanuts to create a creamy texture and delicious flavour that elevates baking recipes.
This peanut milk uses a patented HydroRelease technology, which uses water to liberate nutrients from raw nuts. These nutrients then recombine naturally to form a smooth beverage without the need for industrial chemicals and thickeners. That method allows Elmhurst Milked to retain more nuts per glass, resulting in a healthful, nutrient-rich offering that tastes purely of peanuts and quality chocolate.” I first tasted it baked into a chocolate peanut brownie at WFFS. The brownie was delicious – smooth and silky – definitely a desirable experience. / 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
