Bakers
aPPeTIZING aPPs
Many bakers are eager to find that one app that will make their working lives easier. Baker’s Journal found five! For the full story, see “Appetizing Apps” on page 10.
Canadian bakers are hungry for business apps! 10
appetizing apps
Bakers Journal takes a look at cool industry apps designed to save you time, money – and maybe even a few headaches in your day-to-day business.
24 Pastry as art Form
Thierry schmitt of Toronto’s Pâtisserie la Cigogne has spent the better part of his life perfecting the art of French artisinal baking.
Move over Millennials
Generation Z is poised to enter the workforce and they’re bringing a whole new set of expectations with them. Brandi Cowen of recruitment website Retain! tells us what motivates young people between the ages 16 and 20.
THere’s aN aPP FOr THaT
These days, there seems to be an app for just about everything. You can manage your finances, find a restaurant, and maintain a proper brushing and flossing schedule. You can even count sheep, translate your cat’s meows or get reminders to call your significant other.
Yet, for every good app out there, there are easily 50 that are of no real value, and before downloading any I generally ask myself: “Do you really need this? Will you actually ever use this?” And the all-important: “Is this worth $5.99?”
So what about baking apps? Recipe-based applications of all varieties exist. And these may be of great use to some. For instance, these apps may help out students learning the trade or some of the beginner/younger chefs out. And these groups are already part of the wired in, app demographic. This generation is “one with technology” in a way most others are not. They are likely already on it – and it just makes sense.
But do seasoned chefs need a smartphone doodad or tablet gizmo to help them create artisanal breads and pastries? Not likely (although it never hurts to check out the latest technology).
Yet, just because you don’t need to sit in front of your smartphone to watch a demo on how to properly crack an egg or get the lumps out of your batter, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an app out there for you.
Those steeped in the industry are likely to be much more interested in business-based applications. These are the type of apps that will help you do things like track your inventory of ingredients, convert your recipes to various yields or calculate your food costs.
In our cover story “Appetizing Apps,” Colleen Cross takes a look at some of the more useful apps out there for bakers.
}Just like a good mixer or a good spatula, a good app is merely a tool. and these tools are helping a variety of industry insiders work smarter at their jobs (and are saving them time in the process).
For example, one of the ones she cites will help you visualize custom cakes, alongside your customers; another interesting app will help you grow your recipe database; there is even one that can help catering and hospitality professionals calculate accurate selling prices and gross profits.
Just like a good mixer or a good spatula, a good app is merely a tool. And these tools are helping a variety of industry people work smarter at their jobs (and are saving them time in the process). And who couldn’t use more of that?
We all know that these types of apps aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. By this time next year, I expect dozens more to have flooded this market.
Whether you use them is up to you, but there are definitely some out there that are worth a look – creative, attractive and interesting tools that might really lend a virtual hand in various aspects of your work.
And let’s face it, if downloading a baking, business or foodservice app is just not for you, perhaps you’ve got some mad skills of your own that you could make into an app of your own! I mean, who knows the world of Canadian baking better than you?
Have a great baking app idea, a good suggestion for a feature article or just want to discuss the industry? Drop me a line at jdruery@annexweb.com and let’s start the conversation. / BJ
OCTOBER | VOl. 74, NO. 9
EdiTOR | janine Druery editor@bakersjournal.com 416-522-1595
assisTaNT EdiTOR | Colleen Cross ccross@annexweb.com 519-428-3471 ext. 261
TEChNiCal
EdiTOR | john McColl, Puratos Canada jmccoll@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 | Gerry Wiebe GROuP PuBlishER | Martin Mcanulty mmcanulty@annexweb.com
PREsidENT | Mike fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com
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briefly | Ontario bakery celebrates a milestone; Chocolate Academy makes a move; Fruit and vegetable flours make a debut | for more news in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com
Chocolate academy moves to Montreal
Barry Callebaut’s Chocolate academy centre has a new home at in Montreal. like the original facility in st-hyacinthe, Que., the new academy offers classes in French and English for artisans, culinary professionals and those passionate about international gastronomy.
The new academy opened officially Oct. 6, with a cocktail dinner featuring the newly released solérone d’automne, a fall beer created by Glutenberg/Chartier and made using Cacao Barry chocolate.
The centre features six distinct teaching and meeting areas and offers diverse courses and activities: a chocolate atelier dedicated to chocolate and pastry artisans who have come to develop their talents; a creative studio for professionals who want to create their own recipes and marketing strategies; a tasting and sensory room designed to
Fruit and veggie flours launched
Three flours made entirely of domestically grown fruit and vegetables were recently launched through a crowdfunding campaign.
Jerry Roback and amanda Warren of anti-Grain Foods in denver, Colo., started the flour project to provide more nutritious and better tasting alternatives for those avoiding grains for health reasons. The flours are naturally gluten-free, allergen-free and paleofriendly.
“We experimented with all sorts of fruits and vegetables before developing the three varieties that we have,” said Roback. he notes that the irony is that these are fruits and vegetables that are commonly used in baking.
The three new flours are: squash flour, made entirely of butternut squash; sweet potato flour, made solely of yellow sweet potatoes; and apple flour, made solely of Northern spy apples.
Roback and Warren launched a kickstarter project in august to help bring the line of fruit and veggie-based flours to the marketplace.
explore chocolate pairings with coffee, tea, wine, spices and other gastronomic ingredients; a bar that allows attendees to explore the world of mixology and baristas; an open space or groups to meet; and an auditorium for demonstrations.
This year, the academy will play host to international chef instructors and ambassadors Paolo Cappellini, Michele Forgione and leonardo di Carlo.
snap admail aimed at small businesses
Canada Post has launched snap admail, an online tool aimed to help small businesses create and carry out directmarketing campaigns.
The tool, available through Canada Post’s website, enables users to create direct mail pieces, plan their target audience, send the documents for printing and distribute them in the target markets.
“By providing an easy online marketing tool, we can help small businesses that may not have the time or resources to plan their next campaign,” said Bill Gunton, vice-president, marketing and commercial products at Canada Post, in a news release.
snap admail is powered by Taradel, a full-service marketing firm geared at providing support and solutions at great value to small businesses.
“We’re pleased to partner with Canada Post to offer small business owners this one-stop solution,” said Jim Fitzgerald, Taradel’s founder and chief executive.
The tool allows users to quickly and easily plan a direct mail campaign from the home or office computer, with 24/7 customer support, said the release. They
can then choose from existing designs and templates or upload their own to create a brochure, pamphlet, postcard or flyer, and plan the target market. as part of the cost, Canada Post will print and distribute the product into the targeted markets.
Courtland Bakery celebrates milestone
Courtland Bakery celebrated its 75th anniversary in september, marking the business milestone with several giveaways on the theme of “75.”
The long-running Ontario bakery is located in Courtland, Ont., a village of about 700 people, on a busy highway that runs from Windsor to Fort Erie.
Mary Peazel, who with her husband John owns the bakery, said she has lost count of the giveaways, which include tickets to Nhl hockey and MlB Blue Jays games, and many gift baskets. The bakery also held an open house to mark its anniversary.
“We sold 13,000 cookies in seven days,” she said of the special anniversary week cookie price of a second dozen for 75 cents. They also offered coffee and a doughnut for 75 cents.
The Peazels have run the bakery since 1977. Over the years, it has seen eight different owners, including the Peazels.
“The first bakery was only 500 square feet. This bakery is four times bigger than what it used to be – 2,000 square feet,” said Peazel. it employs 15 to 18 people full and part time.
What’s been the biggest change at the bakery over the years? “We used to make a lot more bread than we do now. Now, we do a lot more pastries and dough-
rogers sugar to reduce workforce
Rogers sugar will reduce the hourly workforce at its Montreal refinery by 59 employees through a combination of layoffs, early retirements and voluntary departures.
Ed Makin, president and CEO of lantic (which operates the refinery) said that “in order to remain competitive in this challenging environment, we need to improve production efficiencies.”
Various employee programs have been put in place to provide assistance to all affected employees.
lantic will continue to employ approximately 850 employees during the peak season across Canada, through its two cane sugar refineries, beet factory, blending facility and distribution centre.
nuts,” she said, adding that they also sell a special kind of salted or unsalted bread stick called kifle, cheese crowns, danishes and, their biggest sellers, custard squares. The bakery is well known for its paczkis (pronounced “pawnchkis”), traditional Polish fruit-filled doughnuts that are sold for four weeks leading up to shrove Tuesday.
another trend Peazel has noticed is customers requesting healthier breads such as whole wheat and gluten-free,
trends she said they have tried to accommodate by adding to their bread line-up and by bringing in gluten-free items from other local vendors.
husband John has by and large retired from baking, and the Peazels are looking to sell the bakery to “the right owner.”
“We want to keep the same good quality. That’s very important,” said Peazel. People don’t mind paying more for quality. That’s what’s kept us in business all these years.”
Mary Peazel (above) owns Courtland Bakery with her husband John Peazel.
concepts for success ¦
HOW TO Be a GreaT TeaM LeaDer
People are more focused in their shopping habits these days. Here are five things you should know.
Behind every successful bakery operation is an effective manager or owner who knows how to successfully lead staff. Good leaders are able to motivate staff, promote the business, deal with situations and be supportive.
Superior leadership is especially important in the restaurant and foodservice industry, because staff wages are generally quite low. This means that there is little incentive to stay put, resulting in high levels of turnover. Most foodservice operations are unable to pay their staff the money it would take to give them incentive to be team players, so it is up to the owners and managers to lead and motivate their staff to work to the best of their abilities.
Regardless of whether you serve the best baked goods in town or are in the most ideal location, without great staff and great customer service, your operation will not see the success it could potentially have.
A good manager leads by example. Here are eight ways to get your team to follow your lead:
COMMUNICatE
A great leader is able to communicate visions, set goals, teach and train staff, reinforce rules and regulations, and provide support to a team. The most important attribute you can have as a great leader is the ability to communicate. Hold meetings with employees on a regular basis, post notes on a bulletin board, send emails – whatever it takes to always be in touch so that everyone knows what is going on. However, keep in mind that great communication skills are a two-way street – you must also be a great listener, and hear what your employees have to say.
BE CONfIDENt aND DECISIVE
The only way to gain respect from your staff is to be confident in your ability to
The most important attribute you can have as a great leader is the ability to communicate.
run your operation. You must be clear and decisive in your decision-making. Employees who sense that their owners or managers are weak or indecisive will quickly lose respect.
your self-control, even in extreme situations. Whether dealing with a tricky customer or a difficult staff member, always handle the situation in a calm and collected manner. Listen to both sides of the story and resolve the issue fairly.
BE aBLE tO PERfORM EVERY jOB
A good leader is actively involved in all aspects of the operation, in both the front and back of the house. You should be able to confidently perform every job function, whether that means baking, operating the cash register, washing the dishes, greeting customers or cleaning the restrooms. This allows you to effectively direct your staff – and be credible in doing so.
tREat aLL EMPLOYEES EQUaLLY
An effective leader does not play favourites. Treat your employees fairly and with respect and, in return, you will gain their respect. Your operation should have a policy handbook for personnel so that your employees know what to expect when an infraction occurs.
fOLLOW tHE RULES
If you set out policies and procedures for your staff, but do not follow them yourself, you are letting your staff know that you do not take your rules seriously. This means they won’t take the rules to heart.
DON’t LOSE YOUR SELf-CONtROL
It is crucial that you always maintain
PaY attENtION tO DEtaIL
A great leader is aware of each minute detail in his/her operation – whether it’s recognizing that a light bulb has burned out, being aware of how loud the music is playing, or checking that the oven is set at the correct temperature. You must be aware of all of the details to ensure your business is operating at its highest level. If you pay attention and care about the small details, so too will your staff.
DON’t BLaME OtHERS
Always take full responsibility for any mistakes made by your staff. Instead of blaming and berating the team, a good leader will work on how to prevent the situation from happening again. / BJ
Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 30 years. She provides innovative food and retail merchandising programs, interior design, 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.
Like you, successful bakers know the secret to a profitable bakery starts and ends with high quality, great tasting products. For over 80 years, the American Almond® Products Company has provided successful bakers everywhere with premium quality nut pastes, nut butters, nut flours and a wide range of unique, customer-pleasing ingredients. Let American Almond® help you turn that quality into profits for your bakery.
APPETIZING APPS
Canadian bakers are hungry for apps. Our informal survey suggested that, while few bakers use mobile applications for smartphones and tablets, many harbour a wish list and are keen to find that one program that will make their working lives easier.
There are about a million apps out there – business apps, recipe collection apps, social media apps – but bakers seem to want apps for specific tasks such as tracking inventory of ingredients, converting recipes to various yields and calculating food costs.
}After investigating the wide field of culinary apps, we decided there isn’t a perfect, one-stop-shop app. No one program can do everything, and as a glance at online reviews will tell you, there is always room for improvement in this evolving field. Developing an app is a bit like perfecting pastry: it is often a long, involved process that requires lots of tweaking and testing.
With so many great apps available in today’s vast marketplace, it should be easy enough to find one or two that meet the needs of your own business.
Developing an app is a bit like perfecting pastry: it is often a long, involved process that requires lots of tweaking and testing.
Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice versa. You can also choose U.S. standard, U.K. or imperial standard, and metric standard units.
Fortunately, most app designers are very responsive to reviewer feedback, and, as a result, there are some nicely designed apps out there. Here are five of the coolest apps we found that just might save you a few headaches in the bakery – and might even become your new best friends.
BakE CONVERtER
Designer: dutchottie
Version: 2.5
Compatibility: Works with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch; requires iOs 5.1 or later; optimized for iPhone 5 Language: English, French, dutch Price: $0.99
Let’s start with the simplest: a sturdy little specialist called Bake Converter. It focuses on one thing and does it well, letting you convert most common ingredient measures to the units you need, including volumes to volumes, weights to weights, volumes to weights, weights to volumes, temperatures from
When you convert between volumes and weights and volumes, the app lets you choose from more than 700 ingredients and uses the USDA Food Nutrition Database to calculate the conversion.
“I love and use Bake Converter all the time,” tweeted Empire Donuts in response to our Twitter query.
Bakers Journal tried out the iPad version and found the large keyboard interface simple and appealing and the large text size easy on the eyes. Each tap of the keyboard elicits a noise so there is no mistaking your keystroke has registered. With so few keys, it’s easy to navigate. An “i” for information takes you to a simple screen that offers a couple of examples to give you a sense of how it works. Once you’ve looked at these, a tap anywhere on the screen brings you back to the main calculator screen.
Similar apps include Cookulator, Ultra Converter and Cooking Measurements Calculator.
PaPRIka RECIPE MaNaGER
Designer: hindsight labs llC
Version: 2.0.4
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, iMac; requires Os x 10.8 or later; android; Windows version coming soon
Language: English, French, a dozen other languages
Price: $4.99 each for the iPhone, iPad and android; $19.99 for the Mac (must be purchased separately but will synchronize at no extra cost)
When you visit an online app store and type in “baking apps,” what appears is a dizzying number of recipe collection apps such as Epicurious and How to Cook Everything. While these are popular, ingenious apps, the professional baker is usually looking for more.
Paprika is an app so well designed as
to be useful to both home and professional chefs. Not so much a recipe collection as a recipe database you build, this app won the heart of cookbook author and blogger Charmian Christie.
“Paprika allows me to save recipes off the web or enter my own,” says Christie. “I use it a lot in recipe development since I can edit recipes as I see fit and keep extensive notes as I’m working. It can create grocery lists and menu plans. It also allows me to scale a recipe up or down, which can be handy.”
The app is sold separately for each device – iPad, iPhone, Android, etc. – but the sync is free and unlimited, says Christine Meranda of Paprika Recipe Manager Support. She says Paprika allows you to edit recipes once saved and co-ordinate, or sync, these changes to other devices as soon as you make them, handy for grocery shopping.
If you like this app, you may also like Ziplist, Basil and Big Oven, the latter of which will scan in your handwritten formulas for a price.
fOOD COStING
(MaDE SIMPLE)
Designer: Culinary Concepts
Version: 1.2
Compatibility: Works with iPhone and iPad; requires iOs 4.3 or later; compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, but optimized for iPhone 5
Language: English
Price: $2.99
This one-page app is designed to help catering and hospitality professionals calculate accurate selling prices and gross profits on individual dishes once dish/ plate costs have been calculated.
Ian Sutton of British developer Culinary Concepts described how the app works in an email to Bakers Journal: The user inputs: 1) Dish/plate cost, 2) Wastage percentage, 3) Gross profit percentage or food cost percentage, and 4) VAT (value-added tax) percentage.
“The app will instantly calculate a selling price excluding tax, the gross profit and the selling price including tax,” says Sutton. “On a very practical level, this app aids in developing menus to budget and achieving sensible pricing strategies.”
Bakers Journal gave the app a spin and found it to be a powerful, user-friendly calculator that is tailored to foodservice needs. A word of warning: don’t be alarmed at the currency and value-added tax amounts showing. These fields, highlighted in red at all times, are meant to be changed by the user by simply tapping the box to bring up a menu of choices.
If you like Food Costing, you may want to try Yield Costing by the same designer, which calculates the true costs associated with food items, displaying the difference between the original supplier purchase price and the true cost of the food item after preparation or cooking. In this way, accurate prices for ingredients and recipes can be calculated.
DIPtIC
Designer: Peak systems
Version: 7.0.1
Compatibility: Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch; requires iOs 6.0 or later; optimized for iPhone 5
Language: English
Price: $0.99
Once you’ve added the last dollop of icing or dusting of flour to your creation, you’ll want to show everyone. That’s where Diptic comes in.
This remarkably simple photo-editing app is designed to create before-and-after sequences, juxtapose contrasting images and create a photo series. You can choose from 179 different layouts, and save their photo or collage to your device or share it via email, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Flickr.
“What Diptic does is it allows me to transfer photos into the app, select different layouts (whether I want a border around the photo, rounded or square corners, one two or more photos in one layout), colour-adjust, crop and adjust the photos within the layouts I choose,” says Brenda Walker, co-owner of Cakeworks Inc., a Calgary-based business. “It transforms my normal photos into a more professional, polished look! It is so user-friendly, as I am not too tech savvy. The end result makes our photos look more professional for our social media use!”
tIEREDCakER
Designer: Chris Flesner, Calculated Cakes
Version: 2.0.4
Compatibility: Works with iPhone and iPad; requires iOs 7.0 or later; compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, but designed for iPhone and iPad; optimized for iPhone 5
Language: English
Price: $19.99
Looking for a handy way to help clients visualize their cakes? TieredCaker lets
App: Paprika
App: Food Costing
App: TieredCaker
App: Diptic
¦ bakers formula ¦
CraNBerrY aLMOND LOaF
This recipe for fabulous (and gluten-free) Cranberry Almond Loaf was created by Elana Amsterdam. It is one the delicious formulas you’ll find in The GlutenFree Almond Flour Cookbook, a book Amsterdam wrote for the Almond Board of California.
Yield: One loaf
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) Creamy roasted almond butter, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Olive oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) Baking soda
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) dried apricots, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) Pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Excess sliced almonds to sprinkle on top
Method
1. in a large bowl, blend almond butter, olive oil and eggs with a handheld mixer until smooth.
2. in a medium bowl, combine arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda. Blend arrowroot mixture into wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Fold in apricots, cranberries, seeds and sliced almonds.
3. Grease a 3 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 2 1/4 inch loaf pan with olive oil and dust with almond flour. Pour batter into loaf pan and sprinkle remaining sliced almonds on top.
4. Bake at 180 C (350 F) for 40 to 50 minutes until a knife inserted into centre comes out clean. let bread cool in pan for one hour before serving.
Health Canada forgoes science in changes to nutrition labelling
Health Canada proposal to require a separate listing of added sugars and a establish a daily value for total sugars flies in the face of the science of how sugars are metabolized (there is no difference between natural and added sugars) and the fact that no dietary reference for sugars has been established –facts Health Canada readily admits but is pushing ahead regardless.
In July, 2014, Health Canada released five documents with proposed changes to the nutrition labelling on packaged foods. This initiative aims to provide more information on the label in response to consumer demand. In the current Nutrition Facts table, sugars and fibre are listed under carbohydrate. The proposed changes replace sugars with “Total Sugars” and a new mandatory listing of “Added Sugars” to help consumers identify foods with added sugars and choose foods with less or no added sugar.
BAC in responding to Health Canada argued that the inclusion of “added sugars” is inappropriate for the following reasons:
• There is no evidence that “added sugars” have any health effects independent of total sugars;
• There is no evidence that “added sugars” contribute to any chronic disease, including obesity, independent of calories;
• There are no analytical means to measure added
sugars in a finished product separate from total sugars;
• It is extremely difficult to calculate the level of added sugars in baked products that undergo fermentation as the level of sugar reduction varies;
• There is no evidence that the inclusion of “added sugars” will assist consumers in maintaining healthy dietary practices; and
• Current consumer research shows that this is in fact confusing to consumers, many of whom assume that added sugars are added to the total sugar amount.
In response BAC has challenged Health Canada, saying that their proposed requirements are a violation of section 5(1) of the Food and Drugs Act which states: “No person shall label, package, treat, process, sell or advertise any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety.”
While Health Canada’s consultation documents are void of scientific support in this area they do state that “this approach would address consumers’ interest to better understand the sugar content of foods …” However, with surveying suggesting that consumers will in fact be further confused by the new labelling requirements it is difficult to understand how they will benefit from this non-science based approach.
Atlantic Chapter Golf Tournament Features Snair Memorial Trophy
With great weather and lots of sun the 2014 Atlantic Chapter golf tournament featured more than 50 participants. New to this year’s event was the introduction of the Greg Snair Memorial Trophy. Greg, who passed away earlier this year after a short but courageous battle with cancer, was the principle owner of Snair’s Golden Grain Bakery and a longtime figure in the Atlantic baking industry. As an active golfer, he had participated in the Atlantic Tournament numerous times and the new trophy is offered in support of his memory.
The Greg Snair Championship trophy is presented by Rick Snair (left) and Paul Hetherington (right) to Mike Raftus, Darrell Chapman, Jim Gennoe and Alan MacDonald.
Bakery Congress 2015
May 31 & June 1
Palais des congrès de Montréal Québec - Canada
BAKERY CONGRESS 2015
is the baking industry trade show & conference featuring almost 43,000 sq. ft. of space showcasing the latest baking ingredients, equipment, services, technology and baked goods (fresh, proof & bake, par-baked, freezer-to-oven, and thaw & serve).
A perfect opportunity to meet qualified buyers, increase brand awareness, launch new products & services, write orders, and network with the industry.
Produced by: &
EXHIBITOR PROSPECTUS
Bakery Congress 2015
Bakery Congress 2015 trade show and conference returns to Montréal May 31 & June 1 after a successul event in April 2011. The 2 day event at the Palais des congrès de Montréal is almost 43,000 sq. ft. of trade show floor offering products & services for the baking industry.
EXHIBITOR PROFILE:
Companies that manufacture, market, distribute, and broker, baking ingredients, baked products (fresh, proof & bake, par-baked, freezer-to-oven, thaw & serve) baking equipment, supplies, and technology and services.
BAKERY CONGRESS 2015
Bakery Congress 2015 will provide the best selling opportunity of the year. For attendees, the decision is just as clear –when all the best ingredients, products, equipment, services and innovations are in one place, at one time, there’s no better place to shop around. That’s why allied trades and bakers rely on Bakery Congress 2015 for the complete picture of the latest trends.
As an exhibitor you can:
• Meet industry professionals from Canada.
• Do business… book orders, make new deals, develop new markets with qualified buyers in the baking industry.
• Provide samples of your products to show how good they taste or demonstrate how well your equipment or services work.
• Launch new products, new merchandising programs and new promotions to get sales moving.
• Attract new customers, cater to existing customers and win back former customers.
• Raise your corporate profile, size up the competition, and take a measure of new trends.
• Hold your annual sales meeting during Bakery Congress 2015 and your whole staff benefits from Canada’s most important industry event.
ATTENDEE PROFILE:
Wholesale & commercial bakeries (intermediate and large volume), retail bakeries (independent & franchise), patisseries, grocery chains / mass market / supermarket in-store bakery, c-stores, foodservice establishments (restaurants, cafes, hotels, caterers), specialty bakers, brokers, baking profession schools, consultants, government buyers, local and international trade missions.
AUDIENCE PROFILE - % by occupation
Event promotional coverage will be achieved through:
• Direct mail promotions, e-mail broadcasts and telemarketing campaigns to key industry segments.
• Media and trade journals will receive timely press releases and a targeted advertisement campaign will be implemented.
• Networking through BAC Chapter meetings.
• Communication through allied event partners.
AS A POTENTIAL EXHIBITOR
ask yourself these questions:
• Do you want to meet retail bakers, in-store bakers, foodservice bakers or wholesale/ commercial bakers/ manufacturers?
• Does your company do business or are you considering doing business with the baking industry?
• Does your ingredient, product, service or equipment provide bakers with the tools to compete efficiently and effectively?
• Is your company concerned about the rising costs of maintaining a sales force or are you finding it increasingly difficult to speak with bakers on a regular basis?
• If your answer is YES to any of these questions, commercial and retail bakeries and food service establishments will want to meet with you at Bakery Congress 2015 trade show.
EVENT LOCATION:
Palais des congrès de Montréal
PROVIDING AN AUDIENCE of quality and quantity
• Bakery Congress 2015 will be actively promoted regionally, nationally and internationally through extensive campaigns directed at key industry segments.
Located in Montréal’s downtown core, the Palais is a safe and bustling venue. A hub of activity straddling the city’s business centre, international district, Old Montréal and Chinatown, it is near Montréal’s main attractions, and also less than five minutes from 12,000 hotel rooms, 4,000 of which are directly linked to the Palais via indoor passageways. For more information on the venue: www.congresmtl.com
Exhibit space rates: (prices are excluding applicable taxes)
Minimum exhibit size is 10’ x 10‘ = 100 sq.ft.
Various sizes and configurations can be accommodated
Single In-Line Booth (10’ x 10’ unit) $2,050 - BAC/CBQ members only $1,850 Corner premium (exposure on 2 sides) additional $250
Exhibit space cost includes the following:
✔ Draped booth – 8’ high x 10’ wide backwall, 3’ high railing drape to aisle
✔ Company listing in Official Show Guide published by Bakers Journal Magazine (if contracted and paid by printing deadline) or in On-Site Addendum (if contracted after Official Show Guide printing deadline)
✔ Materials handling from loading docks to booth
✔ 24 hour perimeter security coverage
✔ 5 exhibitor badges per 100 sq.ft. (up to a maximum of 25 badges)
✔ 10 complimentary attendee registration discount codes per 100 sq.ft. exhibit space (up to a maximum of 100 discount codes)
BAC members will receive the following additional benefits:
✔ A $200 discount on every 100 sq. ft. of space
✔ A $50 Discount on hot link to company web-site
EVENTS AT A GLANCE
to 5:00
Bakery Congress 2015 is produced by the Baking Association of Canada (BAC) in partnership with Le Conseil de Boulangerie Québec (CBQ), affiliate of (CTAC)
BAC is the industry association representing Canada’s $5 billion baking industry. BAC’s mandate is to further the interests of Canadian retail, in-store, commercial and wholesale bakeries through advocacy and effective programs at the regional and national level. For more information visit www.baking.ca
CBQ, an affiliate of CTAC is a non-profit organization founded in 1936, comprising of the majority of businesses from baking and pastry sector and their suppliers whose products are manufactured or distributed in Quebec. For more information visit www.conseiltac.com
to 9:00
Produced by:
To reserve your exhibit space please contact:
Baking Association of Canada 7895 Tranmere Dr, Ste 202, Mississauga, ON L5S 1V9 • Tel: 905-405-0288, 888-674-2253 Fax: 905-405-0993 E-Mail: info@baking.ca • www.baking.ca
Holiday Social
Friday, November 28th, 2014
Old Mill Toronto 21 Old Mill Road Toronto, ON
www.oldmilltoronto.com
ProgrAm:
Cocktails: 6:00 pm Dinner: 7:00 pm
Entertainment & Prizes: 8:30 pm
CAsh BAr
regIstrAtIon Fees:
$99 per member
$119 per non-member
Pre-register by November 7th 2014
Reservations for tables of 8 accepted
Event is limited to 130 Guests! Book Early to Avoid Disappointment!
Friday, november 28th, 2014
TTENDEE I N F O R M A T I O N
Friday November 28th 2014
Friday November 28th 2014
Please note all registrations received after Nov. 7th will require a credit card payment. No refunds will be given.
Please list names of all attendees: (attach separate sheet if necessary)
Event is limited to 130 Guests! Reserved Table of 8 for Company Sign
Main Contact Information:
Please make all cheques payable to: Baking Association of Canada Baking Association of Canada only accepts:
What is Canadian Certified seed?
Certified seed, labelled with an official Canada Certified Blue Tag, is produced by the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA) seed growers for sale to farmers to plant their commercial grain acreage. Not just any seed in Canada can be labelled with the Certified Blue Tag of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Canada has over 4,000 farms involved in seed production and each seed grower is required to follow stringent production requirements to ensure that quality standards are met right from the start.
Along the way, officially recognized third-party inspectors in the Certified seed fields and processing plants ensure that all quality assurance requirements are met. This involves three main components:
• Varietal purity
• Germination
• Freedom from impurities
In contrast, common seed is multiplied without any officially recognized third-party inspections to confirm varietal purity or quality.
For Canada’s farmers, planting Certified seed provides better quality grains and oilseeds, new marketing opportunities for their crop, risk management, and access to new varieties that are bred for success. For food processors, using grains and oilseeds produced from Certified seed provides more consistency in processing. The end result will be ingredients that reliably deliver the yield, texture, flavour, nutritional characteristics and appearance that you expect – and that is the foundation of quality food. Having these high standards for purity in your food ingredients means you can reliably deliver:
• High quality, consistent products
• Product differentiation
• Consistency right from the start
• Traceability
David Evans
Bakery Technology Unit II
Ryley Ewing
Bakery Technology Unit I
Christopher Mair
Bakery Technology Unit II
Certified Bakery Specialist (C.B.S.) Diploma Recipient:
Harsh Singh
For information on correspondence courses for baking industry employees and the Certified Bakery Specialist (CBS) program, please contact ext. 21 at the BAC office or check out our website at www.baking.ca. A Warm Welcome to our Newest Members Jesse Lamb Sunblest Commodities Inc.
Richard Sand Ingredients Plus Distribution
Thierry Schmitt of Pâtisserie La Cigogne perfects the art of French artisinal baking | BY jaNINE DRUERY
PASTRY AS ART FORM
Infamous chef and TV personality, Julia Child, once noted: “In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport.”
Thierry Schmitt is a man that undoubtedly takes this to heart. The award-winning master pastry chef and owner of Toronto’s Pâtisserie La Cigogne has spent most of his life perfecting the art of French artisanal baking.
Born in 1961 and raised in
Strasbourg, the capital of the Alsace region in eastern France, Schmitt found his calling at a young age. With a penchant for baking, he entered a high school artisanal patisserie apprenticeship in his hometown and, as the saying goes, never looked back.
But schooling was just the beginning of Schmitt’s journey. He then spent several years training and apprenticing in a range of disciplines such as breads, chocolate, ice cream
and confections. He notes that it is “de rigueur” for novices to train and learn all aspects of the trade.
“In France you don’t have a diploma in one thing,” he says. “You specialize in a variety of things.”
And it is also the norm to work at a variety of establishments to round out one’s education. As such, Schmitt tried his hand in pastry shops, restaurants, retail stores and hotels.
A well-stocked showcase of Pâtisserie La Cigogne’s desserts, cakes and macarons
aWaRDS aND aCCOLaDES
In addition to working in a variety of bakeries and boulangeries, he also won a prestigious position with the French Army in Landau, making pastries for officers, alongside some of the region’s most talented chefs.
Schmitt continued his studies at the professional pasty school Capa Chambre de Metiers d’Alsace, and he was honoured with the
prestigious Master Chef designation in 1989.
Then, in 1991, he opened his own boulangerie-patisserie and salon de thé in Haguenua, which is in the Bas-Rhin area of France. The business really took off after he won a Gold Medal that year at the prestigious European Fair of Strasbourg for an artistic piece of pulled sugar that consisted of a violin and a portrait of Mozart, which celebrated the 200th anniversary of the composer’s life.
He opened his own establishment from 1991 to 1995, focusing mostly on breads – everything from rye bread to baguettes, brioche to croissants.
CHaNGING LOCaLES
In the mid 1990s, Schmitt decided on a change of scenery. And he decided on Canada.
“I wanted to go to a bigger city and work with flour and get dusty and sweaty and work with chocolate,” he laughs. He had high hopes of one day opening his own patisserie here. “You don’t have to go very far in France – on every other corner there is a patisserie,” he says.
Canada opened up a world of possibility. And while he could have easily chosen
Quebec for the language and culture, Schmitt decided to take the more difficult route and move to Toronto and learn English.
In 1996 he moved to the city and embarked upon learning how things worked in his new homeland. He held several positions, including working at a wholesale company and then two bakeries. He also taught post-diploma French baking and pastry art at George Brown College.
In 1998 he got landed immigrant status, and two years later met his wife, Juan. While he had always wanted to open his own place in Toronto, it was Juan who helped to convince the talented chef to take the plunge.
tHE GRaND OPENING
In 2003, Schmitt and his wife opened the doors to an establishment on Bayview Avenue in mid-town Toronto and called it Pâtisserie La Cigogne.
In French, la cigogne means stork, which is the stately bird of Alsace and is considered a symbol of good luck. Regional folklore has it that many years ago, when a child wanted a younger sibling, he/she would place a piece of
Thierry Schmitt, owner of Pâtisserie La Cigogne
sugar on the windowsill to attract the stork, in the hopes it would take the sugar and leave a baby.
Hoping the stork would be also good luck for him, Schmitt aimed to make Pâtisserie La Cigogne a high-quality, authentic French bakery, using local ingredients like butter and cream, together with imported products like fruit purées and chocolates from France.
}At the new patisserie, the couple started their workdays at 5:00 a.m., put in many long hours and rarely took a day off while they focused on building a repertoire of delicacies. They focused on three areas: breads, baguettes, croissants and brioche; pastries and cakes (about 25 varieties); and cookies and chocolates.
The patisserie was a
success, and in 2011 Schmitt opened a second location on Danforth Avenue in the city’s east end. Both of his shops feature baking on site and have lively cafés with affable staff (about 25 people in total, including nine bakers).
four-foot sculpture of 600 balls can take him an entire day to make. But, as he notes, “they have to taste as good as they look,” and they are really labours of love for the chef.
“We modify products for
Like clothing and shoes, there is always new fashion in baking and so we go with the times and experiment with different styles, colours and presentations.
Schmitt also does a variety of custom work, including beautiful cakes for weddings and special events.
StaYING ON tOP
He delights in introducing Alsatian classics and traditional French delicacies to his clients, to which he adds his own artistic touches. Some of his creations, like his custom cakes or croquembouches are edible works of art that take skill – and patience. For example, a
the local people,” he notes. “And we go with the fashion. Like clothing and shoes, there is always new fashion in baking and so we go with the times and experiment with different styles, colours and presentations.”
Schmitt makes frequent trips to Paris and spends his time there “as a customer,” going into bakeries and cafés to see what others are doing. He also involves himself as a member of the Pastry Chef Guild of Ontario and gives
demonstrations.
Yet with all of the success he has, and the staff who now help, Schmitt is still a happy workaholic: “I get up at three or four a.m. on the weekends to bake,” he notes, adding that his two young boys are already showing an interest in the business.
But he still seems to always have baking on the brain – and his kids are starting to show an interest as well. And even with the success he has enjoyed, he isn’t content to now step back and let others run the show.
“I like to work. I like to be involved,” he notes. “If I want to relax, I’ll take a vacation.” / BJ
For more industry profiles, visit www.bakersjournal.com
Schmitt’s classic French version of BaBa au Rhum is as delicious as it is beautiful.
From pumped-up cream pies to aromatic yeasts, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” for more on new products for the baking industry, check out our website @ www.bakersjournal.com
ShuffleMix will aerate cream pies
The shuffleMix aeration mixer is designed to help improve the overall appearance of cream pies by providing better aeration and greater volume.
Whipped product can go directly from most containers to the mixer, then to a hopper, without any human contact, thereby reducing the risk of product contamination. The mixer produces a consistent whipped product hour after hour. Because the shuffleMix increases product volume, bakers may reduce fat and calories in their product without compromising overall appearance.
Metal-detection software designed
Fortress Technology’s FM software for Fortress metal detectors is designed for a range of food industry sectors including bakery, meats, packaged meals, dairy, confectionery, fresh foods and frozen foods. The software is compatible with all Fortress detectors and can be installed on location on the Phantom and stealth models. Packaged food passes under the metal detectors, where it is checked for metal content in order to meet stringent standards.
The software analyzes the detection signal and uses an algorithm to calculate the signal strength based on a function of time and amplitude. This can significantly improve performance in certain applications, including large bags, by at least 40 per cent.
BAKER GIVES
“STARTING FROM SCRATCH” A NEW MEANING
Independent baker Fred Piechocki comes from a proud family of bakers. However, during the Great Depression, his grandfather, Stanley, and father, Edward, lost their bakery. As a result, this third generation baker had no recipes or business to carry on.
available in four sizes, the shufflemixer series is designed to suit various production facilities. The PlC-controlled system is equipped with a frequency-controlled product pump and automatically controlled air flow meter. The system can be operated through a coloured Touch screen and is capable of storing 40 recipes.
Other benefits include start and stop without product loss, uniform and controlled product quality and negligible product temperature rise.
With its small system footprint – on average it takes up 50 per cent less floor space than other models – the system is easy to maintain and allows for fast product changeover.
www.unifiller.com
“This is great news for our existing customers who need to achieve better sensitivities to satisfy FsMa or customer specification requirements,” said steve Gidman, president of Fortress Technology, in a news release.
The new technology is backwards compatible and accessible so that customers do not have to purchase a new system, said the company, which also provides support for its existing systems with readily available parts and an international service team.
www.fortresstechnology.com
Lallemand launches aromatic yeasts
lallemand Baking solutions has launched a range of natural aromatic Florapan yeasts that emit fruit and floral aromas. and their limited fermentation activity makes them well suited to bakery products and pizza dough, said the company in a press release.
These strains of yeast produce aromatic compounds such as ethyl hexanoate (apple, banana), ethyl octanoate (pineapple, pear) and ethyl decanoate (hazelnut, floral) that are also found in wine.
There are three strains available: Florapan a16 has slow fermentation capability, especially at low temperatures, making it ideal for refrigerated pizza dough. Florapan a17 provides fruity aromas that are particularly valuable in sourdough. Florapan a18 gives exotic and buttery flavours. in pizza dough, they can be used for both their leavening and flavouring properties. They can also be used for sourdough bread as their addition increases the development of aroma without adding baker’s yeast to the final dough.
www.lallemand.com
So what did Fred do? He started his bakery from scratch. In 1979, Fred opened The Cakery Bakery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ten years later, he moved to Warrington, Pennsylvania, where he and longtime friend, Henry Stoughton, opened the Warrington Pastry Shop. Fred describes his business as a European style, traditional bakery where products are baked from scratch every day.
Best known for the 60 to 100 decorated cakes it produces a week, Warrington Pastry Shop also turns out 10 to 15 wedding cakes a weekend during prime wedding season. It is also well known for Danish, regular cakes, cupcakes, butter cakes, cinnamon buns and donuts.
“My greatest accomplishment is to consistently produce a high-quality product,” said Fred. International® Bakers Services has played a key role in maintaining this quality.
“When I started out, I received a sample of International® Bakers Services B&V® and I have used IBS flavors ever since,” Fred recalled. His bakery also uses chocolate, banana, rum, coconut and hazelnut flavors. “I am very happy with IBS products,” Fred stated. “They are easy to use, very consistent and economical. Most importantly, the flavors hold up.”
“Using ingredients that will keep product quality high will make you proud to be an independent baker,” Fred advised. If you value consistent quality, you should get to know International® Bakers Services Contact us toll-free at (800) 3457175, by fax at (574) 287-7161, or in writing at 1902 North Sheridan Ave., South Bend, Indiana 46628. We have the flavors your customers deserve.
you immediately see your what different cake options look like in its Cake Viewer, then emails or prints an image of your cake and its cutting guides.
The app offers three different ways to find the tiered cake you need: The Calculator, The Stacker and Favourites.
The Calculator asks you to enter the number of servings you need, then immediately see many tiered cake options. The results are sorted for an easy and quick search.
You can design a cake from scratch in the Stacker by simply adding and removing tiers, then receive instant feedback on the number of servings and even the base price of your cake.
The app’s Cake Viewer shows you what your cake will look like. At this point in the process, you can customize your design by changing tier colours and heights, and save, email or print images at any angle to show your clients.
“I love using TieredCaker and Cake Stacker,” says Jessie Jones of Jonesin’ for Cake in London, Ont. “They are awesome
for giving quotes based on sized of cakes and for building cakes too!”
Similar apps worth checking out include Cake Stacker from Baking It. For sheet cakes, Calculated Cakes also has a similar app called Sheet Caker.
ENDLESS CHOICES
We have focused on Apple products in our roundup simply because it has invented or been ahead of the curve on this technology and its online store has the widest selection. However, for almost every app there is an identical or similar app in the Windows, Google Play, Nokia, Samsung and BlackBerry stores. So if at first you don’t find what you’re looking for, try searching in other stores or contacting the developer to request it be made available for other devices.
Rustic Bread Blend
With wheat dry sourdough
This Rustic Bread Blend has the ability to save you time and money by combining the strength of a dry sourdough with selected ingredients for exceptional breads!
Star’Bake is an innovative, ready-to-use concentrate containing all the active ingredients: yeast, dough improver and flavor ingredients.
ADVANTAGES
1. Saves time.
2. Economical.
3. Reliable.
4. Easy to use.
Simply add flour and water.
To place an order, call 877-677-7000
Watch our video at mystarbake.com
Clearly there is no shortage of choice. So how do you choose an app that’s right for you? Try searching for what you want by typing keywords such as “pastry,” “food costing” or “convert” into the app store’s search box.
If you’re a little nervous about downloading an app, just remember to use common sense and trust those instincts that work so well for you as a baker. Howard Solomon, editor of Computing Canada magazine and senior enterprise writer for ITWorldCanada.com, offered Bakers Journal some tips on what to look for – and what to be wary of – in an app:
“If the app comes from a third party, is it legitimate? The safest apps go through an authorized store (Google Play for Android, Apple’s app store, BlackBerry store, etc.). Do you know someone who uses it and can vouch for it? Will the app be accessing company applications –maybe the supply chain? [Editor’s Note: some apps tap into supplier prices for costing and grocery list purposes] Check with your IT department to make sure it approves before loading it on your device.
“Is your company too small to have an IT department? Be extra careful. However, an app offered by a trusted supplier may be worth risking. When installing, watch carefully for the permissions it asks for. It’s a baking app – why does it need to access your contacts or your camera?”
Now that you’re armed with a bit of digital intel, it’s your turn. Go forth and find an app that meets one of your own needs. / BJ
What’s on your app wish list? Bakers Journal would love to know.
Send a line to editor Janine Druery at jdruery@annexweb.com.
¦ professional directory ¦
• BAG CLOSURES & LABELS
• BAG CLOSING EQUIPMENT • KWIK LOK TAGS
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TELEPHONE: (519) 623-5140 FAX: (519) 623-1421 1-888 KWIK LOK (594-5565)
ALBION
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(DIVISION OF A & L FOOD DISTRIBUTORS INC.)
SUPPLIER OF FROZEN AND RAW INGREDIENTS FOR THE BAKING INDUSTRY
Tel: (416) 252-4660 Fax: (416) 252-9993 25 - 8 Connell Ct., Toronto, ON M8Z 1E8
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“Friends in Business” Suppliers of Quality Baking ingredients: Flour, Yeast, Shortening, Fruit Fillings, etc.
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Divide many types of dough including sticky pie and cookie dough in addition to bread and bun doughs. Contact our Canadian Representative @ eric@bloemhof.com www.dutchessbakers.com
Opening and Operating a r etail Bakery
B y r ick c rawf O rd
Opening and Operating a Retail Bakery, written by industry veteran and Certified Master Baker Rick Crawford, offers readers 37 years of experience by sharing much-sought-after and proven strategies to open a bakery, along with keys to successfully operate it.
Opening and Operating a Retail Bakery is an indispensable guide that focuses on practical implementation rather than abstract theory, breaking down required tasks into easily adaptable templates that can be customized to the reader’s personal experience and professional goals. Crawford’s access to best practices among hundreds of owner/operators and the best companies in the industry gives this book a unique combination of knowledge, experience, and resources.
TURN-KEY BUSINESS : BaKERY-CaféRESTaURaNT: Calgary Turnkey, successful Bakery and Cafe (2 locations), prime locations in a growing area. Regular customer base. Private sale - No real estate soliciting. $1M
Email for further information: 2014marie2014@gmail.com
LessONs FrOM TIM HOrTONs
What a mega-deal can teach us about building a brand and keeping it strong.
No business story raised more shackles and stirred more hearts than the news in August that Burger King was planning to buy Tim Hortons.
North and south of the 49th parallel, there were many objections to the deal. Tim’s Canadian fans went wild, mostly out of fear of product and flavour changes, proving just how invested we are in this brand. On the American side, the flak was mostly about Burger King exporting taxes to a country with lower corporate taxes, which the company denied. Tim’s made some denials of its own, particularly that there would be no changes “at the restaurant level.” We want to believe this, but only time will tell.
In the meantime, three significant business lessons have surfaced from this historic business story – great takeaways to consider how your own business is doing.
}1. NEVER takE YOUR CUStOMERS fOR GRaNtED
want to be loved back. What have you done recently to let your customers know you appreciate them?
2. DON’t BE afRaID tO CLEaN HOUSE
Tim’s potential new owners (at the time of writing, the deal is still only an “agreement to buy”) might find cleaning house difficult, if past performance is any indication. The actual new owner of Tim’s would be 3G Capital, a Brazilian equity firm. During the first year of 3G’s takeover of Burger King when it put Daniel Schwartz into the CEO position, some impressive house cleaning took place. Schwartz sold the corporate jet and cancelled the annual executive million-dollar party held in
If you ever decided to cut a slow-selling item (and a customer who loved that product was upset about it), you were looking straight into the face of “brand love.”
Why would a corporation create an unprecedented, full-colour, double-page spread (ad?) for a national newspaper to speak directly to its customers? All marketing and advertising speaks to consumers, but this message aimed at quashing any fear Tim’s customers have. Simply and sparsely, the ad was a photo of two identical steaming cups of Tim’s coffee, with only two words of copy: “Before” one cup and “After” under the other. That’s how the company measures its brand love.
If you ever cut a slow-selling item (and a customer who loved that product was upset about it), you were looking straight into the face of “brand love.” As much as you want that customer to be happy, you may have to stand by your decision and eat the fallout. But here’s the thing about customers who love your products: they
Italy. Then he converted a sizable number of stores into franchises, with great bottom-line impact. The executive extravagance is an obvious and relatively easy move, but turning property into franchise is a significant pivot.
Do you need to clean house? Have you been considering some specific moves that feel a bit risky but come with a potentially great upside?
Think of Tim’s historic move to get rid of its deep fryers and switch to frozen par-baked goods instead. The sky didn’t fall. The right cuts and changes won’t impact your brand. They’ll make it stronger.
3. USE aNCHOR PRODUCtS tO NatURaLLY UPSELL
Tim’s CEO, Marc Caira, famously said that essentially everything about the company stems from coffee. In case you’re too young to remember, the tides turned for Tim’s when the company decided to focus
on its anchor product: fresh coffee. By white-marking a time stamp on every pot (which they still do today), that last quarter of a pot of coffee that’s past the 20-minute mark was officially unfit for consumption. That’s how the company earned its promise: “Always Fresh.”
With quality now established for its anchor, we can see how coffee sells donuts, bagels, sweet cakes, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Do your signature items have this kind of merchandising reach? Are you leveraging the inter-relationship among products? Strong products upsell naturally: a whole-wheat sandwich loaf wants an apple pie; 12 assorted donuts want a multigrain loaf and some rolls. Many of your customers are already buying this way. Could more do the same?
Whether or not the deal properly closes, the value of Tim Hortons as a business model – as a way to build a brand and keep the love of that brand strong, respected and sustained – will endure. / BJ
Stephanie Ortenzi (www.pistachiowriting.com) is a food-marketing writer.
Tim’s CEO, Marc Caira, famously said that essentially everything about the company stems from coffee.
A T R U E S T O R Y : A few years ago, Reiser installed multiple Vemags – each with a multi-outlet cheese extruder –into a customer’s plant The systems extruded cheese onto makeup lines to produce cheese-filled dough products.
After seeing the speed and portioning accuracy of the Vemag cheese extruder, the customer was inspired to ask if a similar Vemag could be used to successfully divide pizza dough Reiser specialists and engineers worked with the customer to develop a solution. The result was a new pizza dough dividing process featuring the Vemag The Vemag Dough Divider was able to produce exact-weight portions while meeting their high output requirements. The savings were so great that the customer converted all of their lines worldwide to Vemag pizza dough dividers
We’ve got an eye for what makes a bakery successful.
Through years of research and hands-on experience, we’ve learned a thing or two worth sharing. So when it comes to things like the newest trends and decorating ideas, displays and merchandising tactics, we’ll find ways to help you move your business forward. The future of your bakery is out there waiting, and we can help bring it into focus.
