November 2017 by annexbusinessmedia

Chudleigh’s bakery produces this molten chocolate lava cake in a convenient frozen and microwavable format.

BY LAURA AIKEN

OVERLOOKED CUSTOMERS

The term “health and wellness” has been so overused it may as well have its own dictionary definition as one word. The entry might read: a phrase used to describe the most talked about shift in human attention since the advent of television . Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. But maybe not. Everybody’s into health and wellness now, or at least so it seems.

Bakers have sure heard a lot about it. Everything from sugar reduction to specialty baking and small indulgences fits the trend. Bakers have done their usual amazing job at rising to the occasion and addressing all of these consumer demands in one fashion or another.

But there might be one customer who has been overlooked: the baker.

On page 12, you’ll find an account of ex-bakery owner Amanda Lunan’s burnout and business loss. While hers is an extreme example, her point that many small business entrepreneurs do not take time for themselves has a resounding ring of truth to it. Her thoughts on the culture of the long work week and lack of vacation scream bang on.

When people envision those embarking on adventures to find out what they’re made of, images of triathletes and army boot camp come to mind. Not many picture the baker or pastry chef going through their own business boot camp. The intensity of starting a business can keep one running on adrenaline, coffee and a sheer fusion of terror and excitement for quite a few years. People that put years and years of sacrifice into a business are also finding out what they’re made of. This is partly why fear of failure is so predominant. Failure will feel as personal as being dumped – by your customers, the bank, your landlord, and the all-around world.

But a business isn’t a person, and can’t feel anything when it flounders. The entrepreneur is. All people need mental and physical health, whether you are running a successful or struggling business. I have heard countless stories of entrepreneurial burnout, and I praise Lunan for the decision to be vocal about her journey.

The intensity of starting a business can keep one running on adrenaline, coffee and a sheer fusion of terror and excitement for quite a few years.

The challenge is twofold: many bakers serve the health and wellness trend to others before themselves, yet they share the same challenge their customers have in achieving their health and wellness goals, which is time. I’m not sure there is much point in saying one is busy these days. I don’t know too many people who aren’t. There is not enough time to exercise, eat right, sleep enough, etc., is a common refrain. The food industry is delivering solutions in the form of nutrition and convenience. The industry must also deliver themselves solutions in the form of some semblance of work-life balance. I can almost hear a snort as I write that because it’s a tough thing to consider when your work often is your life, with very blurry lines between the two. Work-life balance is subjective, but an important factor is whether your business has a role in your life that allows you to still have flourishing relationships with your spouse, children, friends, family and importantly yourself. If you can find your way there, your support system will be your buffer through the ups and down of business ownership. / BJ

NOVEMBER 2017 | VOL. 77, NO. 9

EDITOR | Laura Aiken editor@bakersjournal.com 416-522-1595

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BETTERLOOK I N G GOURMET COOKIE

A T R U E S T O R Y : We met a bak was producing gourmet cookies –heavy, thick cookies with lots of large chunks of chocolate, fruits, nuts and other inclusions In an effort to increase production, she went from hand-scooping to a w However, she ran into big problems w she couldn’t maintain portion contro getting cut into smaller, less impressiv chunks were smeared under the coo

Then she called Reiser The s cookie dough depositor with a guill production speeds, the Vemag allo recipes with precise portioning accur and inclusions came through whole. system actually exposed the chunks Now she is able to produce mouth-wa with great eye appeal that out-sell all t in the bakery case

briefly | Canadian trust in food is on the rise; Canadians will compete at Europain | for more news in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com

Europain to kick-off in February

The bakery sector in France is doing well with 1,340 businesses created last year, reported press material from the upcoming Europain trade show. This is up 3.8 per cent compared with 2014, show figures from INSEE. Europain will be held in Paris from Feb. 3-6.

The bakery and sandwich bar frequentation is growing in Europe, especially in France where the frequentation and the average basket are the highest, reports show material.

Four days dedicated to animations, demonstrations and conferences are designed to offer Europain visitors a fascinating experience packed with practical solutions, discoveries and networking.

The Forum will feature four days centered around 40 themes, debates and reviews with 80 French and international contributors from all over the world. Some of the content will include a review of opportunities in four international markets: North America, Africa, South America and Asia, with testimonials from local players including Michel Suaz of the San Francisco Baking Institute and Pascal Rigo, founder of the American chain of bakeries La Boulange. Eric Kayser will present as an example of an international entrepreneurial success. The Forum will also have topics around initiatives to produce locally.

The show hosts national and international competitions: Coupe du monde de la Boulangerie (World Bakery Cup), International Confectionery Art Competition and French Schools Cup. Two Canadians — Alan Dumonceaux and Marcus Mariathas — have been selected to compete in the World Bakery Cup.

This year’s Europain sees the layout restructured into three themes that are designed to be relevant to all visitors, regardless of the format or size of their business and volume of production. The news categories are manufacturing, sales and managing.

Europain has established a system to promote the latest innovations for the industry by highlighting them throughout the venue. They will also be featured on the website and the app dedicated to the show, as well as in the documents made available to visitors and the themed visitor routes. The Innovation Awards and Visitors Prize will reward the most innovative products and solutions.

Trust in food is on the rise

New research points to an increasingly positive attitude in Canadians when it comes to trusting their food supply. The research was released by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI), which studied consumer concerns and expectations surrounding food transparency and the overall food system. Canadians feel the food system is headed in the right direction, suggested by an increase from 30 per cent in 2016 to 43 per cent of Canadians this year.

While consumer confidence is increasing, an equal number of Canadians (43 per cent) say they aren’t sure if the food system is on the right track, down from 50 per cent in 2016. These findings are significantly different than the American consumers’ findings from 2016, which showed more definitive opinions with 55 per cent choosing right direction and only 23 per cent saying they were unsure.

Those polled are personally concerned and want more information about specific topics, including food safety, environment and farm animal treatment. Consumers are looking for information on food company websites such as third party audits, track record, practices and policies that demonstrate their values. When studying these elements of transparency, accuracy rose to the top as the most important attribute to Canadians.

Many Canadians are unsure about their food or how it’s grown, but want to learn more. Canadians ranked the rising cost of food and keeping healthy food affordable as their top two life concerns above rising energy costs, healthcare and the economy for the second year in a row.

For more industry news, visit www.bakersjournal.com.

CHUDLEIGH’S 50TH

Chudleigh’s

LAURA AIKEN

One doesn’t go from apple pie sold on the farm to 110,000 square foot bakery overnight. For Chudleigh’s, it took roughly 18,250 nights. That’s about 50 years worth of sweet dreams.

Chudleigh’s is a crossover success in agriculture and baking. In 1962, Tom and Carol Chudleigh began living at the family apple farm in Milton, Ont., which was being worked by Tom’s father.

In 1967, the farm began welcoming city visitors seeking a farm experience and offered apple picking and wagon rides. If the farm made $23, that was considered a good payday. They were one of the first to offer “entertainment farming”, a form of tourism now popular in southern Ontario.

In 1973, Carol baked the first apple pie for sale. The pie was cut into 25 pieces and a quarter would get you a slice.

Fast forward a bit to 1990, and a fire destroyed many of the buildings. Less than two weeks later, the bakery was up and running. However, the 90s were not all bad. In 1995, Chudleigh’s created its signature apple blossom, which began as a product for foodservice. Now the bakery makes around one million apple blossoms a week — from scratch.

In 2004, Tom was inducted into the Ontario Agriculture Hall of Fame. In 2007, the bakery moved into its current commercial home and launched molten chocolate lava cakes and pineapple upside down cakes.

It’s 2017, and Tom and Carol’s sons Dean and Scott are running the farm and bakery (although Tom and Carol still live there and it sounds like Tom is still quite busy around the place).

THE CHUDLEIGH SONS

I toured the Chudleigh farm with Dean, who is now the 3rd generation in the business.

Dean describes his childhood on the Chudleigh farm as a turn through the whole catalogue of Norman Rockwell. He appreciated learning to drive early on, whether it was a tractor, dune buggy or motorcycle. He learned mechanical skills. And he also learnt a thing or two about alcohol production that became a particularly humorous childhood memory. The farm traditionally pressed and sold sweet apple cider. This meant there were cider jugs around frequently. As youth, Dean and his brother discovered something unusual about forgotten plastic jugs that had spent about a month in the sun and were now bulging at the sides.

“We didn’t really enjoy drinking the cider, but we loved the way we felt after drinking the cider and we had no idea what was going on, but we knew the bulged jugs of cider were the good ones. So we’ve been drinking hard apple cider for decades now unknowingly. It was just the natural fermentation. That is one of about 1000 stories I could tell you about growing up here.”

Dean returned to the farm in 1986 after attaining a

four-year post-secondary degree. This was to be the jump start into the family business that would change the trajectory of Chudleigh’s forever. He started by shoveling out old cattle stalls to make room for a small bakery operation with a few employees making pies. He took the pies and sold them in Toronto.

Dean stops his story for a moment to point to the apple trees. Apple sales on the farm started as a sign at the end of the drive beside a pile of apples and an honour box to collect payment. It was his grandfather who started importing the miniature apple trees that didn’t require a ladder to pick from. At the time this was unheard of, but now it’s all anybody plants.

“As the saying goes, when everybody goes left go right,” says Dean as he squints into the sun beating on the 100acre farm’s horizon. “A lot of times that can be a really big flop, but when it works, it really works.”

Although Dean spends most of his time at the bakery plant, we’re chatting at the farm because as he explains, this is where the brand essence was born — a real family, and a

brand is characterized as wise and playful. The products are wise because they are useful and convenient (microwavable for example), but playful because they are a bit unusual, he says. This is why they would choose to pursue a product like pineapple upside down cakes over something like a croissant. They are not looking to compete with mass produced items.

The farm has a whimsical feel, one likely imparted by those that have worked its earth. Dean recalls one year in the mid 1980s. Halloween was drawing near and the pumpkins in their patch were mysteriously still green. No one could figure out why, and the family was concerned. A kid might be quite upset to come out for a bright orange pumpkin and find green ones instead. The Chudleighs picked the pumpkins anyway, putting a big pile in the yard. Tom got an idea, bearing in mind this the time of great popularity for the

}Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He put a sign outside the big pile of green pumpkins that said Teenage Mutant Ninja pumpkins. He sold the whole pile in a day.

“It’s a great example of how life was and is here. It’s also a great business example because sometimes it’s not until you get backed into a corner that you come up with your best ideas.”

The 1980s marked a significant shift for the Chudleighs. In the 1970s, the farm was growing vegetables and

In 1973, Carol baked the first apple pie for sale. The pie was cut into 25 pieces and a quarter would get you a slice.

selling big bags of them. A decade later, no one was buying big bags of apples or potatoes anymore. In the late 1980s, the Chudleighs started charging admission, which was $3 and worked up to be on par with a movie ticket. They recognized entertainment was really what they were selling at the

farm. The farm now employs 100 people in its peak September-October apple season, and hosts about 75,000 guests.

FINDING GROWTH IN PRIVATE LABEL

When it came to the bakery, which now employs 300 people, the Chudleighs grew the business chiefly through private label. To this day, 90 per cent is still private label, says Dean. While the apple blossoms probably stand out as the most successful, he says they have had a number of hits. One theme stays the same throughout, one that is now on all of their new marketing material: every batch from scratch.

The apple blossom recipe hasn’t changed since it’s been scaled up, but it needs to be tweaked depending on the raw materials. Apples vary depending on where in Ontario they are grown and what kind of growing season it was. Chudleigh’s processes over 65 per

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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END OF THE LINE

Ishot up in bed covered with sweat. Scrambling, I went to throw on my clothes and run to the door to meet the delivery person on time at the shop. Then, something made me stop and grab my phone. I looked at the time: 11 p.m. My delivery person collected from my bakery at 5:30 a.m. each day. I had fallen asleep after supper — again.

My partner Chris laughed at me. “You need a vacation,” he teased.

“I can’t, I’m an entrepreneur,” I countered. By the time I realized he was right, I no longer had a business.

The importance of a work-life balance and fair wages is a priority and a must for the modern entrepreneur in staffing policies — yet not with ourselves. As the business owner, we’re the end of the line. Without us, there is no business. Yet we continue to neglect ourselves, our finances, and our relationships. We put ourselves dead last, almost like a new parent. When we do treat ourselves, the guilt is overwhelming, almost like if we’re not working a 60-hour week, we must be doing something wrong or failing.

Furthermore, the amount of snark in the culture of small business does nothing to help this martyrdom and self-neglect. How many times have we overheard “so and so of restaurant X is on holiday,” only to be met with “that must be nice” by other business owners in the room. I have been guilty of this behaviour a few times myself, although in retrospect I can see my comments were made out of jealousy and not malice. However, this kneejerk reaction is toxic and it needs to stop.

My business burnout / nervous breakdown was like a major earthquake. On the surface, everything looked perfect and successful. However, deep-down the tectonic plates were shifting. I knew it was happening, but I buried my head in the sand and continued to project my image of success so no one would see how scared I really was. I drank too much, (even on business hours, not my proudest moment), had panic attacks on the daily, and barely slept.

As small business owners, we’re taught to never show our weaknesses for fear of someone, somehow, using it against us.

One day, all the plates shifted at once. Everything came crashing down around me. I was advised that if the CRA didn’t close me first, my landlord would. My lack of self-care had cost me the thing I loved the most: my bakery. Within 24 hours, I had cleared out of the place. I was just another failed entrepreneur the city was buzzing about.

If 60 per cent of all new restaurants are failing in their first three years, why isn’t failure and recovery part of the conversation before and during business ownership? We need to do more to help business owners manage their stress and workload, as well as have frank discussions about the possibility of failure right from the business plan phase.

If you’re currently running a small business, I offer you the following suggestions to help with your stress levels and mental wellness.

• At least one day off a week: This means off-off. No cell phones, email or Facebook. No calls. No business chores. This day is all for you. Leave your phone at home if you can’t handle it, and make sure you are unplugging and doing something for yourself. Rolling your eyes because you don’t have time or can’t? Find the time. Here in Ottawa, a lot of our food businesses are closed on Mondays. If it makes it easier for you to have a day off when your shop is closed, pick a day and make it happen. You have too much to lose if you’re not rested and on your A game.

• Push notifications off: Our generation of entrepreneurs faces one of the most helpful and daunting tools for food based business: The internet. We are now available online 24 hours a day for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Turn off those push notifications. Do you know what won’t help? A bad review popping up on your phone in the middle of a busy lunch and ruining your mood. Know what will? The real live people in your business right now with money to spend.

• Hang with other entrepreneurs: Friends and family are great, but a

fellow business owning friend will understand and sympathize with the unique challenges and stresses that you face. Go for lunch or beers and trade horror stories, strategies and share your fears. You’ll feel better having someone who lives a similar life to you.

I propose that we all do something radical as business owners: that we openly embrace our fears and imperfections. Let’s respect ourselves from this moment on, and take days off, rest and eat well. Let’s ask for help when we need it. Find a trusted friend, a fellow entrepreneur, a coach or psychiatrist who you can confide in, and lean on them.

I had a nervous breakdown due to business burnout. I’m now on a mission to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. Let’s put ourselves first. Losing our health, sanity or even our lives over a business just isn’t worth it. / BJ

Amanda Lunan is an award winning Ottawa based food business coach and consultant at This Charming Mandi. She is the first business coach in Ontario to put the mental health of entrepreneurs into the forefront. In her early twenties she founded legendary Ottawa bakery Auntie Loo’s, the first vegan bakery in eastern Ontario. You can read her blog and follow her journey at www.thischarmingmandi. com or on Instagram @thischarmingmandi.

CHEF JACQUY PFEIFFER

Jacquy Pfeiffer, pastry chef and co-founder of the French Pastry School in Chicago, was more than surprised when he casually received an email from the French Government informing him that he had been awarded the French Legion of Honour.

“I am beyond humbled. It’s the kind of recognition you don’t see coming,” he says. “When I worked abroad, I was always happy to promote food from France. It’s where I’m from. I grew up there. It’s the roots that made me who I am.” He is proud of the traditions of France, the gastronomy and how the people look at life, especially in small villages.

Pfeiffer grew up in Alsace, where his father owned a bakery. As one of four children in the family, his upstairs bedroom was right above the oven. He would awaken to the smell of fresh breads and croissants drifting up every morning. Other childhood memories include the tastes of Mirabelle plum tarts, simple butter cookies and his mother’s onion tarts, the recipe for which is included in his book The Art of French Pastry .

The bakery could not afford to hire help, so the Pfeiffer children were expected to work in the kitchen. “At Christmas, we made hundreds of pounds of gingerbread and others cookies for customers. We thought it was child labour and we all complained about it.” But now he looks back fondly. “It was a good time,” he concludes nostalgically.

One wonders why Pfeiffer did not become a baker like his father, but instead chose a career as a pastry chef. He explains by saying he wanted to work with a wider variety of ingredients: “You can do anything with chocolate and sugar.” So, at the age of 15, he started his apprenticeship at the famous Jean Claus Patisserie.

Pfeiffer’s pastry chef journey has taken him all over the world working

for high end hotel chains such as the Hyatt Regency, Fairmont and Sheraton Hotels. As his skills and knowledge progressed, he was called upon to teach and consult for other companies, including the Ritz-Carleton, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and the Atlantis Hotel in Bahamas.

Pfeiffer also had the experience of working for the Saudi Arabian Royal Family and later the Sultan of Brunei. Although everything made for these families was expected to be very lavish, it wasn’t the difficulty of pastry creations, but the enormity of the production that was a challenge.

The Sultan of Brunei hosted parties for 3000 people, every night after sunset, for an entire month during

Ramadan, the Islamic holy month where Muslims fast during daylight hours. At the end of the month the Sultan opened his two palaces so 85,000 people could meet him and shake his hand. Each visitor was given a gift box to take home containing three different types of cake slices. Then, there were off-site events. In particular, Pfeiffer recalls when the Sultan of Brunei hosted an outdoor dinner party for King Hussein of Jordan. A football-field sized space was cleared to set up tables, chairs and all elegant manor of dinner ware. Not only did all the pastry have to be perfect, but it had to be transported safely to the 10,000 guests. Parties such as this proved quite daunting for the small pastry team of nine.

Pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer works on a chocolate sculpture with a student at The French Pastry School he co-founded in Chicago.

Pfeiffer believes a pastry chef needs to have a calm attitude. “So much can go wrong,” he says. Another important factor is consistency. “It is difficult to make the same thing over and over again,”, while noting a change in ingredients, equipment or workers all affect the end product.

About the long and untraditional hours Pfeiffer says, “As a pastry chef you don’t lead a normal life. During the holidays your family will be celebrating, but you will be working.” But, the

career can be very rewarding. “Being a pastry chef is like running a marathon. You’re in it for the long run. There are so many aspects from cakes and tarts to ice cream, sugar and chocolate. I’ve been doing this for 41 years and I still love it!”

His decision to open The French School of Pastry came from necessity. “When I was first working in Chicago, I could never find enough trained pastry employees. I needed to open the school to fill the gap.” Pfeiffer and co-founder

Sébastien Canonne opened the school in 1995.

The school offers a 24-week pastry and baking program, a 16-week cake baking and decorating program, 10 weeks of bread baking or three to five day workshops from beginner to professional. “There are approximately seven jobs for every full-time graduate,” he says.

The students at the school are 85 per cent percent female and 15 per cent males. Within the American industry, Pfeiffer estimates 60 per cent of the pastry chefs are female. So, can he explain why so many of the pastry chefs in French kitchens are male? “They are still very macho there,” he says with a laugh.

Almost 65 per cent of the students enrolled at The French Pastry School are making career transitions. “They are very brave. Not only are they successful, but often are at the top of their field.”

Successful students are the result of good teachers. How does Pfeiffer define this? “A good teacher is someone who can transfer their knowledge. The proof is in the pudding!” exclaims Pfeiffer, using one of the many sweetcentric adages he uses to express himself. “If the students can do it, then they have learned it well.”

As for the main difference between American pastries and their French cousins? “They are sweeter and larger,” Pfeiffer says without hesitation.

The chef does have his favourite French desserts: “Mille feuille, a really simple raspberry tart and any kind of ice cream.” In fact, he thinks ice cream gets a bad rap. “Ice cream has an average of 12 per cent milk fat, whereas whipped cream, the real kind, has 35 per cent. So, people should go ahead and eat more ice cream!”

As for a North American delight Pfeiffer says, “Muffins. When I first moved to America no one in France was making muffins. And oatmeal cookies – soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. I also enjoy a good scone.”

Then, of course, there is chocolate, the globally loved sweet. “Milk chocolate already has tons of cocoa in it. It goes well with pecan or a citrus, like orange or lemon.” As for dark chocolate,

FOP

His here to stay!

ealth Canada hosted an engagement meeting on September 18 on Front of Package (FOP) Labelling with the objective of bringing together experts, industry and health stakeholders to share and review evidence, and to explore additional options for FOP symbols for further public consultations. The participating organizations were limited to a hand picked few to ensure equal representation by the food industry, health groups and academics. Missing from this meeting was representation from consumers groups, which is regrettable since in her opening remarks Associate Deputy Minister, Christine Donoghue mentioned: “Health Canada is looking for the best solution to move forward for the best of Canadians”.

BAC viewed the meeting online and this is what we heard:

• It is important to convey an alert on the front of package of a food “high in” sodium, saturated fat or sugar food to grab the consumers’ attention and to encourage industry to reformulate their products in order to avoid a “warning symbol”.

• Health Canada appears to be placing a great emphasis on

Canadians Split on Whether Food System Moving in Right Direction

Health Canada Banning

PHO’s by Sept. 2018

BAC Chapter updates

industry reformation of its products to avoid FOP labelling as a means of improving the public’s diet. On the question of FOP labelling direct impact on consumer food choices and obesity the response was that it was too early to determine/evaluate health outcomes.

• While the academics participating in the meeting all referred to FOP as a warning label Health Canada insists FOP is instead an “alert.”

• A black and white label has been selected at the request of industry in order to control cost.

• Health Canada was specifically asked about its plans for consumer education which went unanswered. BAC has subsequently

learned that Health Canada is preparing an education campaign regarding FOP but requests for details have also gone unanswered.

• A summary report capturing the discussions of this event will be published on Canada.ca this fall.

• A further stakeholder meeting is planned in November.

Health Canada has stated it is working on publishing the proposed regulations on FOP in Canada Gazette Part 1 this fall. Industry groups have presented alternative symbol options (which BAC is consulting on) and will continue to refine their options based on the feedback and re-submit to Health Canada in order to influence the content of the proposed regulations. One thing is for sure, FOP is here to stay.

Canadians Split on Whether Food System Moving in Right Direction

Research by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) regarding consumer concerns and expectations surrounding food transparency and the overall food system shows Canadians are evenly divided on whether its moving in the right direction. In its most recent report on the subject the CCFI found that those believing the food system is moving in the right direction was up 30% 2016 to 43% this year. However, while consumer confidence is increasing, an equal number of Canadians (43%) say they aren’t sure if the food system is on the right track, down from 50 per cent in 2016. These findings are significantly different than the American consumers’ findings from 2016, which showed more definitive opinions with 55 per cent choosing right direction and only 23 per cent saying they were unsure.

The study also found that:

• Concerns about the price and affordability of food is the highest it’s been since 2006.

• Canadians knowledge about farming is very limited but still have strong opinions about many food system issues.

• Canadians rated farmers as the most favourable group in the country, at the highest level seen since tracking began in 2006.

• Top eight groups viewed favourably (by half respondents or more):

1. Farmers 69%

2. Doctors/nurses/medical professionals 65%

3. Friends/family 62%

4. Humane societies 59%

5. Scientific/ academic researchers 57%

6. Dietitians 57%

7. Teachers/schools 53%

8. Farmer associations 52%

• Those viewed less favourably include:

1. Grocery stores and food retailers 39%

2. Government or Government agencies 35%

3. Food industry associations 30%

The full report may be accessed at http://www.foodintegrity.ca

Those least favoured by respondents

Those most favoured by respondents

Health Canada to Ban Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs) by

September 2018

Health Canada has taken the final step to ban partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of industrially produced trans fats in all food sold in Canada. This includes both domestically produced and imported products and foods, as well as those that are prepared and served in restaurants and food service establishments. Trans fats raise “bad” (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and lower “good” (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels in the blood.

Health Canada has taken this action even though a 2013, analysis of grocery store package foods revealed that more than 97% of the products assessed for trans fat in the marketplace had met the voluntary removal targets. Health Canada launched a “Call for Data” in May 2016 to collect information on the current use of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs). BAC responded that bakers use PHOs as an ingredient in very small amounts. Levels of PHOs are so low in fact that they are not reflected in finished baked products because they are below the 0.2 g per serving and reference amount and that those food products still qualify for a trans-fat free claim.

Once the ban is implemented, any food containing PHOs cannot be legally sold in Canada. The ban was finalized today through a Notice of Modification adding PHOs to the List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances. The ban will come into force one year from today on Sept. 15, 2018, to give the food industry enough time to find suitable alternatives.

Grads! A Warm Welcome to our Newest Members

Beena Patel

Bakery Technology Unit I

Indra Yogalingam

Bakery Technology Unit I

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

Sebastien Jollet PROBLEND-EUROGERM LLC

Susan Minette DUNCAN GARAGE CAFÉ & BAKERY

Alexander Robinson CHRISTY MACHINE & CONVEYOR

Michelle Small CARGILL

Jeffery Smith ECAKES

WINNING TEAM MEMBERS accepting the

BAC ONTARIO CHAPTER COMMITTEE

UPCOMING EVENTS

BAKERY SHOWCASE 2018

A trade show & conference featuring baking ingredients, baked goods (fresh, proof & bake, par baked, freezer to oven, thaw & serve) baking equipment, services & technologies.

FORMER ATLANTIC CHAPTER Chair Dave Bryson is presented with an appreciation award from BAC Director Blair Hyslop. Dave Bryson has been the Atlantic Chapter Chair since 2006 and retired from P&H Milling Group in June 2017

Chapter meetings are held monthly at the BAC office to plan educational and social networking events as well as supporting the baking industry with scholarship funds. Pictured from Left to Right:

Phil Robinson (Dawn Foods); Stephanie Jewell (Bakers Journal), Dieter Classen, Dan Peroff (Olympic Wholesale), Roxanne Li (Maxxam Analytics), Kate Tomic (Caldic Canada), Kate Nugent (Baker Street Bakery), JC Madour (Lallemand) and Vikram Chowdhury (Redpath Sugar). Not pictured Leon Bell (ADM Milling) and Frank Safian (Caldic Canada).

BC CHAPTER

November 17

Festive Night at the Races

Fraser Downs, Cloverdale BC

ONTARIO CHAPTER November 24

Annual Holiday Social

Terrace On The Green, Brampton (Mississauga) ON

ATLANTIC CHAPTER

March 14, 2018

Hockey Night

Scotiabank Centre, Halifax NS

‘Snair Cup’ from retired BAC Atlantic Chair Dave Bryson include: Mark Beal, Dwayne Ogilvie, Jason Brine and Ron Daigle from Maritime Pride Eggs.

• More than 500 exhibitors and brands from 25 countries.

• Europain Forum NEW

• The latest trends and techniques, live

• 2 international contests: Bakery Masters, International Confectionery Art Competition

cent of Ontario Northern Spy apples, chosen for taste and how well they stand up to the baking process. Flour will also arrive with different protein qualities that needs to adjusted for. These kinds of factors are offset by temperature controlled rooms in the bakery and eagle eyed staff in the mixing room.

While baking from scratch resonates

well as a marketing tool these days, Dean says it was not really their intent. He found a from-scratch approach to be the easiest way to control for factors in the finished product and keep consistency. When they decided to make caramel apple blossoms, caramel was prohibitively expensive so they made it instead. Now they make thousands of kilograms of caramel every day.

The business has come a long way

from pies on-farm to commercial bakery. I ask Dean if there’s a moment when he knew the business had “made it.” To this he recalled presenting Red Lobster Canada, many moons back, with a rough version of the apple blossom. They had 30 restaurants, which was big at the time for Dean and Scott, who were serving customers with one or two locations. Red Lobster loved it so much, unbeknownst to the brothers, they sent it to Red Lobster in the U.S., who had 600 stores. They wanted it in every restaurant right away. Dean and Scott were hoping for 30 locations and wound up with 630.

“You’re really happy for about a minute, and then you think “how am I going to make this?” I think that every one of us in this business experiences that moment.”

On the farm, the family knew it had something good going when a busy day saw traffic backed up to Highway 401, leaving cars crawling for hours to make the last three kilometre leg to the farm.

LOOKING AHEAD

After many years of growing the commercial baking side, Dean and Scott hired Connie Morrison as COO to help take the business to the next level. Part of the new focus has been to increase their branding exposure after a long history of success in private label.

As part of the push forward, Chudleigh’s is launching savoury blossoms, which are being tested on the farm. Initial flavours include pulled pork, pizza, butter chicken and beans and greens. These products are designed to more centre-of-the-plate centric than the desserts, while still focusing on the wise and playful character of the brand.

The 50th birthday celebrations have been a good opportunity for Chudleigh’s to celebrate with special events and gain additional media exposure.

Five decades in the making, and Chudleigh’s continues to innovate. Let’s see what they come up with next./ BJ

Pfeiffer likes to add sweetness. He also mentions something pastry chefs can overlook. “The right vanilla gives it a nice round flavour.”

“White chocolate works best with something acidic or bitter like coffee to help cut the sweet,” he states. His favourite pairings include raspberries or passion fruit.

Pfeiffer is obviously passionate about chocolate. He took first place at the National Chocolate Competition, Masters of Chocolate in 1995. Additionally, he won multiple pastry awards as a member of the U.S World Pastry Cup Team. The list of his achievements and accolades is vast.

But, it was probably the 2009 film documentary Kings of Pastry that brought him the most public attention. The film follows 16 pastry chefs as they challenge the French government’s master exam of craftsmanship called the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (Best Craftsmen of France) in the category of pâtissier. There was clever advertising: 16 Chefs. 3 Days. 1 Chance. It helped to create intensity at its finest and audiences were enthralled.

The difficulty of this exam cannot be over stressed. Only the very elite are chosen and they must prove their abilities, along with seventy to eighty other pastry chefs throughout France. Only the top 16 selected move toward the M.O.F.

The theme the year Kings of Pastry was filmed was marriage. The pastry chefs were asked to create a wedding buffet, wedding cake, bride and groom breakfast tray and afternoon tea sweets. This encompassed: five types of miniature pate choux items; three types of chocolate candies with a showpiece made out of chocolate in which they would be displayed; one type of plated dessert; a large sugar sculpture for the centre of the table; one three-tiered wedding cake; a surprise element that the judges revealed the first day of the event; a wedding breakfast brioche for the newly married couple, with homemade jam and three types of mini afternoon tea items. They were also asked to design a “bijou” item for a showcase and bring it to the event.

The result is a bit of a spoiler alert for anyone that hasn’t seen the film, but, it has to be asked. Will Pfeiffer challenge the M.O.F. again? The definitive answer is, “No. It’s exactly like the Olympics. Everything is put on hold for three years.”

The practice, the recipe development and showpiece designs. Add to this the travel component of transporting everything to France. It’s too much for Pfeiffer who wants to focus

on his school and his family. So, what is Jacquy Pfeiffer’s vision for the future of pastry? “It’s going to get simpler, healthier and back to the basics. But, the classics will never go away.” / BJ

Karen Barr writes about arts, culture and cuisine for Canadian magazines. A graduate of George Brown College, Karen is a Red Seal pastry chef.

BY JEFF GRANDFIELD AND DALE WILLERTON – THE LEASE COACH

THE LANDLORD’S SHOES

The relationship between landlord and tenant is not a marriage of equals. Build up the relationship right.

Securing a commercial tenancy isn’t always an easy process. For one, landlords and tenants have different motivations. For the landlord, owning commercial property and leasing space to tenants is their primary goal. For the tenant, however, leasing space is not the primary goal. Instead, the tenant should focus on running a profitable business or providing great service. The property is a place to attract customers to your business – it’s not an end unto itself. Bakery tenants don’t always want to lease space; it’s simply a requirement if they want to see their business goals come to fruition – a means to an end, if you will.

Therefore, landlords and bakery tenants are not equal. The tail can’t wag the dog. If the landlord is the dog, then the tenant is the tail. And, as we know, dogs chase their tails. Consider that a bakery tenant typically only has one landlord, whereas a commercial landlord may have hundreds (or even thousands) of tenants. The relationship between a tenant and landlord is not like an equal marriage with common goals.

to that relationship, how can the tenant ever expect to make a withdrawal when they need a favour?

How can you encourage the landlord to take you on as a tenant?

Sweeten the pot. If you have an existing location, prepare a couple of

}If the landlord is the dog, then the tenant is the tail. And, as we know, dogs chase their tails.

your finest baked goods and take them with you when you meet the landlord at his office - one will be for the landlord and the other will be for his office staff to share. As another alternative, even giving a gift certificate for your bakery can make you look good.

leasing space to a smaller bakery and look for a sit-down restaurant that attracts more customers to the center. Additionally, landlords sometimes reject tenants who have insufficient capital or bad credit scores. We have also seen landlords turning away prospective tenants who desire to lease less than available commercial space. If you want to save yourself a lot of time kicking tires on different properties, find out what the landlord wants right up front. Ask the agent, “Do you think the landlord wants a bakery tenant for this property?” The agent’s answer will let you know if the landlord does or doesn’t want your type of business in his property.

It amazes us how, during the leasing process, many landlords avoid meeting their tenants – and most tenants avoid meeting the landlord. When it comes to new lease deals, often there’s a real estate agent (or two) brokering the deal between the parties. Rarely, in our experience, does the agent try to bring the landlord and tenant together to meet personally or to even talk by telephone. Being busy is no excuse. If a tenant isn’t creating a relationship with the landlord and making deposits

Explain your business concept. All bakery tenants are not created equally. Will you be offering customized birthday cakes? Gluten-free products? Catering? Don’t assume that the landlord understands everything about your business.

You may, however, have your tenancy request rejected. This may be done for any number of reasons. Often, a smart landlord is striving for a specific tenant mix within his/her property. Consider that if a landlord is developing a retail plaza, he/she may prefer to hold out on

For a copy of our free CD, Leasing Do’s & Don’ts for Commercial Tenants, please email your request to JeffGrandfield@TheLeaseCoach.com. Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield - The Lease Coach are Commercial Lease Consultants who work exclusively for tenants. Dale and Jeff are professional speakers and co-authors of Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals FOR DUMMIES (Wiley, 2013). Got a leasing question? Need help with your new lease or renewal? Call 1-800-738-9202, email DaleWillerton@TheLeaseCoach.com or visit www.TheLeaseCoach.com

BY RAELENE GANNON

CHERRY FIG BROWNIES ¦ bakers formula ¦

These brownies were inspired from her chocolate bar that is infused with cherry fig black tea, as well as the chai brownie recipe in Raelene Gannon’s book tea from cup to plate, which was published in 2015. A certified tea

Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 25-30 minutes

Yield: 12 - 16 brownies (depending on how large you slice them!)

INGREDIENTS

Tea concentrate (tea concentrate can replace vanilla)

• 2 tbsp cherry fig black tea

• 3/4 cup hot water

• Steep for 5 minutes. You will have about 2/3 cup tea concentrate. You will need this for both the brownies and the ganache

Brownies

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter

• 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 cup (185 mL) granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup (160 mL) brown sugar (feel free to sub in coconut sugar)

• 1/4 cup (185 mL) AP flour

• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cherries

• Ganache

• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) dark chocolate

• 3 Tbsp (45 mL) tea concentrate (above)

• 4 Tbsp (60 mL) 18% half and half or 35% cream

• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 F (180 C) degrees. grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan. Infuse cherry fig black tea in water (full boil) for 5 mins. Once steeped, strain and discard tea leaves, this gives you the tea concentrate. Cool and reserve 3 tbsp (45 mL) tea concentrate for the brownies and 3 tbsp (45 mL) for the ganache.

sommelier, one of the first 15 in Canada, Gannon is truly an expert in all things tea, including countries of origin, ceremonies, manufacturing and in particular, tea menus, food pairings and recipe development.

Put the butter and cocoa powder in a large microwave proof bowl and melt in the microwave. Stir well. Mix in the 3 tbsp (45 mL) tea concentrate. Mix the eggs in a small bowl and beat for a full 2 minutes (this makes a fluffy, crackly top and fudgy texture to the brownies). Stir the eggs into the cocoa mixture and add both sugars and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add flour, salt and dried cherries and mix until all are fully incorporated. Spread the mixture into an 8x8-inch greased pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, and allow to cool before cutting. While the brownies are baking, make the ganache by melting the chocolate in a microwave or stove top. Add the tea concentrate, cream and sugar and stir to blend thoroughly, cool in fridge to thicken.

Cut brownies into 12-16 squares, or try other shapes like triangles. To up your game, add a piece of cherry fig dark chocolate (like in the picture) for an extra special presentation.

Award Winning Pastry Chef Takes Wedding Cakes To A Rocky Mountain High

Dennis Meyer started in the pastry business as a clean-up kid at age 15. Who would have guessed that 40 years later, this same hard-working kid would become an award winning pastry chef with the best place in Denver to get a wedding cake?

Meyer, an Indiana native, is the proud owner of Das Meyer Fine Pastry Chalet in Arvada, Colorado—voted best wedding cakes in a Denver poll several years in a row. Though Das Meyer offers a variety of pastries and cakes for all occasions, they specialize in wedding cakes, and make over 1,000 wedding cakes per year.

“The whole family is involved in the wedding business,” said Meyer. “My wife Elaine and two daughters, Hillary and Rachel work with the customers; son Zachary works as a cake decorator; and two granddaughters have joined the business as well. Meyer stated that his success starts with great personalized service, high quality and attention to the details. It has helped the business gain the great reputation it has today.

Each Saturday, future brides can come to an open house to sample a multitude of wedding cakes, and can watch every aspect of a cake’s creation. “With all this variety, taste is everything,” said Meyer. “I use B&V® flavor from International® Bakers Services (IBS) in most of our cakes. The BLOV® flavor is excellent in our home-made butter cream.” He also uses the CINNA-BUTTER in their cinnamon rolls and a whole spectrum of flavors in their gourmet cookies.

Meyer likes to use IBS flavors because they always offer a natural tasting flavor with no artificial edge. “In this business, a good name is earned—not purchased,” said Meyer. “You have to earn repeat business in the service and quality you provide.”

If you want flavors that keep your customers coming back time after time, turn to International® Bakers Services. We have the flavors your customers deserve.

Contact us toll-free at 800-345-7175, by fax at 574-287-7161, or visit our website at: www.internationalbakers.com International Bakers Services, 1902 North Sheridan Ave., South Bend, Indiana 46628.

¦ concepts for success ¦

BY DIANE CHIASSON

HOLIDAY PREP

Here are five tips to help you get your bakery ready for the upcoming holiday rush.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! With the holiday season quickly approaching, preparations are already underway for office year-end parties and family celebrations. For bakers, it’s their busiest time of year, and the holiday season brings different challenges and can be a very stressful time. I know that you are already starting to receive extra orders and experiencing mass crowds, so it’s important to get your team prepared to manage the busy work schedule, which will help minimize stress. Here are five tips for preparing your bakery for the holiday season rush.

1. DECORATE YOUR BAKERY

Before you start putting up your holiday decorations, have your staff go through your bakery and clean everything from top to bottom. Make sure your bakery sparkles and is squeaky clean. Dust all your fixtures, clean the window, and make sure all your walls, ceilings and floors are spotless. Brighten up your bakery and add pizzazz with fun, elegant and unique Christmas theme decorations that compliment your brand. Add sparkly garlands and other colourful festive decorations, as well as soft twinkle lights around your shop and windows. Incorporate wreaths, seasonal centerpieces, and add some holiday themed napkins, table covers, and play some seasonal music. Your customers expect a warm, comforting, attractive and inviting place where they can stay, browse and enjoy a nice cup of coffee

with a sweet treat. Just remember that your customers are looking for an enjoyable experience when they come to your bakery, and therefore you should create a space that not only smells delicious, but also feels like home.

2. HIRE SEASONAL STAFF

All these extra orders are great for your business, but you may have your staff stretched to their max. You may consider bringing in a few temporary staff members to ensure your bakery is prepared for the holiday rush, and to provide customers with top-quality customer service. Students will be looking for ways to earn a little extra cash during the holiday, and you could post your ad on college and university job boards. Use social media, your storefront windows, and reach out to your current employees for some help

with your search. Make sure to give yourself enough time to select and carefully train your new employees before the rush begins. Just remember that one of the keys to a successful shopping experience for your customers is fast and friendly service.

3. MAKE SURE YOUR KITCHEN IS READY

One of the worst things that can happen during the holiday rush is for some kitchen equipment to break down. Your bakery kitchen has a lot of moving parts and this is why it’s important to have a commercial kitchen equipment repair company on call all the time, and most particularly during the holidays. Double-check your ovens, fryers, coffee machines, convection ovens, kettles, dishwashers, disposals and more to make sure that everything is working properly. Check to see if your bakery has all the supplies needed such as mixing bowls, measuring cups, baking tins, sheet and bread pans, cooling racks, cutters, shakers, pastry brushes, palette knives, spatula, rolling pins, whisks, skewers, boxes, bags, ribbons, tissue paper, plates, cutlery and napkins to meet additional demand.

4. SPICE UP YOUR CHRISTMAS MENU

Consider bringing in a unique and festive bakery menu as your regular customers will be expecting new seasonal offers. Customers love menu items that incorporate holiday flavours and ingredients such as eggnog, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, clementine zest, peppermint, gingerbread, cranberry, chestnut, gingersnap, and pumpkin spice. This is the time of the year when your customers will pay just a little bit more for those delicious seasonal offerings.

5. PROMOTE, PROMOTE AND PROMOTE

Send e-mail holiday cards to your customers and remind them that your bakery is the best place for them to get their Christmas sweets and gifts. Send out press releases to local newspapers, magazines, schools and nearby industrial and manufacturing facilities. Make sure that you promote extensively with your local business. Visit all the surrounding office buildings and drop off marketing material, holiday and catering menus, and don’t forget to ask for the business. Ask your staff to put a menu inside each bag. You should also spread the word about your holiday menu through your website and via your social media channels. Try incorporating these five holiday rush tips into your bakery for a sweet and successful season. / 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.

¦ new products ¦

From new bakery mixes to equipment and ingredients, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” for more new products in the baking industry, check out our website www.bakersjournal.com

Triple delicious

Beverley’s Bakers has introduced a new single butter tarts line called Triple Delicious.

Presented in a one-of-a-kind pop up counter display, Beverley’s took its three most popular hand-made butter tarts and individually boxed them for a single sweet treat.

The new line is designed to be a fabulous impulse item. Triple Delicious is available to distributors.

www.beverleysbakers.ca

Canadian made

Bakery supply company Rudolph is now offering an exclusive Nutriart chocolate product line. Canadian-made Nutriart chocolate is peanut-free, and has flexible application for a variety of recipes.

Sold in different formats, from chocolate chips to chunks to liquid form, Nutriart chocolate can be used in fruit purees, caramel, coating, compound chocolate and chocolate bars www.ventesrudolph.com

Rubis NEO Modular Deck Ovens

Four different deck sizes! Designed to make pastries, bread, pizza or for combined use! Compact and Quick to install Rubis Neo will find its place in your bakery or shop to help you diversify your range and face your daily challenges!

Topaze Convection Ovens

Three different sizes to fit: 5, 10, 15 – 18 x 26 Bun pans! All ovens include an incredible Steam System

Perfect for Baguettes and Pastries www.bakery-equipment.ca 450-926-2077 or 1-877-926-2077 sales@bakery-equipment.ca

www.routhierfils.com

Tél: (450) 926-2077 Poste 23 Fax: (450)926-3191

2105 Holmes, St-Hubert, Québec J4T 3J3

New college program

Barrie’s Georgian College is now home to a baking and pastry arts program. The new program started in September with 48 students, a full first intake.

The one-year certificate is designed to turn into a two-year diploma program, says Anthony Borgo, a culinary professor at the school. The curriculum has been designed around the set educational standards for baking and pastry arts, but what makes it different from the others will be its style of teaching and programming delivery, he says.

Borgo notes Georgian’s approach seeks to address the entrepreneurial spirit he is seeing in so many of today’s culinary students.

“We’re adding the entrepreneurial side — how to open and run a business.”

The curriculum will also feature a strong focus on local ingredients and connecting with local suppliers.

Blendtek partners with ADDCON

Blendtek Ingredients Inc., a food ingredients and solutions company, has been selected by ADDCON, a German based company in green chemistry, to be ADDCON’s distributor of ammonium bicarbonate and calcium propionate.

These baking ingredient staples are used to create a wide variety of shelf stable bakery products ranging from crackers, snacks and cookies to breads, tortillas and more.

“ADDCON has a strong and established reputation for upholding the highest standards in ingredient quality and food safety,” said Steve Zinger, president of Blendtek in a press statement. “We look forward to working with ADDCON to introduce their ingredients to our customers and into a wide range of baking applications.”

ADDCON’s ammonium bicarbonate and calcium propionate are produced at two production facilities located in Porsgrunn, Norway and Bitterfeld, Germany.

Ammonium bicarbonate (ADDCON ABC) is used as a sodium free leavening agent and is ideal for low moisture bakery items such as biscuits, cookies, wafers, crackers and dry baked snacks. Calcium propionate (ADDCON Calpro) inhibits molds and rope forming bacteria, and is ideal for bakery applications like breads and tortillas as it has a minimal impact on yeast activity.

“We chose Blendtek to represent ADDCON’s ammonium bicarbonate and calcium propionate ingredients based on their knowledge and experience,” said Dominicus Brendler, Director BU Food at ADDCON in a press statement. “Combined, ADDCON and Blendtek’s specialized support teams and experts can assist with unique baking applications to deliver unparalleled service and innovation to our customers.”

This partnership marks ADDCON’s first foray into the North American market. Blendtek will primarily focus on supplying ammonium bicarbonate to the North American market and calcium propionate to the Canadian market. Blendtek will also have access to additional ingredients in ADDCON’s industry leading portfolio.

1-800-661-4122 ext. 239 nparent@drader.com

ALBION BAKERY SUPPLIES

(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

BREAD BAKING: AN ARTISAN’S PERSPECTIVE

A guide to making artisan breads practically and profitably, Bread Baking: An Artisan’s Perspective includes step-by-step instructions on mixing, fermentation, shaping, proofing and retarding, and baking.

Covering the business of bread-making, this book features practical advice from successful artisan bakers as well as 40-plus tested artisan bread formulas, including ciabatta, pain au levain, bagels, honey whole wheat, croissants, and many more. Artisan bread baker and teacher Dan DiMuzio provides invaluable information on troubleshooting, ingredients, laminated dough, and creating dough formulas. Professional bakers and baking and pastry students will benefit from this practical resource to artisan breads.

BY JANE DUMMER, RD

THE COLOUR WHEEL

Natural colours are increasingly important as consumers continue to seek clean label products.

Abook recommended to me by a food scientist over a decade ago, A Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield, conveys the history of the grand obsession of intrigue, empire and adventure in pursuit of the most desirable colour on earth. In the 16th century, one of the world’s most precious commodities was cochineal, a legendary red dye treasured by the ancient Mexicans and sold in the great Aztec marketplaces, where it attracted the attention of the Spanish conquistadors. The English, French, Dutch and other Europeans joined the chase for cochineal — a chase that lasted for more than three centuries — in a tale of pirates, explorers, alchemists, and scientists.

}their labs. Ellis-Petersen quotes Peter Boone, chief innovation and quality officer for Barry Callebaut: “However, it wasn’t until two years ago that the company decided there was finally a global market for a pink-hued chocolate that was about pure pleasure and hedonistic delight.”

The ‘ruby’ beans are non-GMO and are grown in the Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Brazil.

At IFT 2017 in Las Vegas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Christiane Lippert, head of marketing (food division) for Lycored. Christiane describes: “As in every other category, demand for natural is huge. More than three in five consumers globally now say they try to avoid artificial colours. The benefits for manufacturers of going natural are huge. We’ve carried out research that shows consumers of flavoured milks will pay significantly

As in every other category, demand for natural is huge. More than three in five consumers globally now say they try to avoid artificial colours. — Christine Lippert

Today, what’s old is new again (minus the pirates), and consumer trust is a priority concern. In particular, they want ingredients that are natural, safe, healthy and traceable. Natural colours provide market value to bakeries aiming for better-for-you positioning. With this consumer trend, there’s been a recent obsession with food images on Instagram, including black ice-cream and black bread coloured with deactivated charcoal. Plus, there are rainbow and unicorn images all coloured by natural ingredients including beetroot, paprika, and turmeric – which not only add natural colour but all have substantiated health benefits.

Instagram will be exploding as a pink chocolate developed by Barry Callebaut could hit U.K. supermarket shelves in early 2018. Hannah Ellis-Petersen of The Guardian reports ruby chocolate, as it’s being called, has been in development for 13 years since the company said it first discovered a new type of cocoa bean during experiments and refinements in

more for products made from natural ingredients, and we’d expect there to be a similar phenomenon in bakery. So as well as all the clean label benefits, there are major opportunities on pricing.”

What’s also becoming increasing important is the source of the colours. Lippert agrees. “Lycored offers a range of super-stable, naturally derived colours that are ideal for fruit fillings and other bakery applications. Tomat-O-Red is sourced from tomato lycopene and offers a range of vivid reds and pinks. Unlike some other red colorants, such as carmine, it doesn’t migrate, which is good news if you’re using it in an application such as a fruit topping in a pastry. Meanwhile, Lyc-O-Beta, from natural beta-carotene, provides a spectrum of natural yellows and oranges. Both natural colours are pH-stable, and can withstand prolonged high temperature and intense light, which means longer shelf life and better visual appearance. And they’re both from vertically integrated and specific species, which makes them very trustworthy and

traceable. As well as delivering high stability, our colours are non-GMO, allergen free, vegan, kosher and halal.”

Belinda Elysée-Collen, CFS and regional sales manager (food ingredients) for Dempsey Corporation, has noticed the trend of bakers wanting to replace caramel colour with a more label friendly ingredient. Options include molasses syrup, caramelized sugars, and fruit extracts such as Herbarom apple extract. Elysée-Collen explains: “Herbarom is a gluten-free apple extract derived from apples that are gently dried after juice extraction. The colour spectrum of the liquid apple extracts ranges from golden yellow to mediumbrown to a deeper brown, depending on the type and dose. The apple polyphenols present in Herbarom can be used to colour the crust and crumb of gluten-free bread, for example, so that it looks just like its conventional wholemeal counterpart.”

Due to consumer demand and priorities, the natural colour market continues to grow significantly and personally I can’t wait for one more — Barry Callebaut’s ruby chocolate! / BJ

Jane Dummer, RD (www.janedummer.com), known as the Pod to Plate Food Consultant, collaborates and partners with the food and nutrition industry across North America.