DOUGHNUT DAZE: Holey Confections of Ottawa is known for its Cronut-style doughnuts.
FEATURES
10 Doughnut daze
Meet three thriving concepts built on three distinct styles
12 BAC Bulletin
Read the latest news and views from the Baking Association of Canada – including compelling reasons to join this active organization
16 New Products: Automation
Explore some of the latest equipment that can take your bakery, whatever its size, to the next level of labour-saving automation
18
Concepts for Success
Three easy ways to diversify income streams
ON THE COVER
Meet Holey Confections of Ottawa, one of three thriving doughnut concepts built on three distinct styles. See page 10.
DEPARTMENTS
22
Final Proof
The rise of take-and-bake
New WHO guidelines advise not to use non-sugar sweeteners
In May the World Health Organization published a news release summarizing its research review, which prompted recommendations for avoiding the use of non-nutritive sweeteners to control body weight and to decrease the risk of chronic diseases. Learn from a food scientist and a medical doctor about what these recommendations mean and how adopting them could impact food production, consumers, and beyond. Visit bakersjournal.com.
BAKERS JOURNAL EXTRAS | BAC updates and webinars | Legislation affecting bakeries | Stories of independent bakeries | Showcase information | Irresistible recipes …plus the latest industry news and new products. www.bakersjournal.com
BY COLLEEN CROSS
ASK FOR HELP!
You are not a superhero. Despite what everyone around you may think, you are a human being.
A talented, hardworking, creative, high-achieving human being. A jack or jill of all trades with a can-do attitude. But still a human being with needs and, yes, limits.
Bakery owners and other entrepreneurs often are seen as having the answer to every question, the solution to every problem and ideas for the next big thing at your bakery.
You are leaders by nature and put pressure on yourselves to tackle every question and run down every answer. The buck stops with you and you willingly accept the responsibilities of running your dream business.
Recently I was honoured to attend the BAC’s town hall gathering in Barrie, Ont., and meet hard-working bakery owners who came out to learn from and network with other bakeries and suppliers, and share their own experiences, challenges and successes.
There were many surprises that day but the biggest a-ha moment came when one brainstorming groups identified one of their current priorities as “Knowing our limit.” Seemingly simple, common-sense advice. But it quieted the room.
I suspect there were a few light bulbs going off as I heard some words of agreement. “That’s so true,” said more than one attendee thoughtfully. By the way, just because you know your limits, doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t strive to surpass them. Go ahead, hereoes: hunt down free-from ingredients for an allergysuffering customer, mentor a young employee who needs special attention, work the weekend to fulfil a last-minute order or raise money to help a local child battling health issues.
But do so when inspiration (not obligation) hits and knowing that you are a human being deserving of the same care, attention, patience and pep talks you regularly give to others.
}You are a human being deserving of the same care, attention, patience and pep talks you regularly give to others.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help! There is help out there. Technical baking advice baking instructors, experts, master bakers, problem solving from equipment and ingredient manufacturers and suppliers.
Business advice and strategies from your local Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement Area, your local college business entrepreneurial program. The list goes on.
Ideas, encouragement and moral support from fellow bakers and owners of complementary businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants and retail shops.
Encouragement, word-of-mouth promotion, ideas to pull in new business and employee referrals from your customers. Don’t underestimate the loyalty of that core of regular customers who are invested in your story and your success.
All of this help and more from the Baking Association of Canada, which exists to help you and has the resources and connections with bakeries, suppliers, the schools and other associations to do just that.
Finally, we at Bakers Journal are always ready to listen and help by providing content to help keep you informed and inspired. Reach out! / BJ
OCTOBER 2023 | VOL. 83, NO. 6
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briefly | La Noisette bakery in London, Ont., closing cafe and shifting to online sales; Rational Canada opens new headquarters and marks 50th anniversary | For more news in the baking world, check out our website: bakersjournal.com
Baking demonstrations and seminars at first Great Lakes Grain Gathering
The first Great Lakes Grain Gathering offered a full day of baking demonstrations and seminars presented by a panel of people who are involved immersed in the world of grain in southern Ontario.
The gathering, held on Sunday, Sept. 17, in Kimberley, Ont., was for home bakers, professionals, farmers, brewers, millers, and anyone interested in learning more about the various facets of the world of grain in southern Ontario.
Tickets included coffee in the morning, all seminars and demonstrations, lunch and socializing.
The lineup of presenters includes: Chris Wooding of Ironwood Organics, Dawn Woodward – Evelyn’s Crackers, Jesse Merrill of Polestar Hearth Bakery, Angela and Tyson Devitt of Stone Bridge Milling and Farming, Dianne Wolters and Mary-Kate Boss of Second Spring Foods, Carole Ferrari of Motherdough Mill and Bakery, and Phil and Gail Winters of GoodLot Farmstead Brewing Co.
Programming for the day:
8:30-9 a.m. Coffee and registration
9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Morning seminars and demonstration
12 p.m.-1 p.m. Lunch provided by Justin’s Oven
1 p.m.-4 p.m. Afternoon seminars and demonstration
4 p.m. Closing remarks
4:30 p.m. Social hour
For more information, visit greatlakesgraingathering.ca.
Canada Bread banned from federal contracts over price-fixing scheme
Canada Bread Co. Ltd. has been added to the federal government’s list of banned suppliers for its role in a price-fixing conspiracy.
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) has added the company to its list of Ineligible and Suspended Suppliers under the Integrity Regime.
As per the Ineligibility and Suspension Policy, Canada Bread is currently ineligible to be awarded a contract or real property agreement by the federal government.
This suspension will end on August 22, 2033.
In June, Canada Bread agreed to pay a $50-million fine concerning two wholesale price increases implemented by Weston and Canada Bread more than a decade ago, when Canada Bread was majority owned and controlled by Maple Leaf Foods.
Valley Bakery to stay open, new management on the way
We are happy to provide an update via the Burnaby Beacon on Valley Bakery in Burnaby, B.C. The bakery was reported to be closing in August as the Kuyer family retires, but will instead be getting new management. Details are pending.
“Jack and the bakery are an institution and people from all over the Lower Mainland have been coming to Valley Bakery to order birthday or anniversary cakes while stocking up on breads and other mouth watering pastries,” said Burnaby Coun. Pietro Calendino in a Facebook post shared to his page on Saturday, Aug. 19 – the final day the Kuyers were in charge.
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briefly | Webinar: Recruiting and Hiring Strategies for Your Baker; Splurge-worthy celebrations: How to market your bakery-café to generation Z | For more news in the baking world, check out our website: bakersjournal.com
Creating consistent sourdough: Researchers identify and quantify 21 key compounds
Scientists report they’ve identified and quantified 21 key chemical compounds that make sourdough bread taste and smell so unique. They’ve also compared the levels of the compounds in different breads.
The researchers presented their results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Aug. 13-17 along with about 12,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.
Since the microbes come from the air of the local environment, certain places are reportedly home to the best loaves. For example, San Francisco’s unique foggy climate is said to help make its sourdoughs so famously delicious.
Even though these breads are common, little work has been done to understand what chemical compounds provide their characteristic taste and smell. This knowledge could be important to bakers who need to control the quality of their breads, preventing them from becoming too sour, and it could also help them create more consistent sourdoughs for consumers to enjoy. So, Thomas Hofmann’s team at the Technical University of Munich wanted to apply an updated version of a technique known as “sensomics” to sourdough bread crumb — the soft inside part of a loaf. Hofmann currently serves as editor-in-chief of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The approach involves chromatography, mass spectrometry and similar methods. The team has applied the method previously to other foods to isolate all the flavour-active compounds and to determine their structures and concentrations, as well as how they contribute to taste. The team has used this knowledge to re-engineer the flavour profile of various foods from the bottom up.
Hofmann’s team isolated, identified and quantified the flavour compounds in sourdough bread crumb, and then determined which ones were the most important. The resulting 10 key “tastants” and 11 key “odorants” were then combined into a sourdough “essence,” the flavour of
which was confirmed by a human sensory panel. The key taste compounds include salt, which is directly added to the dough, as well as acetic and lactic acid, produced during fermentation. After these experiments, they applied a technique called “unified flavour quantitation,” which was previously developed by Hofmann’s team, to the sourdough bread. For the first time, this technique allowed them to analyze these unique taste and aroma compounds simultaneously.
The team then used the method in new studies to quantify the concentrations of these compounds in different types of bread. They collected both yeast-based and sourdough breads from local bakeries and supermarkets made with either rye or wheat flours. Though key sourdough compounds, including lactic and acetic acids, were found in the yeast-based breads, they were present in much smaller amounts. These results confirmed the importance of the fermentation process to
the sourdough’s special flavour.
Next on the researchers’ plates was an analysis of the best way to reduce the salt content in breads. They addressed this issue by unevenly distributing saltier doughs throughout a dough mixture. Since breads, especially sourdoughs, can contribute significantly to one’s daily salt intake, the method could help reduce the amount of sodium while maintaining the bread’s unique taste.
Ultimately, the team says their discoveries should be welcome news for the baking industry. “This was the first time the key taste and aroma compounds of bread crumb were elucidated using the sensomics approach, and we hope what we learned will help bakers create the best sourdough breads they can,” said Laura Eckrich, a graduate student in Hofmann’s lab who presented the research.
The was supported by and and received funding from the German Research Foundation.
PHOTO: LAURA ECKRICH, TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH
Sixty-six cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays local: CFIB poll
For every dollar spent at a small business, 66 cents on average stays local, according to new data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Conversely, only 11 cents of every dollar spent stays in the community when consumers shop at a large multinational business.
An Angus Reid Group public opinion poll conducted on behalf of CFIB reveals that Canadians greatly overestimate how much of each dollar they spend at multinational companies is reinvested locally, while underestimating small businesses’ contributions.
When asked to guess how much money stays local when shopping at a large retailer with a physical location, such as Walmart, on average Canadians said 37 cents. Respondents also thought that 38 cents on average stays in the community when buying from a small business.
“Canadians assume the local contributions by large retailers and small businesses are on par, but the difference is significant. The importance of what shopping local means to
our communities can’t be stressed enough,” said Ryan Mallough, CFIB vice-president of legislative affairs for Ontario. “Small businesses support a whole local ecosystem. They source their goods and services from other local businesses in a way the retail giants just don’t. This is why governments at all levels need to focus on policies that support local businesses, from extending the repayment deadline for the Canada Emergency Business Account loan to cutting red tape in local bylaws.”
Launched by CFIB in 2020, #SmallBusinessEveryDay encourages Canadians to support the independent businesses that make their communities unique by keeping their loonies local. It is sponsored by Scotiabank, Interac Corp. and Chase Payment Solutions.
Business owners can download CFIB’s new digital toolkit, including a printable poster and customizable social images, to promote local shopping here. For more information on how to support small businesses, check out SmallBusinessEveryDay.ca.
Ontario doubling skilled career fairs
Students in grades 7 to 12 in several cities across Ontario will learn about exciting and in-demand careers close to home as the province doubles the number of skilled trades career fairs this fall.
Level Up! is a series of multi-day career fairs highlighting the 144 skilled trades, including food service, baking and hospitality. More than 25,000 students in grades 7 to 12, as well as parents and job seekers, will have the opportunity to learn about these trades through interactive exhibitions and hands-on activities while hearing directly from tradespeople and local employers. The first fair kicks off Sept. 19 and 20 in Thunder Bay and will continue with fairs in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Dryden, Hamilton, Windsor, London, Mississauga, Oshawa and Ottawa.
“For far too long, parents and students have been told the only way to succeed in life is by going to university – this is simply not true,” said Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development.
For information, visit levelupontario.ca.
DOUGHNUT DAZE
Ottawa, our nation’s capital city, has embraced the doughnut as comfort food. Successful shops continue to open, each putting their unique spin on the product and flavours.
Two classic types of doughnuts are the European-style yeast-raised doughnut and its American cousin, the cake doughnut. The third and most recent kind is the Cronut, a doughnut made with laminated dough like a croissant. Although there is only one true secret recipe for Cronuts, there are yum-factor variations.
SUZYQ DOUGHNUTS
Susan Hamer set out to show Ottawa that doughnuts were the next big snack and dessert trend when she opened SuzyQ Doughnuts in 2012. Homemade doughnuts had always been a delicious part of her life. Hamer was raised by Finnish parents and her mother made munkki, the popular cardamom doughnut from Finland. All were hand rolled and shaped.
Hamer’s love of doughnuts meant she would take some to work to share with colleagues. Soon, when orders poured in, she needed help unloading her car at the office. Her next stint was to sell at a local farmer’s market.
When Hamer heard a neighbourhood burger shack was leaving its low-rent location, she jumped at the chance to showcase her doughnuts. “We built a kitchen in the back of the charmingly dilapidated shack toward the butt end of one of the up-and-coming neighbourhood’s most exclusive parking lots,” Hamer remembers. The unique location drew the curious. “Soon it was a common sight to see a steady stream of fixated snack-seekers.”
Over the years she has improved her recipe. “I asked myself, ‘Could this doughnut still be good tomorrow?’ I worked on developing wheat paste, along with a poolish. We use less than 1/5 per cent yeast and age the dough overnight to increase the flavours. Adding the wheat paste really increased the moisture and extended the shelf life.”
Some SuzyQ Doughnuts are always on
the menu due to popular demand. Think Raspberry Cassis, Cookies and Cream Cheese, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Maple Bacon. The D’OH!nut flavour has a vanilla bean glaze and organic sprinkles.
“We used to post monthly doughnut specials, but then customers would become upset if they didn’t have a chance to try it. Instead, we create seasonal doughnuts.”
Some examples of summer doughnuts
include the Lime Margarita or the Mango Coconut. The Tangerine Dream Slice tastes like an orange creamsicle filled with vanilla pastry cream. It’s made with doughnut holes fastened together to resemble a cloud.
Vegans reach for the Dirty Chocolate or the Vanilla Dip Sourdough, the latter of which is Hamer’s favourite. What’s the secret to making a vegan doughnut? Oatmilk.
The New Yorker, a strawberry cheesecake doughnut, is a top seller at Holey Confections.
Today SuzyQ Doughnuts has three locations, with 60 employees. Hamer is most excited about the upcoming addition of a SuzyQ Doughnuts food truck for festivals and events.
MAVERICK’S DONUT COMPANY
In 2016, Geoff and Genevieve Vivian opened Maverick’s Donut Company with a first location in downtown Ottawa. By 2020 this had expanded to four. Then, sales flourished during the pandemic.
“Currently we have 16 locations open in two provinces – Ontario and Alberta,” says Jon Martin, managing partner of Maverick’s Donuts in Stittsville, Kanata, Carleton Place, and Barrhaven locations and vice-president of franchise development Maverick’s Franchising Inc. Martin says 41 more locations have been sold in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. “Most are looking for locations or are already in construction.”
Explaining one of the reasons for his company’s success, Geoff says, “We provide a delicious, consistent doughnut base with fun and creative toppings.”
What does it take to make the perfect cake doughnut? “High-quality ingredients, attention to detail and a passion for making doughnuts. A good quality oil makes for a better fry. Making doughnuts fresh daily ensures a superior product,” says Abbey Storms, head baker and co-owner of the Barrhaven location of Maverick’s Donuts in Ottawa.
“For our cake doughnuts, we begin the day with our vanilla batter. Followed by blueberry, then chocolate. We also offer a vegan doughnut, as well as doughnut holes. We have three hours in the morning from when bakers arrive, to get everything fried and decorated to be out on display on the bar.”
Storms adds, “And you can’t forget our yeast doughnuts. Fritters, Boston Creams and Berliners. Our yeast line is a little more labour intensive, so after the morning fry of our cake doughnuts, we begin production on the yeast product. We felt it best for our customers to offer both kinds of doughnuts.”
The three top-selling doughnuts at Maverick’s are the Oreo Nirvana, Lemon Ricotta and Apple Fritters. The Oreo Nirvana is a chocolate cake doughnut dipped in cream cheese Oreo glaze and rolled in crushed Oreo. It’s delightfully topped with a whipped cream rosette and
Oreo cookie. The citrusy Lemon Ricotta vanilla cake doughnut is dipped in lemon glaze and finished with a swirl of lemon ricotta mousse. The classic Apple Fritter is made with a soft yeast dough, filled with fragrantly spiced apples and dipped in a honey glaze.
HOLEY CONFECTIONS
In 2020, at the start of COVID-19, Sam and Tyler Armstrong needed to find a new source of income to support their family with four young children. That was the why factor behind Holey Confections.
Based on Tyler’s love for doughnuts the couple devised a plan. “It was the perfect model. We wanted to make just one product and we thought this could be successful,” Sam remembers.
A master doughnut dough was what was needed to set goals into action. Tyler hit the books and YouTube videos to first learn how to make a croissant dough and then how to adapt it to the Cronut-style, or pastry, doughnut. Within eight weeks he discovered how to make the perfect dough. The result is 140 layers in a doughnut made with locally sourced ingredients and homemade glazes.
“We started our business out of our home kitchen and used Instagram stories
to promote it using #DIETSTARTSTOMMOROW. Tyler made all the donuts and I glazed and decorated them,” Sam says. Once the couple could afford it, they bought a sheeter and proofer. Production was moved to the basement.
“It’s a three-day process,” Tyler says. “On day one I make up the dough and let it rest overnight. The next day I laminate the dough and cut out the doughnuts. These go on to the racks and are placed in the refrigerator overnight. On the third day, they are proofed and cooked off.”
Today Holey Confections has a main location and two satellite stores. Production has increased to 1,500 doughnuts per day. Top sellers include The New Yorker, a strawberry cheesecake doughnut, and the Raspberry Lemonade, filled with citrusy lemon curd and deliciously topped with a duo of raspberry glaze and vanilla drizzle topping. Then, there is the Charlie Brown. “It’s like a Boston Cream, but better,” Sam says.
Ottawa has every type of doughnut. It’s a tough choice to decide between a classic yeast-raised, cake or pastry doughnut. Which one is your favourite? / BJ
Karen Barr writes about arts, culture and cuisine. She is a graduate of George Brown College and a Red Seal pastry chef.
Today SuzyQ Doughnuts has three locations, with 60 employees. Owner Susan Hamer is most excited about the upcoming addition of a SuzyQ Doughnuts food truck.
Notes from the Executive Director
I often hear, “Why should I or my company join your association?” To answer this question, we have developed materials that explain our mission, vision and strategic plans. Find these at https://www.baking.ca/ membership/benefits-of-membership/
A question I would like to hear more often: “Why wouldn’t I belong to this association?”
I have heard non-member concerns that the BAC is a club for salespeople who like to play golf. Yes, local chapters organize events, and often the heavy lifting is done by our allied members: let’s thank them for this. Bakers, because of their work schedules, are often unable to contribute much to event planning, yet they benefit greatly from these events. Every cent of profit raised, even at the golf-club dinners, goes back to support students enrolled in baking and pastry classes. Some scholarship recipients have said they do not see the point of being a member of the BAC. I hope that one day, they will see the value of supporting younger versions of themselves.
We trust other professionals, like dentists, doctors, electricians and pharmacists, because we know they have been trained and certified. However, there is a lack of appetite to celebrate, or even insist, that the people who feed us have similar professional credentials. The BAC is committed to
MEMBERSHIP MATH
Reasons to join BAC Educational webinars on hiring, promoting yourself, selling at retail In-person Chapter events
elevating the craft of baking in Canada: we financially support baking programs and students because their credentials and their passion lift us all.
“The BAC is just for the big industrials.” I hear this as well. Of course, the support of the larger bakers is important. However, the concerns of these companies and the resources they offer to help us advocate
with the government on major industry challenges affect the whole industry. These concerns could be labour shortages, supplychain issues, sustainability, labelling and allergen management as well as other local and regional regulatory issues. Their support also helps us facilitate local educational
The BAC’s mission is to empower our members in providing nutritious and delicious baked goods to consumers in Canada and around the world through leading public policy, knowledge transfer and networking.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
events of interest to all bakers.
The reverse of the last paragraph is also stated: “Our company is too big for the BAC; we handle all our regulatory concerns internally or through our offshore head office.” Or, “We cannot be seen in the same room as our competitors.” Our response is to point to some pretty big companies that started as one-person operations in Canada. These companies are successful due to the support of Canadian consumers and industry peers. As for canoodling with competitors, we have very strict rules regarding statute compliance that limit discussions of sensitive competition-based issues.
“What’s in it for me?” Again, I would point you to the membership benefits page. For a small enterprise, some of our corporate partners offer deep discounts on cardprocessing fees, business insurance access to group-benefit plans, and discounts at events. Sometimes the discounts will pay for your annual membership in a month. For our bigger members: there are discounts to exhibit at Showcase, our annual trade show and the only opportunity for bakers, pastry chefs, chocolatiers and artisans to come together, nationally.
For students: A free membership while you are in a full-time or apprenticeship program, and opportunities to meet with established businesses and become part of the industry that is your future.
As you can see by the graphic, the cost to become a member is negligible compared to your sales and all of a company’s personnel are also automatically eligible.
The most persuasive reason to become a member is this: a strong association benefits us all. There are resources for multiple projects, support for the whole baking industry, financing and input on national, regional and local initiatives and development of new members who will inherit the industry and keep it strong. Strength lies in numbers; as our membership grows, we all benefit, together.
Martin Barnett, Executive Director Baking Association of Canada mbarnett@baking.ca
Join us for three engaging webinars relevant to the needs of all bakeries and brought to you by the Baking Association of Canada.
Recruiting and Hiring Strategies for Your Bakery (hosted on Sept. 25, recorded version now online at baking.ca and bakersjournal.com)
A good baker is hard to find! Finding and hiring great people is a challenge for bakeries of all sizes amid the current labour shortage. Join us for a webinar that will provide perspective and an approach to hiring that will put your bakery in a position to attract, hire and ultimately keep good employees. Our expert panellists will tackle these questions:
• What is the current state of and outlook for the labour market in Canada for bakeries and restaurants?
• What should I consider before hiring a team member?
• Which strategies will help me make a successful, long-term hire?
OUR PRESENTERS:
• Laure-Anna Bomal, economist for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
• Karen Bornarth, executive director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America and developer of Hot Bread Kitchen to improve job quality and business performance in small food businesses.
• Tabitha Langel, owner and co-founder of Tall Grass Prairie Bakery in Winnipeg
TELLING THE STORY OF YOUR BAKERY
TUESDAY, OCT. 17, 3-4 P.M. EST
In this session, you will learn key techniques that will help you tell better stories about your bakery and more. You will learn a simple framework for finding the best stories to tell and the best place to tell them, without worrying about The Algorithm of social media.
Our presenter: Mark Dyck, creator and host of the Rise Up! The Baker Podcast, founder of Bakers4Bakers.org, founder of Orange Boot Bakery in Regina.
SELLING YOUR BAKED PRODUCTS SUCCESSFULLY AT RETAIL
MONDAY, NOV. 6, 2-3 P.M. EST
Get an overview of the steps involved in successfully selling your baked goods at retail. Presenter Peter Chapman, president of SKUFood, and expert lead facilitator, will share invaluable insider tips and tools. Peter has decades of experience on the buyers’ side of the table including 19 years with Loblaw Companies.
Don’t have time to attend the sessions live? These webinars are free and the recordings accessible online when you register!
atch baking.ca and bakersjournal.com for details of these exciting in-person networking and fundraising events:
• B.C. Chapter demo and dinner with Chef Christophe Bonzon, VIU, Nanaimo, Wednesday, Nov. 1
• B.C. Chapter Night at the Races, Nov. 17
• Ontario Chapter holiday dinner and party, Old Mill Inn, Etobicoke, Friday, Nov. 24
BUSY BAKERS GATHER IN BARRIE, ONT.
On Sept. 11 the Baking Association of Canada welcomed local bakers, industry suppliers and allied professionals to its Town Hall bakers gathering at Georgian College in Barrie, Ont.
It was the third meeting held this year in the BAC’s quest to connect with all Canadian bakers, following successful gatherings in Victoria and Winnipeg.
Executive director Martin Barnett described BAC’s focus on small, independent bakeries: “A mandate that came out of our strategic plan was to turn the BAC institutional policy upside down. Instead of developing these policies for the very large members, (something we are very good at), with the idea that the results would trickle down and benefit the rest of the Canadian baking industry, we would seek out and listen to the new entrepreneurs, the small and mediumsized enterprises that have emerged over the last few years full of new and creative products, innovative ideas on management, training, promotion, community engagement and staff retention as well as work-life balance.”
}A lively and frank panel of baking entrepreneurs described their businesses, challenges they face and plans for the future.
Bryan Hunt, dean of hospitality, tourism and recreation at Georgian College, emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship. Georgian College aims to expand its baking and pastry arts program from one to two years, which would require them to consider expanding their facilities.
Kate Tomic, president of BAC’s Ontario Chapter, announced two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to students in Georgian’s baking program.
A lively and frank panel of baking
entrepreneurs described their businesses, challenges they face and plans for the future. Heather Goodman, owner of Goodman’s Fine Foods in Newmarket, Ont., shared challenges with staffing, supply chain and work-life balance, namely, getting enough sleep. Goodman’s developed from a partnership with Metropolis Mercantile in 2020. The shop provides locally sourced gourmet food, specialty food products and housewares. She also hosts cooking and baking classes at her shop. “Work-life balance: what is that?” she said, getting a laugh of recognition from other entrepreneurs.
Kymm St-Amour, owner of Khaos Artisan Kitchen in Port Franks – three hours away on Lake Huron – attended with wife, chef and partner Jill. St-Amour
emphasized that Khaos is located in an area that draws tourists every summer. The strong demand created by customers in the mood to splurge has helped her bake at a reasonable pace and set hours that allow for a work-life balance, including recently take on a teaching role at Lambton College.
There is no regular menu at Khaos, St-Amour said. Available items change daily based on what ingredients are in season and include sourdough breads, decadent cakes, French pastries, classics and new creations. The Niagara Collegetrained baker is now also teaching advanced baking and cake design part time at Lambton College in Sarnia.
Lise Garden co-owns and operates Homestead Artisan Bakery in Barrie with Cait Patrick. The business specializes in long-fermented sourdough breads and baked goods, crafted in small batches using locally milled flours. They started at the Barrie farmer’s market in 2014.
On Sept. 11 BAC welcomed local bakers and baking industry professionals to a Town Hall bakers gathering at Georgian College.
Biggest challenges Greatest successes Priorities for near future Suggestions for next event
Staffing: Hiring, retaining Opening the bakery Hiring! Local Bakery Showcase –connecting with our people
Branded packaging affordability
Having a great team Getting sleep Teambuilding workshop
Finding equipment TV appearances
Accessing loans
Scaling up
Sales data
Developing business acumen
Management and planning
Budgeting / cost
Minimum orders / supply chain
Networking
Reaching suppliers
Using social media and analyzing data
Staff diversity success
Community support
Work-life balance
Optimism for future
Scaling up
Accessing funding
Job fair (connect schools with industry)
Demonstrations by suppliers (live or virtual)
Making the team happy Bakeoff (May Showcase)
Maintaining quality More gatherings
Work-life balance
Asking for help
Knowing our limits
Gatherings in other locations
will get better,” she said.
Attendees broke into groups and discussed challenges, successes, priorities and their wish list for local events.
Also attending were Valerie O’Halloran and Marg MacDonald, economic and business advisors from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. O’Halloran explained that OMAFRA runs domestic programming to help bakeries export their products. She and her colleagues attend Bakery Showcase and other trade shows. They work with major retailers, hold businessto-business meetings and host a two-day seminar every year in Niagara region on exporting. They also administer funding programs such as Grow Ontario, help bakery owners navigate and submit an application to OMAFRA and assist with market planning, modelling and connecting you to the right people. Subscribe to OMAFRA’s food bulletin to learn about funding announcements.
Opened a small downtown Barrie retail location with an offsite production facility. In July 2018 they opened a 3300-squarefoot bakery with kitchen.
Garden talked about doing multiple monthly supply runs to get the best prices and offered other bakers newer to the baking business hope for the future. “It
Attendees enjoyed raspberry white chocolate scones courtesy COBS Bread, rum cake pops courtesy Kelly’s Kakes and butter tarts from Sweet Oven. / BJ
¦ new products ¦
From the latest in automated equipment, tray loaders, flour testing and more, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” FOR MORE on new products for the baking industry, check out our website, bakersjournal.com
Hawk Tray Loader features small footprint
JLS Automation recently debuted the Hawk bakery case and tray loader designed to be easy to operate and maintain over time.
With a small footprint, the Hawk case and tray packer maximizes your existing production floor space. The toolless changeover design allows recipe changes to occur in less than a minute, providing greater uptime and reliability to your production scheduling. A cantilevered design allows for easy integration into current packaging lines with existing conveyance and may be just as easily provided for new installations as well, the company says.
Infeed variations can be tailored to your specific product type to handle your greatest packing challenges.
The Hawk has a compact design while offering a robotic top-load solution for the food and beverage industries. Along with standard case and tray loading, the Hawk works well with flow wrapped or bagged products, trays, bars, clam shells, bottles, cans and other formats.
Stainless steel construction and three levels of washdown protection are available.
Hygienic, compact and flexible bread lines
As special highlights for this year’s iba, FRITSCH will be exhibiting two bread lines – the Progressa and the Impressa. The compact Progressa with a new round moulder has a new controller that makes the line easy and intuitive to operate.
Fritsch has upgraded and implemented the hygiene standards on the Impressa industrial bread line. It features an open design and removable modules and is easily accessible, making it quick and easy to clean.
Important components such as the conveyor belt table of the soft dough sheeter and the soft dough roller have been made mobile and can be cleaned in the washing area.
The modular design of the Impressa also means it can be made ready for new products quickly and without tools.
Designed to save space, it has had nearly five metres taken off its length to become far more compact. This was made possible, among other things, by new rolling technology that produces a uniform dough sheet with extremely defined edges without shearing forces or the use of separating agents. This process reduces scrap dough to a minimum throughout the rest of the process.
The use of smart services to prevent unplanned line downtimes rounds off the new efficient bread line. multivac.com
Rademaker’s new bread lines include make-up section
The latest version of Rademaker’s industrial bread line version includes a make-up section that shapes the dough sheet into a wide range of bread products.
The company’s bread rounder transforms the baker’s manual rounding technique into a flexible, industrial production solution, helping bakers achieve consistent, perfectly rounded bread products. The machine handles long pre-proofed doughs, resulting in rounded artisan breads. It also accommodates firm doughs to produce irresistibly soft, rounded rolls.
With custom tooling, the Hawk is designed to handle a variety of packages. As an added feature, corrugated or paperboard divider inserts can also be loaded for layering, with or without support flanges. A vertical packing solution for rigid containers is also available. jlsautomation.com/hawk
After launching its laminating and pastry/croissant lines, Radini is now launching its bread line. This modular dough processing line has a capacity ranging from 400 to 1,200 kilograms of dough per hour. It can process both firm and soft pre-fermented dough. The Radini bread line is designed for semi-industrial production. It allows bakers to exploit the potential of automation while retaining the artisan touch. Production speed and capacity are increased while maintaining flexibility, Rademaker emphasized in a press release. Flexibility is provided by the modular configuration, which allows multiple compositions. The small footprint bread line can be used to automatically produce a uniform dough sheet for hand-moulded products, resulting in all types of bread.
Radilinq, specialized in dough handling systems, will present its newly designed rack loader and unloader at IBA. It is designed to help bakeries further improve their operational efficiency, automate tedious tasks, reduce labour costs and absenteeism, and provide a consistent output.
The modular unit can be configured for rack loading, rack unloading or a combination of both. rademaker.com
FarinoGraph tests flour using artificial intelligence
Brabender’s updated FarinoGraph uses artificial intelligence to determine flour’s water absorption capacity and dough’s rheological attributes.
The Farinograph has been successfully and permanently used in the milling and baking industry since 1928.
The AI-driven Brabender Prediction feature predicts measurement curves and makes the most of test execution. The AutoStop function reduces measurement time by ending the process when evaluation points are reached.
Its compact format saves space and helps ensure the availability of spare parts. The device accommodates various dough types, from gluten-free to hard wheat, offering versatility for different needs.
The AquaInject accessory further streamlines testing with automated water dosing, ensuring precision and convenience.
The EvaluationEditor and SmartCorrelation functions enable personalized mathematical assessments of measured values and efficient data comparisons. The MetaBridge software enhances user experience by providing remote access, quick support and data transfer between devices.
As the first step in a three-phase system, the FarinoGraph helps map bakery and pasta production on a laboratory scale. This comprehensive solution encompasses the Extensograph and Amylograph stages, predicting dough properties and analyzing starch characteristics. brabender.com/en/
TouchBistro launches back-of-house restaurant management that integrates with POS
TouchBistro has launched a suite of back-of-house solutions that help bakeries and restaurants improve profitability by automating operations and profit management analysis that directly impact the bottom line.
By connecting the new back-of-house system to TouchBistro’s POS, front-of-house operations, and guest engagement functions, TouchBistro now provides an end-to-end solution.
To improve and integrate back-of-house operations, the company now offers two systems:
TouchBistro Profit Management, Powered by MarginEdge, seamlessly integrates with the all-in-one TouchBistro Point of Sale (POS) and Restaurant Management System to help single or multi-unit restaurants maximize their profitability through greater control over inventory, supplier costs and invoices, menu and recipe planning, food wastage, and accounting.
TouchBistro Kitchen Display System (KDS), Powered by Fresh, delivers accurate orders instantly to the kitchen for preparation. As soon as a ticket is sent from the POS, it appears on the KDS, providing an instant line of communication between FOH and BOH staff, eliminating time consuming manual double entry and costly errors.
touchbistro.com/profit-management
BY DIANE CHIASSON
THREE EASY WAYS TO DIVERSIFY INCOME STREAMS
Focus on in-store products, retail and gift sales and special events
Revenue diversification means adding new services, events or more retail products to your bakery business to create additional sources of income and build more meaningful relationships with your customers. When diversifying, one crucial thing to remember is to stay true to your business. The COVID-19 crisis has led to dramatic shifts in consumer behaviour. To remain relevant, bakery retailers must work harder to meet the ever-demanding customer requirements.
As a bakery operator/owner, you can easily increase income in three different and unique ways: expand your in-store product range, add retail and gift sales, and host demonstrations, workshops and special events.
1. EXPAND YOUR BAKERY DRINK AND FOOD MENU
Diversifying your bakery product range is a strategic move that will allow your bakery shop to tap into new markets to meet customer demand and generate additional cash flow. The most common way to diversify your revenue is by adding food and beverage options to your menu.
You may consider adding unique drinks to your menu. Simply having a variety of signature beverages available can help your bottom line, as drinks tend to have excellent profit margins. You may complement your coffee selection with unique breakfast sandwiches and other freshly baked pastries. Your guests may purchase something else for breakfast, lunch or afternoon coffee break. Add a variety of healthy muffins, pastries, puff pastries, cookies, coffee cakes, bagels, tortillas, breakfast sandwiches and wraps, cheese and breadboards, artisanal sandwiches, oatmeal to go, yogurt parfaits, salads, wraps, paninis, mini pizzas, and organic, gluten-free and vegan bakery products.
Consider investing in an ice cream machine. People love ice cream paired with their favourite cake or pie. Developing a few signature recipes can open your bakery to a new market. Bite-sized items such as cake pops have become quite popular over the last few years as health-conscious consumers watch their sugar intake. Make sure to pair specific food items with the right beverages. I guarantee you will increase sales by 20-30 per cent or more.
2. ADD MORE TO-GO RETAIL AND GIFT PRODUCTS
Bakery operators should also sell “signature” private-label branded products, adding an alternative income stream to their bakery profits. Expanding your assortment of products will attract a broader audience, increase the likelihood of repeat purchases and enhance a customer’s experience. Always try to introduce products that complement your existing offerings, encouraging cross-selling and boosting your revenue. If you have a great homemade sauce, consider bottling it and selling it in one of your coolers.
Prepackaged fresh bakery and top-quality coffee products guests can take home and share with family and friends is another powerful revenue stream.
Other unique ways to boost your retail sales are via unique and special branded gift merchandise such as mini cake/pastry stands, napkins, coffee mugs, tea tins, greeting cards, sustainable tote bags or aprons. The benefits of selling branded merchandise are twofold for your bakery: you will generate additional income and your guests will become walking billboards, building brand awareness for your bakery shop.
Customers who have one of your bottles of sauce or a special gift at home will always be reminded of how much they love your bakery, and tourists will also enjoy getting a souvenir to remind them of their trip. Gifting within bridal parties has exploded in recent years. Think of packaging beautiful and unique boxes or gift baskets. You may also consider packaging ingredients for lunch or dinner
meal kits rather than cooked meals.
Don’t forget gift cards. They are an easy way to boost revenue and draw customers into your bakery shop.
Add flair to your bakery by designing visually appealing and interactive displays that let customers engage with your retail products.
3. HOST DEMONSTRATIONS, EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS
As a bakery shop owner, you can draw more traffic and increase revenue by hosting special events. Organize cooking demonstrations, events or baking workshops related to your bakery products to attract foot traffic, encourage customer loyalty and build brand loyalty. Consider adding local arts and crafts events, poetry readings or live music. These are excellent opportunities to get involved in your community and network with other local businesses.
Taking part in local events and supplying cupcakes for charity, school fundraisers, etc., will also expose your bakery to a new audience.
Think of running a special autumn “cupcake lab” event. You could easily charge $150 per couple, and guests will receive all the demos necessary to make delicious cupcakes at home, recipes for six cupcakes they made at your bakery shop, and a DIY experience under a baker’s guidance.
Finally, consider offering your baking talents outside of your bakery. Evening or weekend classes for groups of Five to 10 people can include basic baking lessons and fun drink recipes. / BJ
Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 35 years by providing innovative and revenue-increasing food service and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns. Contact her at 416-926-1338, send her an email at chiasson@ chiassonconsultlants.com, or visit www. chiassonconsultants.com.
PLAN TO ATTEND!
CANADA’S ONLY BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS BAKING EVENT
Join Canada’s baking industry professionals from bakeries (artisan, retail, wholesale, commercial, in-store, pizzerias), grocery and foodservice outlets at Canada’s ONLY Business-to-Business Baking Event!
MAY 5 - 6, 2024 I TORONTO CONGRESS CENTRE
• Connect with suppliers and learn about the latest ingredients, bakery equipment and services for the baking industry!
• Benefit from education sessions exploring such topics as top bakery trends, scaling up your bakery, succession planning, automation, marketing your artisan bakery and more!
• Learn what the Baking Association of Canada has been up to on your behalf and get the latest technical updates.
• Take in a lively state-of-the-industry panel!
• Watch top bakers demonstrate cutting-edge techniques!
• Showcase your signature baking in a professional artisan competition!
• See what the future holds via an exciting student competition (and enter if you’re a student)!
• And much more!
IT’S A YEAR’S WORTH OF MARKET RESEARCH AND NETWORKING – ALL IN ONE PLACE OVER TWO DAYS!
BAKERY SUPPLIES
Booze Cakes features step-by-step recipes for spiking delicious confections with spirits, wine, and beer. These delightfully tipsy desserts are perfect for dinner parties, potlucks, and pitch-ins!
Featured throughout are tips and tricks on baking with alcohol, serving suggestions for fun cocktail-cake parties, and yummy cocktail recipes to accompany your confections—plus a handy “Booze Meter” that tracks the total alcohol content in each of these decadent desserts Indulge yourself!
$18.95 | Item# 1594744235
BY JANE DUMMER, RD
THE RISE OF TAKE-AND-BAKE
Convenient, high quality and flexible, these products can reshape your customer’s experience
Consumers are craving at-home options and ways to recreate restaurant experiences without the increasing costs associated with dining out. Bakeries and retailers are offering consumers a similar sensory experience of the restaurant or bakery at home with take-and-bake options of breads and baked goods. These parbaked items have an artisan appeal while meeting demand for convenience. From delivery models and retail to bakery chains and kiosks, take-and-bake is reshaping the consumer experience with convenient, high-quality and flexible offerings.
Alice Couderc and Lucas Navilloz, co-founders of Peak Bakery based in Vancouver, agree: “The consumer trend of take-and-bake breads and baked goods has been a driving force behind our business model at Peak Bakery. As consumers increasingly seek convenient yet high-quality food options, we recognized an opportunity to offer a solution that aligns with this trend. Flexibility is a key feature; consumers can enjoy their favourite bakery items at their own pace, aligning with busy schedules and varied dining preferences.”
Aspire Bakeries brand La Brea Bakery offers Take & Bake breads packaged ready to thaw and sell. These products are perfect for spur-of-the-moment at-home dinner plans. Each of the bake-at-home breads has detailed “how to bake” instructions. This ensures all consumers can enjoy hot hearth-baked bread, fresh from their ovens within minutes at home. Retailer Longo’s offers its private-label Bake Your Own Butter Croissants. The frozen croissants go directly into the home oven (no thaw time) and come out flaky, buttery, and deliciously authentic with the bonus of the home kitchen smelling like a Parisan bakery.
Bakery chain COBS Bread offers parbaked pizza bases (two to a package) giving consumers a restaurant experience at home. Alannah Villella, senior marketing manager, retail and brand experience,
explains: “We’re always looking for new and exciting ways to give our customers the freshest bread and baked products. The pizza bases are made using our Turkish dough which gives a golden exterior and light, airy crust. They are preservative-free and made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients. The pizza bases are parbaked in the COBS Bread ovens first. We do the heavy lifting, while the consumer adds their favourite ingredients, cooks it for eight to 10 minutes in their oven, then they enjoy a deliciously hot pizza just the way their preferred recipe calls for it.”
What about when consumers are out but don’t have time for the in-dining occasion?
Colleen Cross, editor of Canadian Pizza magazine, says: “Canadian company PizzaForno in 2022 added take-and-bake pizzas to its existing vending machines that bake thin-crust pizza in three minutes. The take-n-bake option skips the baking step and allows customers to take home a ready-to-cook pizza. The kiosk can be found adjacent to restaurants and convenience stores, and within food courts and gas stations.”
Peak Bakery delivers ready-to-bake boxes of sourdough bread and pastries directly to customers’ doors. Couderc and Navilloz describe their service: “We freeze the proofed dough to ensure its freshness, which allows customers to bake our artisan-
al-quality bread and pastries at their convenience. To better serve and meet our customers’ evolving preferences, in early 2023 we moved from a pick-up model to a delivery model, with bigger box sizes. Now, we reach urban and remote consumers across British Columbia. The Discovery box is the most popular with various sourdough baguette types, a whole-wheat loaf, a brioche, a baguette viennoise and Liege Waffles. Ideal for different tastes and life situations.”
Peak Bakery provides a 15 per cent rebate for the subscription model with choice of delivery options. With subscription, the Discovery box is at $99.45, delivery included, plus a free Peak Pan. For a one-time purchase, the Discovery box is at $117 including delivery, excluding the pan.
Finally, take-and-bake can reduce food waste, with customers preparing only what they need at home. It’s exciting to see the numerous opportunities for this growing category offering ready-to-bake products of exceptional quality for consumers wanting to re-create flexible restaurant and bakery experiences, and, ultimately, putting the customer in control. / BJ
Jane Dummer, RD, known as the Pod to Plate Food Consultant, collaborates and partners with the food and nutrition industry across North America. janedummer.com
Peak Bakery delivers ready-to-bake boxes of sourdough bread and pastries directly to customers’ doors.
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