The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Loaf size for Farmer's Market

Zenbirder's picture
Zenbirder

Loaf size for Farmer's Market

I am gearing up for baking for Farmer's Market and need to expand my number of bread pans for sandwich loaves.  I am questioning the size I should buy.  My normal for home are some old aluminium 5 1/2 X 9 1/2 X 2 3/4 for breads, I have never had any problems baking in them.  I am particularly considering the Norpro 8" and/or Norpro 10" sizes from Amazon.  I am thinking that if I go with the smaller size, my sale price per loaf will not be all that much different, but I will be out less money for ingredients.  On the other hand, a big loaf is impressive and seems more worth the money?  Does anyone have any experience with what customer's want or even notice in a loaf size?  Are there any opinions on the Norpro?

maurdel's picture
maurdel

I believe I am more likely to buy a large loaf.  Much more so than ever buying 2 small (even for half the cost). Not sure why though, I suppose as you said large loaves are impressive.

I think it's probable that if you have small loaves on the same table, and they are more than half the price of the large, then it would encourage large loaf sales.

I guess there is significant marketing science involved. Good luck with your sales.

mcs's picture
mcs

I think what maurdel says, goes to your advantage.  Your main expense is your labor, not your materials, so it's your best bet to sell a large loaf rather than 2 small loaves. 

Let's say the ingredients cost for a 1 pound white loaf is $.35.  If you can sell it for $3.50, you make $3.15 (yes, of course there are many other costs).  If you bump that loaf size up to 1.5 pounds, your material cost only goes up to $.50, but you can certainly charge $1 more for something 50% larger.  So if you sell it for $4.50, you now make $4.00 on your loaf for the same amount of work and virtually the same oven space. 
The smaller your products, the more oven space they take up (1 loaf might take up as much as 8 rolls), which is more time on task for you. 
Some people feel weird buying a huge loaf if they think they'll be wasting some, so I wouldn't go larger than 1.5 pounds.
I'd sell some as free form loaves (not all pan loaves) just because some people like that look and it'll make it easier for them to distinguish the different types. 
Hope this helps.

-Mark

http://TheBackHomeBakery.com

Zenbirder's picture
Zenbirder

Thanks for the feedback.  I will make good big loaves.  My oven is the limiting factor in number of loaves.  I will have to think about how much a loaf costs me, I can not nail it down but can approximate.  I have a wonderful big marble slab in the oven so freeforms will also be produced.

My niche is "tasty health food", I grind my own grains right before baking (wheat, oats, barley & rye).  I use home grown eggs in some breads, from my pampered free range chicken girls.  I also use raw honey or agave syrup rather than sugar.  This seems to be translating to good sales in my area.  I have been practicing increasing my number of loaves.  I take them to my dance class and they are selling out immediately, with a bit of squabbling over who gets them this week!  The feedback has been tremendous, people are so used to eating junk that they can't believe how good real bread can taste!  I set the price so far at $5 a loaf, and have not had any complaints.

Alan, I know how important it is to greet customers!  We are no stranger to market, we used to run a native plant nursery.  I also owned and ran my own retail business for 7 years, 6 days a week....  So glad to be out of it!  I have the real advantage of knowing half the town by sight if not name.

Our market is Saturday morning spring to fall.  We have to be in town and set up in our stall by 8am.   While I would love to have hot bread to sell, it does not seem practical given the farm chores I have to do every day.  We will also be selling produce.   I plan to bake all day Fridays.  Does anyone have any more hints about market to pass on?

swtgran's picture
swtgran

How do you have enough loaves of fresh bread to sell at the market?  Do you bake all week and freeze them, then thaw them the day of the sale?  I have thought I would like to try this but could never figure out the logistics.

I have sold sticky buns to people I know, by preparing them in their pans and sending them unbaked, the night before, with morning baking instructions.  They apparently thought $20 a pan for unbaked sticky buns was worth it.  Terry R

swtgran's picture
swtgran

Alan, that was an impressive amount of bread you did in one evening!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zenbirder's picture
Zenbirder

Alan,

WOW!  I don't even want to contemplate baking as many loaves as you did!

Your post made me laugh.  We are so rural that:

There is no local Craigslist or IKEA,

There is no restaurant supply house closer than a four hour drive and you have to drive two hours to even see a small mall,

If I did make 200 loaves, there are not enough market customers to buy them all!

 

Our market charges a flat $4 for sales under $75, and 4% for sales over $75.  I am hoping to supplement the produce with baked goods, in part because in our climate there are good years for growing and some bad.  We never know if the curly top virus will kill out most of the tomato crop, which is one of the biggest money makers.  We are not in a very agricultural area, produce in the stores is rarely fresh and I get top dollar for locally grown food.  For example, we put 1/4 pound of green beans in a bag and charge $2.  We sell out quickly, and that is $8 a pound!  I get $3 a dozen for eggs, and can not keep up with demand.  So I am getting 25 new chicks tomorrow, whoopee!  I am growing a large number of varieties of sweet peppers this year also.

 

I do not know how much bread I will be comfortable baking, but I am finding out that as I practice it is getting easier.  I am refining my recipes.  Yesterday I concentrated on the three grain loaf (wheat, barley and oat), and got the size to exactly 1 1/2 pounds.  I also got in my order of bags to sell the bread in, only 500 but it should last me the season.

 

flourgirl51's picture
flourgirl51

So  do you have to have a certified kitchen for this? I sell bread and other things at our local farmers market and I sell out every week. I have a large home gas oven but am seeing the need for another oven down the road.

I have seen pictures of some markets online where the artisan breads are displayed in baskets unwrapped. Where I live everything has to be wrapped and labeled with ingredients and other info. From what I understand, if you sell over $5000.00 of product in a market season you have to be licensed and have a certified kitchen. This is MN- just wondering what other states are doing.

I also grow our certified organic wheat and stone grind it for my breads. People really seem to like the flavor.

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Our (Michigan) farmer's markets cannot allow any homemade goods to be sold unless the seller has had their kitchen inspected and certified by the local health department.  The health dept. certification must be presented to the farmer's market manager before you can open shop.

St. Paul, MN refuses to allow ANY homemade or baked items to be sold at a farmer's market.  http://www.ci.stpaul.mn.us/DocumentView.asp?DID=3565

I don't have time right now to research the Minnesota statutes, flourgirl, but I do think you would be very wise to call your local health department to confirm that you need no inspection certificates or permits to sell homemade foodstuffs to the general public.

We live in a very litigious society...

 

 

 

flourgirl51's picture
flourgirl51

I have been to numerous trainings on farmers markets in our state and have the state manual as well. The St. Paul thing must be an individual market rule as in MN you can sell breads and things under $5000.00 per year without a certified kitchen. Same goes for jams and pickles.

patishaffer's picture
patishaffer

I have come across this oven for a cheap price and was wondering if it would be good for baking bread. I am considering making the investment and starting a small business baking bread from fresh milled grains. Any suggestions would help. Thanks

PIZZA BAKERY COMMERCIAL 3 DECK OVEN GEMINI SVEBA DAHLEN BRICK STOVE,MODEL # DC 33 Classic Deck Oven Series

patishaffer's picture
patishaffer

Thank  you so much for your help, much needed help!!! yes it is Baltimore and the person selling it is not the owner. He has it in a warehouse and he doesn't know if it works. I will be contacting him with all these questions when I go to look at it and see if there are any local companies that can do repairs on it. It is missing some knobs and that all that I know about the condition so far. Thanks again !!!!

patishaffer's picture
patishaffer

I will heed your warning. I agree that it easy to fall in love at first sight. I called my son last night and asked if he would be able to look at it and be able to check it out. He doesn't work on ovens but he puts together machines that put labels on the items that come from the bakeries. Even though he doesn't work on the ovens he has been around them. He is one of those smart ones who can fix almost anything. I'm a proud mama. I will also check out the local companies and ask my son if he knows of any. Funds are tight so I want to make the best decisions and I am not afraid to ask and listen to advise. I will keep you up to date on any progress. I have noticed that this oven has been on craigslist for a while so that is telling me that someting is wrong with it.

patishaffer's picture
patishaffer

Hi, just letting you know of the status of my search. There was another oven listed in Halifax just north of Harrisburg.  It was listed on 3/8 under the Reading. This is a propane oven,Blogett 981 &951. It is old I want to call and see how old it is. He is offering the oven, a Middleby Marshall mixer Model 620g that shows some paint peeling on it, and a bakery rack for $2500. I did go and look at it and he had it hooked up and running. When I spoke to him about electric vs propane he said that propane is more efficient than electric. My husband thinks that electric would be better with fuel prices so high. What is your thought on that? He also has a box refrigerator for $50, it needs the floor replaced and the wire shelves are starting to rust. I had my son-in-law with me who works for a plumber look at it to see if he could fix it up and if it works he said it is worth $50. I will be transforming half of my garage into the bakery and it will be no problem getting equipment in as long as I have the help.