TFL'ers,
Hi there everyone. Last time I wrote to you I had just finished my last bake at The Back Home Bakery. I was hoping to be able to post pictures of the newly opened bakery at this point, but alas delays have occured. Rather than wait until I'm open I figured I would give you an update to show you the progress so far. Anyway, soon after, I packed up all of my stuff and the bakery equipment and headed south to Bozeman, MT via Nampa, Idaho. Why Nampa, Idaho you ask? Well, that's where Sinclair's Bakery is originating. After searching high and low, I finally found a place that would be able to help me with my project.
Let me explain.
As those of you who have been following me for the past few years know, The Back Home Bakery was located in the lower level of my home. Most of my baking business came from a very busy summer season selling at the farmers' market, plus it was supplemented through wholesale work throughout the year. Of course I realized this would be impossible to duplicate in a brand new area/market without a home to start with, so this is the plan. The folks at Double R trailers in Nampa will be taking my idea and equipment and building me a concession trailer.
This is an example of a similar concession trailer, but NOT mine:
Below is the floorplan for the trailer they are building for me:
Much of the bakery equipment will be in a concession trailer. It will be supplemented by a 20KW diesel generator which will be on the tongue of the trailer. The overall size of the trailer wil be 8'6" x 24' and will be towed by my 3/4 ton truck. If you are familiar with the '5 minutes at the Back Home Bakery' video then you will recognize that some of the equipment missing from the trailer are the 60qt mixer, the sheeter, and the large work bench. This equipment among other things like the bakers racks and large 3 compartment sink will be housed in a warehouse where I am living.
This will allow me to bake on site not just at the farmers' markets, but also at other event locations. Fresh baguettes and croissants for everyone! For wholesale and on off days, I can plug the trailer in and use as a small bakery, much in the way I used to at the Back Home. Below is my design for the outside graphics of the trailer which I will paint upon arrival here in Belgrade, MT (just outside of Bozeman).
Here are some pictures of the warehouse/studio where the trailer will be housed and where I live:
The studio can be seen at the top of the stairs to the right, the rest of the bakery equipment is in the rear.
This is looking down from the top of the stairs of the studio.
Some of the rest of the bakery equipment.
The living quarters upstairs.
If you'd like to see more pictures of the area I now call home and you are the Facebook type, feel free to check out my page here.
If you would rather check out the pictures of the area I live now on Flickr, then click here.
The initial projected completion date was mid-January, but it has been pushed back to mid-February. In the meantime, I will keep myself busy by growing more white hairs and substitute teaching at the local schools to earn a few bucks.
There you go for now, and happy baking to all of you in the meantime.
-Mark
Edit: mid-February update here
