Submitted by mkelly27 on July 25, 2009 - 5:55am
Have any of you caught the news about this bakery in my home town?
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8172218
I will probably work part-time as their bread man this fall. I interviewed with them and they are looking to introduce Artisan Bread into their offerings. It'll be a real pleasure for me to bake in a real bakery (big toys) on a small town basis.
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Great story, Mike. Thanks for
Great story, Mike. Thanks for posting it. Let us know how those donuts are.
--Pamela
"Bad Cop!" no doughnuts for me
I am really not a big fan of the doughnuts from that shop, I am just trying to get them to produce quality bread for our townsfolk.
Heartwarming story
Simply terrific, Mike, to see how a 113-year old bakery was saved - and by the local police!
Thanks for sharing that story. It should be the headline of every newspaper here in Michigan.
Can't wait to hear of your experiences in the bread end of the business. I just might have to visit Clare and check things out come autumn.
trust me
trustme, if I get my bread baking gig set up the way I want it to go, everyone here will know. If it goes South then I will tell everyone as well. Right now they sell 10-15 loaves a week, of some pretty plain white bread, and this thing they call "creme bread" ugh. In the meantime they are sell 1000+ doughnuts so they have got the traffic. Just wait till I introduce "Bialys" to this area.
Perfect!
Ah, Bialys - they'll be a big hit at the Irish Festival! :-)
Irish Bialys?
Well, I'm sure the Irish would enjoy them, as well as the rest of us. I just can't imagine why they would be a big hit at an Irish Festival, more than say..Tacos? Forgive me, if I'm missing something. Because his last name is Kelly?
Betty
Clare
Clare Mi. has an annual Irish Festival. I used to sponsoer a recipe /cooking contest each year. My Irish Soda Bread used to win when I entered it, but I removed it from judging. I guess the previous mention of Bialys, in the Irish context had to do with that, It all good. Most folks around these parts can't even pronounce "Bialys". All they know is that they're damn good.
Frivolity
I was just being facetious, Betty...although am guessing that good bialys would be well received at any cultural festival.
Excellent story
I do hope the shop remains successful.
Just one unsolicted piece of advice -- and no, it's not "plastics" (lets see who gets that movie reference and who doesn't).
Start simple, and not too big. I'm not sure how that would specifically apply to your situation. It's not clear to me whether or not you've done this before, but take advantage of the fact that you're the person in charge of bread and get organized. Do a really great baguette, maybe an herb/olive oil boule made from a piece of the same dough, and two or three other fabulous but simple breads to get started -- whatever seems to sell, of course. Honey whole wheat, sourdough, focaccia -- whatever.
It might be tempting to go in there and want to open all valves at once, coming up with a staggering amount of variety that shows off what you can do. But don't. Get a sense of the facility, your equipment, and how your production flows within the overall priority (for them) of doughnut production. And, being the new guy on their team, be especially careful to blend in as much as possible with the way things are already done. You might want to enact changes, and maybe some minor changes can happen right away, but don't insist. Give it time. Let them love you first.
--Dan DiMuzio
I'll Take Movies For $100, Alex...
What is "The Graduate"?
SteveB
http://www.breadcetera.com
Thanks for the great advice
I do realize the pitfalls of coming in cold to a burgeoning business. I demo'd 2 breads and bialys to them, stating that they would be the backbone of their offerings. A rye (loaf pan) and a free form Ciabatta, any embellishments and or special breads could come later depending on the demand. I intend to occupy their kitchen in their off hours so I do not impede their doughnut production.
Sounds like a plan.
Good luck.