Milling & Baking News - May 12, 2015 - 10

Business

Costco moving from par-baked to
scratch bread program in stores
ISSAQUAH, WASH. - Costco is going "back to where it all started in
the bakery" with the launch of a new
from-scratch bread program.
"We're rebranding ourselves in the
bread category with exciting new and
delicious breads," David Richman,
assistant general merchandise manager of Costco Bakery, told The Costco
Connection, the warehouse operator's
monthly magazine.
Previously, Costco had used a parbaked program in which bread, instead
of being completely baked by the supplier, was removed from ovens and finished in Costco bakeries. Now, Costco
has developed a program where handcrafted scratch bread is baked in deck
ovens on a hearthstone at Costco locations. The program currently is in operation in five Costco warehouses: Pentagon City and Sterling, Va.; Issaquah

and Kirkland, Wash.; and Livermore,
Calif.
Costco said the hearthstone bakeries could not be duplicated at all warehouse locations, but the company's

development team determined the
scratch bread could be baked successfully in the convection ovens already
used in Costco bakeries.

ADM describes upgrades to plants
in North Dakota and Ontario
CHICAGO - Archer Daniels Midland Co. said it is increasing its processing flexibility with investments
in North Dakota and Ontario. The
company is expanding its Enderlin,
N.D., processing plant in order to
give it the ability to crush soybeans
in addition to canola and sunflower
seeds. At the same time, the company will convert a canola processing
line in Windsor, Ont., to a flex line

that also may process soybeans.
"By increasing our crushing flexibility at these two facilities, ADM
will have the ability to drive marginimprovement and returns as crop supplies and market demand shift, and as
customers' needs change," said John
McGowan, president, North American
Oilseeds. "The Enderlin investment
will help us capitalize on growing
soybean acreage in and around North

Texas artisan baker expands
with East Houston facility
HOUSTON - Slow Dough Bread
Co., an artisan baker primarily serving the Houston and Austin, Texas,
market, is expanding its operations

10 / May 12, 2015

Milling & Baking News

with the purchase of a 40,000-squarefoot bakery in southwest Houston
owned by Whole Foods Market, according to CultureMap Houston. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The purchase of the Whole Foods
Market bakery is the latest in a series
of steps that have set the stage for
expansion at Slow Dough Bread Co.,
which opened in 2009. Slow Dough
supplies fresh bread to about 350 restaurants in Houston and Austin, and
earlier this year opened its first retail
location in Weights + Measures restaurant, bakery and bar in Houston.
Slow Dough currently operates out
of a 15,000-square-foot facility, and

According to The Costco Connection,
Costco recently introduced its new
scratch program with country French,
cranberry walnut and honey multigrain
boules - round loaves. Raisin walnut
boules are being rotated into the assortment in place of the cranberry walnut
variety, Costco said, and different flavored batards are expected in the future.
"(The use of) quality ingredients
mixed from scratch is a value for the
member, and it creates our own signature," Mr. Richman said. "This scratch
bread program differentiates us from
our competition."
In addition to fruits, nuts, seeds and
grains, process is key to the quality of
its finished products, Costco said.
"Time and temperature are treated
as ingredients for the quality of the
bread," said Mike Cruz, assistant
vice-president/general merchandise
manager of service deli/fresh food
research and development. "If either
one of them gets compromised, it
gives you a different product." MBN
Dakota, and the Windsor investment
will give us the flexibility to adjust our
processing mix to optimize the plant's
efficiency and profitability."
Mr. McGowan said both investments represent important steps in
ADM's continuing effort to optimize
the core of its business and drive operational efficiencies.
ADM is among the largest processors of oilseeds in North America,
producing protein meal, vegetable oils
and other value-added items for customers in the food, animal feed and
industrial sectors. MBN
by adding the Whole Foods bakery
the company expects to increase its
retail presence into 38 grocery stores
across Texas and into Oklahoma and
Louisiana, according to CultureMap
Houston. Additionally, the increased
capacity is expected to benefit Slow
Dough's partnership with food service company Ben E. Keith and allow it to increase distribution in
Austin and move into San Antonio,
CultureMap Houston said.
More space means more products
for Slow Dough. The company's
Slow Dough Bake Shop offers croissants, muffins, scones, brownies,
cookies and cakes, and several of
those products are expected to be
added to the company's wholesale
lineup thanks to the addition of the
larger facility. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - May 12, 2015

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