bake - October 2016 - 33

From culinary schools to bakery trade associations,

and distributor of Bloemhof's complete bakery equip-

numerous organizations and individuals are working hard on

ment product line worldwide.

a daily basis to alleviate the pressure of this key issue that is
challenging the future of the bakery and pastry industry.

Joe Gallagher, food equipment business leader for Oliver
Packaging & Equipment Company, says that high-quality

Investing in Your Employees

dough makeup equipment can play a key role in helping

For one, Michael Eggebrecht, president and chief execu-

bridge the workforce skills gap. "We, as an industry, need

tive officer of Artisan Baking Resources, praises groups

to make sure we are putting the highest quality bread

like the Bread Bakers Guild of America, which recently

into each slicer," he says.

announced the launch of the ﬁrst phase of its new artisan
baker certiﬁcation program: Certiﬁed Bread Baker. The

Luc Imberechts of Bakon USA Food Equipment says

goal of the program is to establish and measure the core

that he strongly believes that advances in bakery

skills of an artisan baker.

equipment automation can help alleviate the skills gap,
adding "It takes the repetitive, sometimes boring, tasks

"I'm very excited to see this bread baker certiﬁcation

out of the equation or, at least, simpliﬁes the process.

program from the Guild," he says. "It's important to invest

This, in turn, allows people to focus on more creative

in existing employees and help people feel like they have

tasks such as ﬁnishing, product creation and recipe

a career."

development."

Beneﬁts of certiﬁcation include demonstrating knowledge

With the same idea, he adds, "quality cold technology

and skill to staff, peers, managers and the public, as well as

(blast freezing, storage freezing, correct recovery)

showing commitment to the highest levels of profession-

allows to produce longer runs while not compromising

alism and care. Further, certiﬁcation opens career options

on freshness. Smart operators are using this approach,

for professionals, elevates self-esteem and pride in one's

not just for ﬁnished products or ready to decorate

work, and improves credibility with employers and the

items, but also for intermediate - for instance, blank

general public. For more information, visit www.bbga.org.

sponge cakes."

The Retail Bakers of America (www.retailbakersofamerica.

New equipment is getting more user-friendly with easy

org) offers a comprehensive certiﬁcation program that

interface like touchscreen that makes recipe selection

raises professional standards and veriﬁes the knowledge,

and programming of new recipes far easier, he says. For

skills and abilities that professional bakers bring to the

example, Bakon is unveiling innovative new pasteurizers

marketplace. Certiﬁcation also increases job opportunities

for pastry, chocolate, catering and ice cream industries

and income for certiﬁed bakers and decorators.   

with the introduction of a range of Pasto-Cookers that
heat, stir and cool down various preparations.

Investing in Equipment
Eric Baumgartner, president of Bloemhof Inc., points out,

The new Pasto-Cookers from Bakon have pre-set recipes

"The worldwide shortage of bakers has resulted in chal-

that the user can select on a touchscreen. Each recipe is

lenges to ﬁnd and afford skilled labor." Oliver Packaging

organized in a maximum of seven steps. "Basically, the

& Equipment Company, known for its innovative bread

machine will tell the user what ingredient(s) to add and

slicers and other bakery equipment, and Bloemhof

when. The temperature (heating or cooling), as well as

Inc., specializing in dough makeup equipment, recently

the agitation (clockwise, anticlockwise, intermittent),

announced an exclusive manufacturing license agreement

have all been preset. This allows the chef to rely on his

through which Oliver will become the sole manufacturer

team," Imberechts says.

bakemag.com | OCT 2016 > 33
http://www.bbga.org http://www.retailbakersofamerica.org http://www.bakemag.com
bake - October 2016

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