The popularity of variety and artisan bread has been on a steady rise for the past several years, due to consumer expectations and their growing interest in health trends. Because the process of producing variety and artisan bread differs from pan bread, training for baking professionals is paramount. David Bauman, Baking Professional for AIB International who specializes in bread and rolls, explains how learning the art of popular variety and artisan bread will help companies capture a valuable market.
The definition of variety bread really differs depending on who you ask, so how do you define variety bread?
That's a good question. Within the industry, they've got different thoughts and processes about variety bread. If a plant’s going to claim it as a "variety bread" or a "100% whole grain", they have to have a certain amount of grains added into the bread because there is a standard. But for the most part, variety breads include whole wheat breads, wheat breads, multigrain breads or breads made with whole grains.
How do you think bakeries can overcome the workforce gap and high turnover rate obstacles?
The business is growing, which makes it even more competitive. To have a competitive edge, it’s important for bakeries to offer variety bread that is high-quality. High-quality bread is produced by well-trained personnel. AIB's collection of Baking Specialist eLearning courses are really helpful because they enable new bakers to receive affordable and thorough training. Even if that baker only stays with the bakery six months, the employee learned valuable skills in a reasonable amount of time. If they show further interest in their career, the employer can follow it up by sending them to AIB’s in-person training.
What do you recommend companies do to keep up with the consumer expectations within the baking industry?
Well, it’s always evolving. There's always something new coming up, so it’s important to continuously absorb information and do training. AIB is constantly striving to keep up with that. I’ve told a graduating class during a speech that it’s just as important for them to give back to the organizations that train them. I said, “You're going to have something new in your industry changing. It’s important for you to share that information with us so that we can strengthen our training for the industry and to keep up for the next generation of bakers.”