Kason Corporation announces their newest Low-Profile, FLO-THRU™ Sanitary Screener that scalps oversize particles and foreign matter from dry bulk materials and solids-laden slurries at high rates in low headroom areas.

ORBIS®, an international reusable packaging corporation, has introduced a new pallet to its XpressPal® family.

Unifiller Systems released its newest cake decorating system, the CakeStation, at this year’s IBA event.

MagicalButter was known for making a countertop infuser for butter; The company’s most recent creation is compound chocolate.

Unifiller Systems unveiled its newest portioning system, the Piping Bag Station, at this year’s IBA event.

Rubicon Bakers’ motto “bake a better world” now refers to their vegan line of cakes and cupcakes.

With world-wide efforts to curb childhood obesity and diabetes, sugar reduction creates challenges in baking and confectionary: Hydrosol offers a system that sweetens without compromising texture, flavour or mouth-feel.

The Milton farm is known for its orchard and its tie-in restaurant that made Chudleigh’s Apple Blossoms famous.

The Stafford Manufacturing Corporation has launched a line of couplings and components for designing and building packaging equipment.

Flexicon’s newest TIP-TITE® model GG-0594 Drum Dumping System automatically rolls drums containing bulk material into position, dumps the material into downstream equipment and rolls empty drums out of the dumping station, allowing safe, high-capacity transfer from drums of all popular sizes weighing up to 340 kg.

Kason’s most recent launch of the model XO-B centrifugal sifter is followed by their newest launch, the MOB-DD-SS dual-drive CENTRI-SIFTER™ centrifugal sifter.

It all began with the simple, but controversial question: Which city has the best bagels: Was it New York, Toronto, or Montreal?

The wood-fired outdoor oven outside the Montgomery Inn Museum is a 19th century tool used to teach 21st century students.

Ksenia Penkina’s Mirror Cakes are, as the kids say, “internet famous.” Images of Penkina’s highly glossy, reflective cakes have gone viral on the internet, garnering over 400, 000 followers online and attention from celebrities such as George Takei to non-Hollywood cake lovers.

Sonia Mota, current co-owner of Vandal Doughnuts has an appreciation for the offbeat. The doughnut shop she co-owns with Nicole Tufts currently resides inside Gus’ Pub, a bar on Agricola street in Halifax.  “We knew from the get-go wherever we put our location, we wanted it to be a little different,” said Mota.

Sabine Veit won Deloitte’s Best Managed Business award for the second time earlier this year. Bäckerhaus Veit’s CEO spoke with Bakers Journal to share advice on making a small bakery a big success.

Huntsville, Ont., baker Lynda McLeod, the titular “Granny Lyn” of “Granny Lyn’s Kitchen” quit working in the pharmaceutical industry to bring joy to her clients and their pets. McLeod is most famous for her all natural, diabetic-friendly cookies that can be eaten by both dogs and humans. Her shareable, human-friendly dog biscuits are only among some of the treats offered at the Huntsville bakery.

Scott Chapin created the first CakeSafe delivery box 29 years ago for his wife Juli Chapin’s wedding cake business.

This year’s winner of the Jake the Baker Award knows about being given options and finding opportunities, and wants to share that advantage with those less fortunate.

In the words of Laura Aiken, former Bakers Journal editor: “The first and last editorials are so hard to write. It’s hard to say goodbye, but it’s also hard to say hello.” Having Laura’s kind support and mentorship means so much to me, particularly as this is my first issue.

Ventes Rudolph/Rudolph Sales is celebrating 100 years of supply service for bakeries; founded in 1918, the company shares its acumen as to what it takes for a company to reach a centenary.

Chef Anna Olson spoke on Monday, April 30 at the Bakery Showcase in Mississauga, On., touching upon a topic that stymies both students and professional bakers alike: How to launch a career in baking when the trends seesaw so wildly?

Prior to designing 3D piescrapers and celebrity pietraits, Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin, the creator of Pies Are Awesome, said she had never baked a day in her life.

Vegan baking is on the rise. If you are on the hunt for a yummy vegan cupcake recipe to offer your customers, try this sweet potato recipe from Kelly Childs and Erinn Weatherbie of Kelly’s Bake Shoppe in Burlington, Ont.

Toronto – Muskoka Brewery and Ace Bakery of Toronto teamed up to create bread recipes using three seasonal beers, Winterweiss, Shinnicked Stout and Harvest Ale, and offer classes on how to make them. The London Free Press reports. | READ MORE

Pizza New: A whole new era for the world’s favourite food, by chef Stefano Manfredi, looks at what happens when pizza is made using different stone-milled flours, various fermentation procedures and free of the strictures of tradition. It includes recipes for pizza rossa, pizza bianca, Roman pizza, and filled, fried and sweet pizzas such as the delicate dessert recipe below, “Pillow of dreams.”

These brownies were inspired from her chocolate bar that is infused with cherry fig black tea, as well as the chai brownie recipe in Raelene Gannon’s book tea from cup to plate, which was published in 2015.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Rhubarb Pie

Coconut Passion Fruit Domes

Pineapple Dream Bars

Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Banana Cookie

Chocolate Brioche

Birds Nest Cookies

Summer is a time where consumers desire healthy, refreshing and fun food and beverage options to enjoy with their friends and families. Here’s a perspective on satisfying summer flavour trends:

Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) have found that the cleanliness of restaurant employees is vital to customer perceptions of food safety, equally as important as a clean environment and hygienic food preparation.

Did you know that nine out of every ten bites of food we eat today start with a seed? Seeds are important in our food ecosystem. Seeds – specifically the ones often called “super seeds” such as chia, flax, pumpkin, hemp, sesame and sunflower seeds – are garnering a lot of attention in the North American baking world these days.

Aquafaba, the fancy, latinate term for “bean water,” is a cost-effective egg substitute that lends itself well to vegan and allergy-free pastry. Rebecca Coleman, the author of “Aquafabulous! 100 + Egg-Free Vegan Recipes Using Aquafaba,” was first introduced to this versatile ingredient through social media.

Inclusions and topping add flavour, colour, texture and elegant design elements to baked goods and desserts. Dried fruit, fresh fruit, a variety of nuts and candies are popular options. So, just how can bakers and pastry chefs use these items for product development and to enliven their menus?

Canada Day means celebrating the inclusion of many people into our country.

Bakers Journal interviewed biologist Dr. Wilhemina “Willy” Kalt after her appearance on the popular American television program, The Today Show.

Your physically demanding career means that you should treat your muscles like a professional athlete to avoid aches and pains.

There is just something magical about the summer fruit from the lush Niagara Region, in Ontario. It has inspired many bakers to make their very first pies. In fact, some have gone on to become professionals, with thriving businesses, using the techniques they have learned along the way to make perfect pies.

The range of plant-based ingredients continues to grow and nowhere is this more evident than in baking. From vegan cakes to better-for-you plant-based protein cookies, new and exciting products were exhibited at both the Winter Fancy Food Show (WFFS) and Natural Products Expo West in California this year.

Over the last decade, we’ve seen a significant rise in the demand for natural alternative sweeteners in the products we make, buy and consume. Some of these natural alternatives are well-known like honey and maple syrup, while others such as palm sugar and monk fruit, are less familiar to consumers.

 Marketing intelligence firm, Mintel stated that Ketogenic diets, or “Keto” diets have gone from niche to fad: But how can bakers appeal to this market?

Technology is bringing new opportunities and profitability to many sectors. It’s a driving force challenging the most established companies to modernize and to stay relevant. Compared to other industries, the food sector has been slow to adapt as brands continue to get away with misleading country of origin information, price fixing and erroneous labels.

Improving profitability is one of the first steps to expanding and growing your bakery. Many of these easy tips can be done quickly to immediately improve your bakery’s profitability and sales, and these ideas can be implemented with great ease.

Tri-Mach Group announced the opening of their new Western Division, based out of the Winnipeg area.

The first five weeks of the back-to-school period means an increase in sales for certain baked goods. Parents who stock up on lunchtime staples and snacks for their children buy more of a certain kind of treat in early autumn than any other time of year, including winter holidays.

The words you use in your bakery's social media account and your display case matter: Are you using "trigger words" that fire up your sales? Read on to find the words that consumers responded to the most when buying pastry.

Recreational marijuana will officially become legal in Canada on Oct. 17, 2018. Canada is only the second country in the world and the first G7 nation to implement legislation to permit a nationwide marijuana market. To the south, nine states and the District of Columbia now allow for recreational marijuana use, and 30 allow for medical use.

Readers of our book, Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals FOR DUMMIES will learn, in-part, that there is much more to commercial leasing than meets the eye! Before you even think of searching for commercial property to lease for your first bakery or another location to expand your operations, consider the following tips to help you get a better lease deal:

Competition is huge for small bakery owners. What can you do to stand out? You should ask yourself if your customers are happy.

On July 8 2018, 38 participants, some of them being Toronto’s most popular bakers and gifted amateurs both vied for the title of “Toronto’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie,” at Toronto’s first Chocolate Chip Cookie-off. Based on ticket sales alone, the event was estimated to raise over $50, 000. The final tally is closer to $120, 000.

Bakers today offer customers a medley of fresh, unprocessed and pastries, from breads and cakes to biscuits, muffins and pizza crusts. These experts know one key to their success is having a reliable commercial mixer that creates the highest-quality product possible. What they may not know is that choosing the right mixer is even more important—it’s as significant as selecting the perfect ingredients for the recipes themselves.

What’s the big idea?” asks a Looney Tunes cartoon character, in the face of a crackpot scheme or ridiculous situation. Even those of us who are not animated characters, “What’s the big idea?” is an incredulous response to the new and unfamiliar. We cringe or laugh at what we consider strange, but what if that strangeness is inspiration in disguise?

Back to School” is a deeply nostalgic term. It brings me back to the smell of new notebooks, fresh pens, and a chance to start anew. With this edition of Bakers Journal, students of all ages are learning something new, and with it, the olfactory memories of school supplies means the smell of something delicious in the oven.

Aurora, Ont. – The Canadian Food and Wine Institute at Niagara College will offer short-term and part-time training in culinary skills, commercial brewing and viticulture in Aurora, Ont.

Charlottetown – The Culinary Institute of Canada at Holland College in Charlottetown recently opened up its new facilities – which include a restaurant and cafeteria – to students after months of renovations. The Guardian reports. | READ MORE

With their semester coming to an end, students in the Advanced Baking and Pastry graduate certificate program at Durham College (DC) were put to their final test – create a Pop-up Bake Shop in which to package, market and sell their creative concoctions.

George Brown College's chef school held its annual gingerbread house competition on Tuesday, Nov. 29, with 23 entries vying for prizes.

Belgian pastry chef Mathieu Dierinck, a technical advisor to the Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Wieze, Belgium, made a stop at George Brown College in Toronto in late October to provide to demonstration to a crowd of industry professionals and students.

There is no language barrier when it comes to high-end patisserie.

On Thursday, May 12 Cacao Barry, in cooperation with George Brown College in Toronto, hosted a demonstration by chef Ramon Morato, an award-winning cookbook author and the global creative innovation leader with Cacao Barry, based at the Chocolate Academy training centre in Barcelona.

Customers are curious about what you do, how you do it, and how they can execute some of your tricks of the trade at home. Just look at the programming line up on Food Network Canada, the abundance of food and drink magazines lining the checkouts at your local grocery store, and the buffet of websites, blogs and social media accounts catering to self-proclaimed “foodies.”

Three creative star chefs and Cacao Barry chocolate proved an irresistible combination for students of George Brown College’s baking program.

To borrow from Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changing, and nowhere is that more evident than in the baking and pastry programs across the country. And the students are changing, too.