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.

Dynaclear announces their new Dynaseal 4255 “One-Step” shrink wrap packaging machine.

Caneggs, a new provider of egg white powder has launched their pasteurized, spray-dried product in Canada.

Kason Corporation has introduced a new, quick-clean Centri-Sifter centrifugal sifter with a cantilevered shaft that offers a greater screening area and higher capacity than previous models offered by the company.

Solvay, a provider of vanillin and ethyl-vanillin ingredients, introduces its new naturally-sourced ingredient, Rhovanil® US NAT – to the U.S. market at IFT 2018.

Inspecting wet and conductive products has for many years presented bakers with a number of challenges. Fortress Technology’s Interceptor has achieved a new level of sensitivity by conquering "product effect."

Flexicon introduced its new Tip-Tite® Drum Dumper with integral flexible screw conveyor. It allows volumetric feeding of bulk material from drums into downstream processes free of dust.

Gelatine manufacturer, Rousselot, plans to showcase its clean label gelatine solutions at this year’s IFT 2018 in Chicago.

Dynaclear added a new scale system to their portfolio.

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.

After nearly seven years as the editor of Bakers Journal, I have moved to a different group within the magazine’s parent company. Naomi Szeben, a passionate home baker and experienced journalist and researcher, will be taking the reins.

One word to describe Eric Ho, owner of Bakery Sate in Vancouver, is courageous. After leaving a successful career as an engineer, Ho enrolled at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts to study  baking and pastry. Then, without ever having actually worked in the food industry, he launched his own bakery and built it into a success.

The word celebration is often associated with the word cake. The two are simultaneously linked. There are celebration cakes for graduations, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, birthdays and more.

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

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.

Once, it would have been unthinkable to create baked goods without eggs or dairy. As  diets continue to change, so do the variety of available products. Some customers seek out vegan baked goods because of allergies. For others, it’s because they simply don’t eat anything from animals.

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?

When bad hiring happens, everyone suffers. Finding the right person for a position is part art and part science. Follow these ten steps to get the right candidate for your business.

In the wake of the Hardie sexual misconduct scandal and the #MeToo movement, people in the food industry need to learn how to foster a positive workplace culture to strengthen their business.

Finding a space for your small bakery operation is one thing, but leasing a commercial retail bakery space will be one of your biggest operating expenses. Dozens of details could go wrong. It involves more than finding the perfect business location and signing an affordable lease; it will take careful planning, great negotiating skills, and proper budgeting to find a suitable place that will meet your needs.

There are a number of motivators to go into your own business. From offering a better solution to discovering a passion while traveling, the entrepreneurial journey has become a sexy endeavour. However, it takes a plan, vision and hard work to create a profitable business from scratch.

As we emphasize in our new book, Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals for Dummies, the leasingprocess is not a simple task. Considering the number of steps involved and potential hurdles you may face, property planning and allowing for ample time can save you aggravation and - more importantly – money.  

A web presence will give your bakery business great online visibility, which in turn will enable customers to find you easily. Your new website is an effective marketing tool and will help generate awareness, exposure and extend your bakery brand. Your website should allow you to showcase your specialties, menu and services. As a busy independent baker, you may not have a lot of time left for marketing and promotion, but it is a necessary task if you want to keep your business going and expand your customer base.

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.

April 27, 2015, Ottawa -- Though most Canadians don't like to admit to essential skills deficiencies, a new report from the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) suggests that individuals stand to earn more by investing in upgrading skills such as numeracy and problem-solving.

Dec. 11, 2014, Ottawa -- With 91 per cent of educators convinced skilled tradespeople will always be in demand, there is a strong case for connecting students to hands-on activities and accurate employment data, suggests a report released yesterday by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA).