The term, “being schooled” used to be an old-fashioned way of saying getting some education. Nowadays, being “schooled” connotes a correction, or changing someone’s mind through extreme embarrassment.
Last month, I got “schooled.” I incorrectly referred to Dawn Foods’ Sweetest Bakery as a charity, but was lucky to be most graciously set right by Ken Weir, the Senior Marketing Consultant at Dawn Foods. As a result, I would like to publish a clarification: Dawn foods Sweetest Bakery in Canada Contest was described incorrectly as a charitable award. Although last year’s winner, Dooher’s Bakery is known for their humanitarian donations, the Sweetest Bakery Contest is a consumer-based award, generated by client’s votes.
I re-learned a valuable lesson in checking the sources and verifying the facts. Back to Communications and Journalism school for me: I got “schooled,” albeit very kindly by Mr. Weir.
Speaking of going back to school: The first sign of autumn is not the nip in the air, nor the foliage’s slow turn to gold. It’s marked by the tsunami of “back to school” ads, flyers and pop-ups that appear on TV, my mailbox and computer screen, respectively. It heralds the promise of change that a new school year will bring. I sometimes miss new challenges, going back to class and turning the page on the former year and being given a fresh start to learn anew.
Becoming a popular bakery is every baking student’s dream. From being the person who made the best cookie, cake or Instagram-worthy cupcake to owning a bakery is a giant leap. The first step in that leap is choosing the right path, and that always starts with learning. In this issue, future Sweetest Bakery award winners will find out which courses will prepare them best for their journey in the food industry.
Fledging bakers dream of running a popular shop, where all the locals know them, and the phone rings off the hook. Their Instagram posts spark international trends and celebrities make calls personally to place orders from them. Reality is a different experience for bakers, and the one stepping stone that sets an amateur baker apart from a well-trained and disciplined professional is hard work. Trends may come and go, but once the basics are embraced, there is no limit to what can be achieved by a Master Baker.
The love of the craft and the love of the finished product are not the only things that are needed: The loyalty of customers and the trust in their local communities work together to create your fan base and your customers loyalty. Quality is not enough to keep a bakery afloat, and Bakers Journal wants to keep you informed on breaking baking industry news, innovative trends and the movers-and-shakers who are changing the hospitality, restaurant and catering worlds. With each issue, we aim to keep readers engaged with not only Canadian talent, but the gifted people south of the border who have traveled, sampled and experimented with new techniques and ingredients. We hope you take some time to read the profiles of innovative chefs, like Charley Scruggs. Where some chefs see a weed, Scruggs sees an unusual topping and ingredient for cake. In this issue, you’ll learn about how to make sure your new business won’t fail, how to create loyal customers and when to make the judgment on letting “problem clients” go.
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