There’s something magical about bakeries that soothes your mind, body and soul. The hypnotizing smell of freshly baked bread that swirls around your nose, the soft and fluffy beds of flavour that cradle your taste buds, the artfully presented pastries that fill your eyes, the cosy interior that reels you in… It’s no wonder bakeries are loved by everyone. Young, old, vegans, carnivores, no one can resist a flavoursome loaf.
If you know your way around the oven or this pandemic situation has you baking more than usual, you might be thinking about turning your hobby into a business. But how do you start a bakery in Australia? And more importantly what’s the secret to a fail proof bakery? Just like any other business, running a successful bakery takes a lot of planning, budgeting, researching etc. However, one thing a bakery doesn’t stand a chance without is commercial food equipment.
Importance of Commercial Food Machinery
While everyone’s worried about machines replacing human labour, bakers and machines coexist in perfect harmony. Why is that? Because having a few sweet recipes up your sleeve will only get you so far and your oven at home can’t compete with the state-of-the-art industrial food machinery available nowadays.
These food machines are specially designed to produce high-quality food and tackle large volumes of orders. And not only do they allow you to be fast, efficient and consistent, but they also do your hands, back and legs a favour.
Let’s face it, being a baker is tough work. You may find baking to be relaxing at home, but when it comes to a commercial setting, it’s far from sunshine and rainbows. Long hours, hectic schedules, physically hard work… if it weren’t for commercial food equipment, running a bakery would be a nightmare. Even if it wasn’t so physically draining, imagine how boring it would be to prepare the same pastries over and over and over again.
The only way to ease the manual labour pains and streamline the entire process from flour to savour is to turn to modern industrial food machinery. In terms of how far food production equipment has come, you’ll be amazed by the variety of food machines available nowadays.
From chocolate machines that turn bitter cocoa beans into chocolatey goodness to croissant processors that turn dough and butter into heavenly layers, there’s a machine for every bakery, patisserie or doughnut shop.
Back of the House Commercial Food Machinery
The back of the house of your bakery is where the magic happens. At least that’s what you’ll say to your customers because it’s cute and catchy. In reality, the back of the house is the backbone of your business. Without an efficient back of house set-up or poor choice of equipment, chances are you won’t be running a successful business. That’s why you need to get to know the high-tech baker’s helpers of today.
Ovens
The most important piece of food production equipment in your bakery is the oven. Depending on the goods you’re planning on producing you can choose from various sizes, types and features. If you’re just starting out your business, you can opt for a smaller 4 tray convection oven to test the waters and build your way up to professional 10 tray ovens. Or if you’re already running a high-volume operation, you can opt for a proofer/oven combo to enhance the production process.
When choosing a convection oven, you need to ensure that it offers superior performance and durability that can stand up to the rigours of commercial food production. Furthermore, you need to ensure that it has a compact and functional design so it’s easily accessible for your staff. If you’re looking for a convection oven for sale, place your trust in globally renowned brands such as Smeg, Salva or Venix.
Mixers
Then, no matter how big or small your production line is, you’re going to need a commercial mixer designed for daily heavy-duty use. Again, depending on what you’re planning on producing, you can choose from cake, dough and all-dough mixers. As the name suggests, cake mixers are used for thin and low-density batters whereas dough mixers are used for loaves, bagels, doughnuts etc. An all-dough mixer may be on the pricier side, but you can use it to mix and knead all types of dough.
If you’re looking to buy a commercial food mixer, have a look at the Escher MR Industrial Spiral machine. This mixer features heavy-duty construction and a premium drive system designed for intense use. What’s more, it’s perfect for all dough types, and can tackle heavy batter loads. In addition, it features two speeds with an automatic dial timer and it’s silent as a feather in the wind.
Fridges
The next thing you’ll need is a commercial fridge to keep all your ingredients fresh, safe and at arms reach. You can opt for a standard reach-in fridge to keep frequently used items easily accessible or a countertop fridge that doubles as a working surface. There are also specially designed refrigeration units called blast freezers which can be used to speed up the chilling process or to prevent bacterial contamination.
If you’re looking to buy a high-performance fridge, check out Gemm, the leading Italian manufacturer of high-quality commercial refrigeration equipment. Gemm’s offers modern and innovative solutions known for their reliability and efficiency. It doesn’t matter if you need an upright fridge, counter or blast chiller, Gemm has a solution for every bakery and patisserie.
Other Equipment
If your budget allows it, you can also automate other steps in the production process with dough dividers, moulders, rounders, sheeters etc. Apart from the machinery, you’ll also need tables and racks. A quality baker’s table is essential for preparation and dough handling whereas the racks are needed for proofing and storing baked goods while they cool.
Front of the House Displays to Show Off Your Hard Work
Once the freshly baked goods are cool enough to be shared with the rest of the world, it’s time to move them to the front of the house. Now this step may not seem so important, but it’s key to attract more customers, so execute it wisely. No one can resist an artfully presented mix of pastries begging to be picked up.
An aromatic loaf of bread or a fluffy croissant needs no introduction, so let your mouth-watering creations do all the talking by placing them in a sophisticated display case. You can choose from refrigerated and non-refrigerated versions depending on the types of goods you’re planning on storing inside. Moreover, you can opt for a back-access display case or an open vitrine which allows customer access.
With that being said, you now have a better understanding of the technology behind every successful bakery. Ready to put your baking skills and secret recipes to the test? Why not visit a test kitchen where you can get first-hand experience with the machines and get your hands dirty?
