freshfiles

A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

~ Material provided by Bob Cobbledick

Background
Over the years, on-farm marketers have seen amazing
growth in the importance of baked goods in their on-farm
markets overall gross sales. One Farm Fresh survey of members found, on average, 33% of their gross sales were from
bakery sales. It was down around 20% for the larger, more
diverse markets, and up to 50+% for markets that were less
diversied and had a scratch bakery.
This means that if you have a market with a bakery
grossing $100,000 a year, approximately 33% or $33,300 of
the markets gross sales could be from the bakery. In other
words, in theory, that market without a bakery would gross
$66,700.
Another way to look at it is that if you had a market
with $66,700 in gross sales without a bakery, you should be
able to turn that market into one grossing $100,000 a year
by adding a bakery. When you look at it that way, a bakery
could increase your gross sales by 50%. There arent many
product lines you can add to a market that will increase sales
that dramatically. It wont happen overnight, but if you have
great quality baked goods and the more unique products

Display Case

On-Farm BAKERY
the better you should be able to see that 50% increase in gross
sales within 3-5 years.
Notice quality and unique are in italics. Simply throwing
in a bakery isnt going to do it. You need to nd someone who
loves working in a bakery and is a stickler for detail, in order to
produce a consistently high-quality, safe product. Unique-ness is
that special something you do that makes your product dierent from everyone elses, so the customer has to come back to
your farm if they want more. The other ingredient to success is
consistency: the customer has to nd the same great quality
every time they buy your product.

Pricing
An important part of the bakery decision to give thought to
is pricing. What is the best price? Do I have to be competitive
with a neighbouring on-farm market? How do I decide on a
price? To tackle this question, consider setting the retail price
using margin rather than mark-up. Lets start by dening
margin vs. mark-up.
You will often hear marketers say that they
try to double their price on baked goods. What
they are doing is putting a 100% mark-up over
their cost on baked goods: for example, if they
bought a frozen pie from a supplier for $3.50
and put a 100% mark-up over that cost, they
would sell it for ($3.50 + $3.50 =) $7.00.
To arrive at the same retail price, but using
the margin system, you would say that you
want the pie to be 50% of the selling price and
your margin to be the other 50%. So if the pies
cost = $3.50 and that represents 50% (0.5) of
the selling price, then the selling price is $3.50
0.5 = $7.00 (50% margin + 50% cost =
100% of selling price). You always divide the
cost of the pie ($3.50) by the amount that cost
represents of the selling price.
Continued on page 2

905-841-9278

OntarioFarmFresh.com

info@ontariofarmfresh.com

Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association (OFFMA) | 2002 Vandorf Sideroad | Aurora Ontario L4G 7B9 CANADA
TEL. 905-841-9278 | FAX 905-726-3369| E-MAIL info@ontariofarmfresh.com

On-Farm BAKERY page 2

A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association
EXAMPLE #2

What if you want your margin to be 60%? That means

the cost of the $3.50 pie represents only 40% of the selling
price. (60% + 40% = 100%). So to get a margin of 60%,
you divide $3.50 by 0.4 = $8.75
EXAMPLE #3

And if you wanted a 70% margin, the $3.50 cost of

the pie only represents 30% of the selling price. So to arrive
at a margin of 70%, you divide $3.50 by 0.3 = $11.67
Thus, you always divide the cost of the pie ($3.50)
by the percent of the retail price that the pies wholesale
cost represents.
In our last example, the cost of the pie represented only
30% of the selling price:
Selling price = $11.67 (100%)
Cost of pie

= - 3.50 (30%)

Margin

= $ 8.17 (70% of the selling price)

It looks so much easier just to multiply your cost by 2

if you want to double your price (add 100% markup), but
the problem with using mark-up is that you cant use that
100% mark-up to analyze how your bakery business is
doing.
But there are a number of things you can do if you set
your selling price using the margin method. If you know
that your margin is 50% of your selling price, then at the
end of the season, you can look back at your bakery sales
and review what happened:

Unless you use the margin system, you wouldnt be able to

examine any of these possibilities as to why you didnt get your
50% margin.
Admittedly, calculating margin has one more step than
using the mark-up system (you have to gure out what % of the
selling price is the cost of the pie), and you divide rather than
multiply to calculate the retail price of the pie. But once you
establish the margin you want, you dont have to calculate that
extra step again. More importantly, when it comes to analyzing
your business, it is well worth that one little added step.
To get full value out of the margin system, you should
calculate what it really costs you to operate the bakery (labour,
utilities, supplies, etc.). An easy place to start is to calculate the
cost of operating your total market (labour, utilities, loan
payments, repairs, and so on); then add them up at year-end and
calculate the percent of your expenses compared to your gross
sales. If your expenses total 40% of your gross sales, you will
quickly see that you will need a margin of more than 40% to
make a prot.
EXAMPLE
Gross sales in entire market $100,000
Cost of goods sold
$ 60,000
Gross Profit

$ 40,000 ($40,000 $100,000 = 0.4 =

40%)

Gross sales in bakery $33,300 (100%)

Overall Market Expenses:

Labour
Utilities
Loan payment
Supplies and repairs
Insurance, taxes etc. etc.

$ 18,000
$ 5,000
$ 7,000
$ 5,000
$ 5,000

Cost of pies sold

- 20,000

Total expenses

$ 40,000

$13,300 (40%)

Expenses as % gross sales

40%
($40,000 by $100,000 = 0.4 = 40%)

Gross Profit

In a perfect world, your gross prot and margin should

be the same but they never turn out that way. In this case,
you set a margin of 50% but the gross prot was only 40%
($13,300 $33,300 = 0.4 = 40%).
You think: I priced the bakery to give me a margin of
50% what happened to the other 10%?
- Did you have to throw out any pies because they burned?
- Did you drop any trays of pies coming out of the oven?
- Did you give away any pies?
- Did you put pies on special over a couple of weekends?
- Did customers/employees lch any pies?
- Did an employee mistakenly punch in $0.70 rather than
$7.00 possibly when selling pies to their friends?
- Did the company delivering the pies short your order,
and no one counted the cases when they arrived?
- Do you have frozen uncooked pies still in the freezer
(inventory), at the end of the season)?

In the example above, the market only broke even, because

their expenses were 40% of gross sales and gross prot was only
large enough to cover expenses, leaving no prot. By using the
margin system to price their products, they would see that they
need to raise margin to possibly 50% to meet their prot goals.
Price-setting by margin is a very valuable tool for analyzing
your business. The same analysis can be done on any individual
department within your market (gifts, preserves, produce, etc.).
You just need to gure out your cost of goods sold in that
department, and then estimate how much of the overall market
expenses should be allocated to that department.
Calculating the cost of a pie made from scratch
You might be saying, thats ne if you are buying frozen
pies, but how do I gure out my cost if Im making my pies from
scratch?
Continued on page 3

page 3

On-Farm BAKERY
A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

One practical approach is to get together your bakery

sta (even if they are family members) and spend two days
making pies. On the rst day, you make sure everyone
knows what they are to do, how to do it eciently, where
everything is stored, and in general, iron out any kinks.
Then do an inventory of all ingredients (weight of fruit to be
used, our, sugar, shortening, etc.) and materials, such as
the number of pie plates, pie boxes and such.
The next day:
(1) Record the time your crew starts and nishes (including
clean-up time) = 8 hours
(2) Record the number of pies the crew made over the day =
175 pies
(3) Consult your inventory to establish what was used
(ingredients by weight; materials by number)
(4) Calculate the cost of the ingredients, pie plate and box =
$300
(5) Assume everyone was paid a wage (including family
members)
Therefore:
3 people x 8 hrs. x $14/hr. (includes benets) = $336
You also should put in a value for the cost of the bakery
building itself:
(1) What did the building or renovation cost?
(2) What did the new or used equipment cost?
These two expenses should be amortized over 5 years. Take
total cost and go to this website to calculate payments:
http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/cgi-bin/personalloans/payment/
calc.cgi/start

(3) Consider monthly payments = $500 x 12 months =

$6,000
(4) If you estimate that you can sell 6,000 pies, then add $1
to each pie to cover building and equipment.
In general, utility costs, repairs, supplies etc. are fairly
low compared to the other costs. You can calculate it or
simply add 10% onto the total pie cost.
EXAMPLE
Labour
Ingredients

$336
$200

Subtotal

$536

$536 170 pies = $3.15/pie

Cost of loans
$1.00/pie ($6,000 6000 pies)
Subtotal
$4.15
Utilities, repairs, etc. $0.42 (10% of $4.15 = $0.42)
Total

$4.57

If you want a margin of 60%, then $4.57 represents

40% of the selling price: selling price = $4.57 0.4 =
$11.43. Suggested retail could therefore be $10.95, $11.50
or $11.95.

Important Regulations Affecting Bakeries

There are many applicable regulations, but those that most
directly aect your decision to set up a bakery are the ve listed
below. If you choose to establish a bakery, you are moving into a
whole new area with its own set of rules. Investigate these: (1)
Food Premises Regulation (FPR), part of the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA); (2) Building Code/Inspection; (3)
Public Works Department; (4) Electrical Safety Authority; (5)
Labelling Requirements.
(1) Food Premises Regulation (FPR)
The Ontario Health Protection & Promotion Act (HPPA) is
the parent document, covering the big picture. It sets up the
game plan, gives inspectors the power to inspect, denes the
penalties and covers everything from meat packers to municipal
pools. Here is a link to the HPPA:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90h07_e.htm

Within this overview, the government has established

regulations covering specic areas of concern. The regulation
covers, in great detail, what you must do to meet the legislations
intent or protect consumer health. For manufacturing and
selling food to the public, you must follow Food Premises R.R.O.
1990, Regulation 562 (FPR), which states the required number of
sinks, proper handling, food storage temperatures, hairnets,
washing and disinfection processes, etc. Here is a link to the FPR:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_900562_e.htm

The focus of the summary below is to give you a general

understanding of what the FPR covers and the larger expenses
you might have in order to comply with the regulation.
A practical way to gain familiarity with health rules and
food safety would be to take a Food Handlers Course. Over the
years, the OFFMA has oered several courses for their members.
If one is not scheduled at a time that is convenient for you,
contact your local health unit as an alternate. You can often
download the course manual from your local health unit,
making it a home study course.
If you do take the course, you are required to write an exam
and achieve a minimum of 70% to get your Food Handlers
Certicate. Here is a sample manual from Niagara Region:
http://niagararegion.ca/living/health_wellness/inspection/food-handlercourse-manual.aspx

The actual course work is in chapters 1-4. Chapter 5

answers questions, chapters 6-17 provide background on specic
topics. This material is fairly standard across Ontario (apart from
perhaps a few specic municipal by-laws). You can contact your
local health unit to see if they have their manual available online.
For Public Health Unit locations, see this website:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/contact/phu/phuloc_mn.html

Continued on page 4

On-Farm BAKERY page 4

A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

When you start up a bakery, you quickly realize that the

Public Health Inspector and you are going to become very
well-acquainted. Depending on the level of health risk
associated with your food products, the Public Health
Inspector will examine your facility at least once a year.
If you are not on municipal water, you also need to get
your water tested. The frequency of testing will depend on
the risk associated with your water: from once a month to
once every several months. Call your local health unit to
nd out their procedure and they will decide on frequency.
Some on-farm marketers have said that they actually
dont mind the inspection process, because although they
often remind their employees about proper food handling
procedures, their reminders are not always heeded. But a
Public Health Inspector carries more clout: they can close
your bakery and put employees out of work until the facility
meets the regulations. When an inspector informs sta that
something must be done, the message gets through.
It is interesting that Health Unit inspection reports for
restaurants and food establishments are increasingly being
made public. You can see these reports on many websites.
In the Niagara region, it is called Niagara Info-Dine; in
Toronto its called DineSafe. The inspection species the
infraction and also posts facilities which have been closed as
a result. Here is a website that gives you access to all the
health units that post their inspection reports all across
Canada:
http://www.healthinspections.ca/ontario.html

There are dierent levels of food safety concerns. You

are at less risk of jeopardizing a customers health when you
make jams, fruit pies, or breads (Non-Potentially Hazardous
Foods) than you are if you make products containing meat,
dairy or eggs, to which the Ministry of Health refers as
Potentially Hazardous Foods. The higher the risk, the more
critical the rules become. It might be a good idea to start
with food products that have less risk until your system is
working smoothly, then consider expanding your product
line.
The Ontario Ministry of Health wrote and got the
HPPA and the FPR passed in Ontarios legislature, yet the
regulations are enforced by your local municipal/regional
Public Health Department, also called the local Health
Unit. It is also important to realize that each municipality or
region might interpret certain sections of these regulations
slightly dierently; just because a farm business in another
part of Ontario has permission for a certain action, it doesnt
mean that your Public Health Department will allow it.
Highlights of the Food Premises Regulation appear below.

It is the law that regulates all bakeries and food processing and
retailing bakery/restaurant facilities in Ontario.
This summary also contains two lists of Potentially Hazardous and Potentially Non-Hazardous foods that were copied
from Common Approaches for Farmers Markets & Special Events:
A Guide for Public Health Units. This document exempts farmers
markets from several regulations within the FPR, if greater than
50% of the vendors in the farmers market are farmers selling
primarily products from their own farm. On-farm markets do
not qualify for this exemption.
This summary is only highlights from the FPR, focusing on
aspects that have the greatest nancial impact on your decision
to set up a bakery. The full document can be found online at:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_900562_e.htm

Common Approaches for Farmers Markets & Special Events is

on the Farmers Markets Ontario website at:
http://www.farmersmarketsontario.com/DocMgmt/Food%20Safety/Health
%20Unit%20Guidelines/ASPHIO%20Guidelines%20Final%20Oct%202
0%202006.pdf

You should read the entire Ontario Food Premises Regulation

before you meet with the Public Health Department. It will give
you a more complete picture of what you will need to do to meet
their requirements; youll also have a better idea of questions to
ask them.
Food Premises Regulation: S UMMA RY
Explanations of Some Key Terms
Corrosion-resistant materials Sanitation is very important, so surfaces that come into contact with food (pans, table
tops, equipment) must be made of a corrosion-resistant material.
In most cases, this means stainless steel, but in some cases, vinyl
and wood are permitted as cutting surfaces but if they
develop grooves, disinfection is dicult. You are likely better o
nding a used stainless steel product than using a material that
can get scored by knives and then cant pass inspection.
Organism A general term that refers to any form of life
that is capable of eating, growing and usually reproducing.
Common examples of organisms of concern in food preparation
are: fungi, bacteria, viruses, yeasts and moulds.
Pathogenic organisms are those that can cause disease.
The most dangerous group of pathogenic organisms are bacteria,
occasionally in the news, such as strains of Salmonella, E. coli,
Listeria, Staphylococcus, Clostridium and Bacillus.
Toxins Some bacteria produce toxins (poisons) that can
cause sickness or death in humans, so it is not just the organism
that is of concern; it could be the toxin produced by the bacteria.
Most organisms cant grow below 4C, so refrigeration is critical
with some bakery products. Heat can usually kill an organism,
Continued on page 5

page 5

On-Farm BAKERY
A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

but it may have no eect on some toxins. Most bacteria are

primarily a problem with products that contain protein,
such as meat, sh, poultry, eggs. For a good summary of
Bacterial Food Poisoning, view:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/poison.html

Hazardous Foods Any food that is capable of

supporting the growth of pathogenic organisms or supporting toxin production. There are 2 categories:
(1) Potentially Hazardous Foods Any food that
consists in whole or in part of milk or milk products, eggs,
meat, poultry, sh (including shellsh, mollusc, crustacean),
or any other ingredients, in a form capable of supporting
growth of infectious and/or toxin-producing microorganisms. This does not include foods with a pH level of
4.6 or below and foods which have a water activity of 0.85
or less.
EXAMPLES

Antipasto
Beans (Processed: baked, refried, bean salad)
Cabbage rolls
Cakes or pastries (with whipped cream, cheese or cream
llings)
Canned products (containing meat, vegetables, soups,
sauces, cheese)
Chop suey
Corn (creamed)
Dairy products (milk, cream cheese, yogurt, etc.)
Eggs (foods containing eggs as ingredients, e.g. custards,
salads)
*Eggs: fresh shell eggs (even if washed, graded, whole,
uncracked and refrigerated)
Fish & shellsh
Garlic spreads, oils
Guacamole
Herb oils and avoured oils
Hummus
Juices (fruit, vegetable)
Meat (fresh or processed, including canned, cured and
sausages)
Perogies
Pesto
Salsa
Tofu
Vegetables: canned with low acid (pH 4.6 beans, asparagus,
beets, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, etc.)
*NOTE Eggs: You must not use ungraded, or Grade C
eggs in food preparation. Using graded eggs is a requirement of egg marketing regulations.

Water activity is a term in both lists of foods, above and

below; it refers to the amount of water in a food that is available
to be used by microorganisms. Microorganisms need water to
grow. Water activity can be reduced by the addition of salt, sugar
and several other ingredients. Jam is a moist food but the large
amounts of sugar it contains means only a small amount of the
jams water can be used by microorganisms. Water activity is
not something you can determine, but local health units have
equipment that can calculate water activity. If they are concerned
about the safety of any of your food products, they can take a
sample to determine water activity.
(2) Non-Potentially Hazardous Foods Any food that
does not support the growth or production of disease causing
microorganisms or the production of toxins, including foods
with a pH level of 4.6 or below and water activity of 0.85 or less.
EXAMPLES

Apple sauce
Brownies
Bread and buns (no dairy or cheese llings)
Butter tarts
Cakes (icing sugar only; no whipped cream)
Candy (hard)
Cereal products (dry)
Chocolate
Cinnamon buns
Cookies
Fruits (fresh or dried)
Fudge
Honey
Jams and jellies
Maple syrup
Muns
Noodles (dry)
Pickles
Pies (fruit)
Pastry
Popcorn
Relish
Rice crispy cake
Toee
Vegetables (fresh)
Vinegar (wine and herb)
Pre-Packaged Foods Food that is packaged at an
inspected premise other than the premises at which it is oered
for sale. Refers to pop, bottled water, frozen confections that are
in their original wrapper.
Exempted from Ontario Health Protection and Promotion
Act are premises selling:
Continued on page 6

On-Farm BAKERY page 6

A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

- Pre-packaged foods and or hot beverages (e.g. coee, tea,

mulled cider)
- Popped corn, roasted nuts, french fries
- Farmers selling their own honey, maple syrup, fresh fruits,
vegetables, grains
- Farmers market food vendors where 51% of the vendors
are farmers.
Even though these are exempt, these people must only
use single-service utensils and have packaged towelettes for
sta hygiene.
SA N ITATION
Sanitize means using an antimicrobial disinfectant
- Walls, oors, passageways must be made of a disinfectable
material (tight, smooth, non-absorbent) and kept repaired.
- Surfaces on which food is prepared, processed, displayed
and stored must be made of a disinfectable material: usually
stainless steel, but plastic and some kinds of wood are
permitted if they are maintained smooth enough to avoid
grooves that could hide micro-organisms.
- Equipment and utensils that come in contact with food
must be corrosion-resistant, non-toxic and easily cleaned
and sanitized at the end of each day they are used
- You need a commercial dishwasher or 3-compartment
sink, [(1) wash (using detergent), (2) rinse - in 43C water
or higher, (3) rinse in a disinfectant. The third sink for disinfecting must be big enough to submerge bakery utensils
(e.g. cookie sheets) for 45 seconds in either hot water
(77C+) or a sanitizing agent (24C+). Must have a test
reagent to determine concentration of sanitizing agent and a
thermometer to test the temperature in the third sink (with
the sanitizing solution).
- If equipment or utensils are too big to submerge; wash,
rinse with water (82C+) and use a sanitizing agent at
double the strength on the products directions.
- Drainage racks not hand-drying.
Minimum Requirements for a Bakery
- Sucient potable (drinkable, tested) water for all the
bakerys needs.
- Hot and cold pressurized water.
- 3 sinks (wash, rinse, disinfect) possible exemption from
third sink.
- 4th sink, for sta use only, to wash hands (hot and cold
water, soap, paper towels, etc.) in bakerys preparation area.
- Sucient refrigeration space to store all perishable and
hazardous foods. The food must be up o the oor.

- Leak-proof garbage containers with tight lids to keep out

insects, rodents, animal pests.
- Washroom(s) cleaned and sanitized daily and kept in good
repair, with hot and cold running water, for sta use only. Sta
must wash their hands after each visit.
- Free of all animals (pets, rodents, birds, etc.).
- Screened windows and doors, to prevent insects entering.
- Wear headgear to conne hair; clean outer garments.
- Sta should not work in the bakery if they have an infectious
disease that could be spread to the food.
Minimum Requirements for Display Area
- Food must be protected from contamination (in a closed
container or cabinet or shields or shelves).
- Hazardous foods (e.g. containing meat, dairy, eggs) must be in
an enclosed display case, held at 4C or less.
When Using MEAT in Baking:
Sanitation, Temperatures & Records are VERY Critical
- Link to Ministry of Health Internal Cooking Temperature chart:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/foodsafe/foodhandl.html#table

- Products containing hazardous foods, if frozen, must be frozen,

held and displayed at -18C or lower.
- Products containing hazardous foods that are not frozen (e.g.
meat), must be stored either below 4C or above 60C to prevent
microbial growth.
- Must maintain and store records of the kinds of meats, names
and addresses of suppliers, weights and dates you received each
one.
- If someone else made (processed) the meat product for you,
you must have a tag that identies the processing plant.
- Animals must be inspected and stamped by an authorized
provincial or federal inspector before slaughter. There are exceptions where uninspected meat can be used. See Sections 40-41 of
the Act.
- Animals must be slaughtered in a provincially or federally
inspected abattoir.
Before you start construction/renovation, there are two
government agencies you should talk to because it is always
easier, more ecient and less costly to do the job right the rst
time, rather than having to make major changes after you
thought the job was completed.
In some cases, on-farm markets have had their bakeries shut
down by the health inspector in mid-season, because the inspector had no prior knowledge of their kitchen and upon rst visit,
discovered that the bakery did not meet the regulations. You
dont need that kind of stress especially in mid-season!
Continued on page 7

page 7

On-Farm BAKERY
A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

You can do lots of research, but before you hammer in

that rst nail, you need to talk to:
- Public Health Department (Local Health Unit)
- Municipal Building Inspector found in the blue pages
of the Bell telephone book. Look up Inspections, then
under that heading: Building Code Inspections. You can
also call your local town administration oce.
Potable Water
Your local Health Unit will also want to test the quality
of your water. Water quality is crucial. If you are using a
well, you will be required to take water samples and track
bacterial content of your water. It costs about $65/test if you
do it yourself. Some markets have a service collect and
submit the sample.
You can also get a water purication system installed.
The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
oer background information, but they will then advise you
to contact your local Public Health Unit or a water treatment professional.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/watersafe/watersafe
_wellwater.html

(2) Building Code/Inspection

The Building Code consits of a two-volume binder, not
available online. One building inspector listed these main concerns:
- Permits required to build or renovate for a bakery.
- Exhaust hoods required over equipment that cooks meat or
deep-fried items, to collect grease vapours. Must include a re
protection system installed in the hood.
- Gas-operated equipment (e.g. oven).
- Plumbing.
- Floor drains with a grease/oil interceptor in the drain pipe
leading to the septic system.
(3) Public Works Department
- Septic systems are the responsibility of the Public Works
Department, with authority over both holding tanks and septic
systems. A permit is required for either system.
(4) Electricity
- Electrical inspection is the responsibility of the Electrical Safety
Authority, who issue the permit and conduct the required
inspection. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.esasafe.com/

B A K E -OF F V S . FRO M - SCR ATCH B A K ERY

What equipment you need depends on what you plan to oer.
The rst question to answer is: Do I want a bake-o? or a from-scratch bakery? There are advantages to each.

BAKE-OFF BAKERY

FROM-SCRATCH BAKERY

Less labour and less skilled labour

Able to produce unique products

~ your competition wont have the same products

Easier to maintain consistent quality

Easier and quicker to generate volume production
Bakery requires less space (fewer jobs, less equipment)
Easier to track profit margins

Some markets operate a combination of the two,

making a couple of signature products such as butter tarts
and apple loaf from scratch, and the rest of their products
are bake-o. There is no right or wrong to these two
systems: it is entirely a matter of personal preference based
on market competition, available space for a bakery and
available skilled or trainable labour.
Be advised, however, that if your goal is to operate a
from-scratch bakery, that is how you should start. Its not
advisable to build up clientele with one type of product and
then switch. You would be better to start o small, with just
a couple of from-scratch products and then grow your oerings, as your bakery team gets more comfortable with the
operation.

Can choose to allow customers to view the from-scratch

preparation
Able to charge a premium price

Which Products to Oer

The typical on-farm market would oer pies, tarts,
cookies, muns, squares and Danishes (listed in priority).
Fewer on-farm markets oer cakes and bread-type
products. Breads and rolls require special equipment if you
are making your own. Breads also need quick turnover: if
you conduct your business mostly on weekends, your waste
in bread products could be too high to make it protable. If
you decide to go into breads from scratch, you will need a
prover/proofer. Some bakeries who buy frozen dough have a
retarder room in which to let the dough thaw overnight
before proong. You can buy a commercial Retarder
Prover (-5C to +3C retarding and 38C to 40C proong).
Continued on page 8

On-Farm BAKERY page 8

A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Also consider a bread slicer:

http://www.aaacommercialproducts.com/breadslicers.html#anchor1

Once you have a bakery/kitchen, you will soon look for

other ways to utilize it. Some suggestions are:
- Jams and jellies
- Fudge
- Pickles, relishes, chutneys
- Food service If you bake pies, some marketers say,
Why not oer a slice of pie and ice cream? Just keep in
mind that if you have seating, you must provide public
washrooms, separate from the bakery sta washroom(s).

Here are three sites oering an overview of the dierent

kinds of equipment available for your bakery kitchen:
http://www.aaacommercialproducts.com/Home.html (Ohio)
http://www.bid-on-equipment.com/5200.htm (Illinois)
http://www.doyon.qc.ca/index.php (Qubec)
Types of Ovens
There are several dierent types of ovens to choose from.
Some farm-markets start out with used kitchen stoves, but these
have their limitations; most soon advance to a convection oven
or multiple convection ovens before moving to a deck
oven or rack oven.

COM PA RISO N O F OVEN T YPES

OVEN

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

Kitchen stove

Inexpensive

Uneven heat
Limited capacity
Slower cooking

Convection oven (electrical)

No. of racks (levels in oven) 2, 3, 4 or 5

Capacity - 4 pies/rack
Doesnt require exhaust hood
Available in double-decker (2 ovens, 1 above the other);
efficient space
Some used units available

More expensive to operate than gas

Can have electrical surges
More difficult to have even heat

Convection (gas or propane)

Same advantages as with electrical, but gas is better

if you have limited electricity
More even heat
Cheaper to operate than electrical
Many used units available

Requires an exhaust hood

Pizza oven

Bakes from the bottom

Inexpensive
Capacity 16 pies (on 4 trays)
Many used units available

Cant see into oven when in use

Deck oven

Cooks so many at a time that many

Much greater capacity: 100+ pies at a time in some
cooling racks are needed
Can easily add or remove product by halting rotating deck
Slower than convection oven
Some have steam attachment for breads
May have hot spots that cook pies
faster in one area than another

Rack oven

Ideal for large-volume markets

Some have steam attachment for breads

Designed to work with a whole rack

of the same product

Continued on page 9

page 9

On-Farm BAKERY
A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

C H E S T F R E E ZER VS. WA LK - IN FR EEZER

There are a number of markets that have a row of chest freezers lined up against a wall. That may be the easiest
and cheapest way to start, but you should design your bakery with a walk-in freezer in mind, because if your
business builds successfully, you will nd that a walk-in freezer is very handy. Several farm-market operations
have improved energy-eciency by positioning their freezer inside their cooler; you can use the heat from the
compressors to help heat your building.

CHEST FREEZERS

WALK-IN FREEZERS

Cheaper in the beginning, but they take up a lot of floor

space as the need for more freezers increases

Easier to find things; easier product rotation

Much more expensive to operate (each has a compressor)

Only one compressor, so you need to have fast, reliable

repair service

Rotation of product is more difficult

More expensive to purchase

Inconvenient when the product you want is on the bottom

Some prefab modular units enable you to enlarge the

freezer as your business grows

Hard on staffs backs

Better air circulation; products freeze faster

If space is limited, some units can be placed outside

Equipment
The list below focuses on the equipment that a typical
on-farm market would have. Equipment comes in so many
sizes. Many on-farm marketers, being eternal optimists, say
to buy bigger than you think youll need, so you have room
for growth in demand but dont go crazy: there is so
much used equipment out there that you can usually nd a
larger size as your business grows.
In a from-scratch bakery, make sure you have lots of
counter space. The most common countertop is stainless
steel; for rolling dough, some prefer a wood surface because
the dough doesnt stick. Wood surfaces can support bacterial
growth, therefore they must be kept smooth, for eective
cleaning and disinfection.
Another issue to consider before you go shopping is
electricity. It was mentioned earlier that one advantage of
using gas or propane is that gas frees up some electrical
demand, if you have limited electricity. It should also be said
that there are two common kinds of motors: single-phase

and 3-phase. (Some farms do not have access to 3-phase

power.) Three-phase motors have advantages over singlephase motors: eciency, reliability, simplicity, lighter weight
and lower cost. Since commercial equipment is often
designed assuming access to 3-phase power, do check what
electrical service is available to you at your farm and what it
would cost if you chose to upgrade to 3-phase power.
There is also the option of changing to a single-phase
motor on some equipment, but this isnt always possible. To
learn more about equipment that converts single-phase power
to 3-phase power, here is an informative article about three
dierent converters:
http://www.finewoodworking.com/pages/w00126.asp

For more detail, check this link:

http://www.3phasepower.org/3phaseloadson1phasepower.htm

There is a newer, fourth option called Digital Phase

converters, whose base model is currently around $3,000:
http://www.phaseperfect.com/

FROM-SCRATCH & BAKE-OFF EQUIPMENT

Cooling Racks Used to cool product after it is removed from the oven. You may want covers to prevent drying of some products.
Dishwasher This can be a labour-saver, plus it can also disinfect everything it cleans.
Microwave Handy for small jobs such as melting butter, etc.
Overwrap Machine Speeds up wrapping of muffins, cookies, etc. on disposable trays.
Printer for Labels Refer to Label Regulations for specific label requirement.
Scale For measuring recipe ingredients rather than using volume recipes. For weighing ingredients for CFIA label requirements (list
ingredients on your label in descending order by weight). Needed for Net Quantity on label.
Trays, Muffin Tins, Cake Pans, Loaf Pans Traditionally metal, but now available in silicone which doesnt stick; easier to clean.

Continued on page 10

On-Farm BAKERY page 10

A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

FROM-SCRATCH (only) BAKERY EQUIPMENT

Mixer 20-30-quart is usual size; do not buy a mixer with maximum 16-quart capacity (or less). A new Health & Safety regulation states that
you must not buy/use an older model that does not include a guard. Utensil options: pastry knife (for crumble toppings, pastry, biscuit mixes);
dough hook (for breads); beater bar (for cake batters); whipper(for pumpkin and pecan pie fillings). Mixers can also be used to prepare cookie
dough, custards, meringues, butter tart filling, muffin mix, etc.
Peelers (Apple) These save time and labour, and there are many to choose from: some hand-crank, others mechanized. As your production
increases, labour-saving peelers offer speed and efficiency. Some different makes and models:
(1)Paderno peeler http://www.cookware.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-49834-00-WCS1975.html
(2) Pease apple peelers http://www.fbpease.net/products.cfm
(3) Kronen peeler http://www.kronen.eu/product_browser.php?g=1041&ID-APP=6153c606f00b6eb6bf174ffbd2384ac3&ID-APP=
6153c606f00b6eb6bf174ffbd2384ac3&ID-APP=6153c606f00b6eb6bf174ffbd2384ac3
(4) Feuma peeler (go to minute 3:15 on video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHOt9x6lF5U&NR=1
(5) Nextag compares a variety of apple peelers http://www.nextag.com/apple-peeler/products-html
Sheeter A labour-saving device for rolling out top and bottom pie crusts; 20 - 30 qt. is common. Makes pastry thickness consistent. (Some
people feel hand-rolled is better, but try a few pies from different markets made with a sheeter before you dismiss them.) Sheeters can also be
used for rolling cookie dough, gingerbread, shortbread, dumplings, pizza dough, etc.
(1) Quebec source http://www.doyon.qc.ca/index.php
Pie Press Rather than a sheeter, some prefer a pie press, which presses a measured volume of dough and forms it into a pie crust, right in
the aluminum pie plate. Comtec pie press videos showing how different models work: http://www.comtecindustriesltd.com/VideoDemo.html
Proofer Required if you make bread products from scratch.
(1) Overview of types available in the U.S. http://www.aaacommercialproducts.com/proofers.html
(2) Qubec http://www.doyon.qc.ca/html/en/products/index.php
Steam Jacketed Kettle These can be handy for making sauces, pie fillings, chutneys, fudge, red candy coating for candy apples, caramel
apple coating, soups but their major use at farm markets is for making preserves. If you plan to expand your operation to offer preserves,
consider a steam jacketed kettle:
(1) http://www.ehow.com/about_5809974_history-steam_jacketed-kettle.html
(2) Good site to compare used prices http://www.bid-on-equipment.com/6520.htm
(3) Calico-source of everything fudge http://calicofudge.com/makingfudge.html

The preceding lists do not include display cases, but when you are out looking at equipment keep an eye out for
attractive preferably lighted display cases. Its important to produce a great product, but just as importantly, you
must protect it, and display it attractively and eectively.

NOTE:

Sources of Bakery Equipment

When starting out, consider used equipment sources to
save on start-up costs. Here are sources of new and used
equipment frequently used by on-farm marketers, and there
are many more sources to be found on the Internet. It is said
that 80% of restaurants fail; if that is true, that means there
is a lot of used equipment out there.
Bakery Machinery.net Full line of new and used
equipment. P.O. Box 78011, Taunton Postal Outlet, 784
Taunton Rd. East, Oshawa, Ont. L1H 7K5; tel. 416-8487292. Website: http://bakerymachinery.net
Benaco Auctions Auction every two weeks on Thursdays. 100 Ashwarren Rd., North York, Ont. M3J 2S6; tel.
416-667-0712; e-mail: contact@benacosales.com, sales@benaco
sales.com Web: http://benacosales.com/Auctions.htm

Butcher and Restaurant Equipment and Supplies (most

often mentioned by on-farm marketers) Full line of new
and used equipment and refrigeration. Martin, Theresa &
Michael Van Sloun, 60 Prince Charles Rd., R.R.#8, Brantford, Ont. N3T 5M1; tel. 519-759-8175, 800-667-0515;
fax 519-759-5785; e-mail sales@butcherandrestaurant.com
Web: http://www.butcherandrestaurant.com/products.asp?CID=50
Canada Food Equipment Reportedly the largest
showroom in Canada, 150,000 sq. ft. selling new and refurbished equipment. Showroom at 45 Vansco Rd., Etobicoke,
Ont. M8Z 5Z8; tel. 416-253-5100, 800-263-0920
Web: http://www.canadafood.ca/
Cinelli Esperia Bakery equipment, proofers, manufacture ovens. 380 Chrislea Rd., Woodbridge, Ont. Tel. 905850-1800 Web: www.gcinelli-esperia.com
Continued on page 11

page 11

On-Farm BAKERY
A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

DBE Food Equipment Inc. Manufacture and sale of

used ovens, proofers, mixers, etc. 310 Rayette Rd., Concord, Ont. L4K 2G5; tel. 905-738-0353; fax 905-738-7585
Web: http://www.dbe-vsi.com (second location in Montral)
Global Bakery and Food Equipment Co. Suppliers of
spiral mixers, deck ovens, mobile bakeries, custom-designed
production equipment for buns, rolls, bagels, pitas, tortillas
and specialty breads. 249 Watline Ave., Mississauga, Ont.
L4Z 1P3; tel. 888-925-6644; fax 905-568-2024 Web:
http://www.globalbakery.com

National Equipment Liquidators Wide variety of

bakery equipment. 467 Speers Rd., Unit 10-11 Oakville,
Ont. L6K 3S4; tel. 905-978-2063; fax 905-815-8246 Web:
http://www.neliquidators.ca/product_list.php?category=1

New World Panel Manufacture painted steel insulated

panels with a smooth disinfectable surface. Panels used by
on-farm marketers who build or reline their own cooler or
freezer. 59 Hillyard St., Hamilton, Ont. L8L 6B3; tel. 289286-1732; fax 289-286-1734 Sales: Shelley Colonna, e-mail
shelley@newworldpanel.com; cell 905-512-3107 Web:
http://newworldpanel.com/

Papas New & Used Food Equipment Restaurant

equipment and supplies. 2867 Dundas St., London, Ont.
N5V 5B5; tel. 519-659-4644
QBD Cooling Systems Manufacture and sell refrigeration equipment (prefabricated coolers, freezers, refrigerated
display cases) and components. 31 Bramsteele Rd., Brampton, Ont. L6W 3K6; tel. 905-459-0709, 800-663-3005
Web: http://www.qbd.com/
Surplus Refrigeration Buy, sell and trade refrigeration,
air conditioning, food store equipment, bakery, butcher,
deli, restaurants, compressors, chillers, condensers, HVAC.
1469 Taunton Rd. West, Pickering, Ont. L1V 2P8; tel.
905-686-3411, 800-563-7684; fax 905-428-1969; e-mail
info@surplus.on.ca Web: http://www.surplus.on.ca/main.htm
Sources of Bakery Supplies
Flanagan Food Service Inc. There are similar companies, but many marketers deal with Flanagans who oer
customers and potential customers a choice of three annual
food shows to attend each spring. Supplier of almost anything
a bakery needs; at their show, you can meet suppliers, taste
products, view bakery equipment. From-scratch bakery
ingredients, bake-o products (frozen dough, pre-proofer,
par-baked), mixes, packaging (pie boxes), foil items (pie
plates), cleaning/disinfecting products, bakery equipment,
etc. Distributers for Chudleighs, Apple Valley, Sarseld and

Toronto Bakery & Food Equipment Buy and sell

used bakery equipment such as mixers, ovens, proofers,
sheeters, dividers and other items used by small-to-large
bakeries. 112 Snidercroft Rd., Unit 1, Concord, Ont. L4K
2K1; tel. 905-660-5319; fax 905-660-4537; e-mail
internetsales@torontobakery.com Web: http://torontobakery.com/
Other Sources of Bakery Equipment
Bakers Journal Check out their buyers guide and
classieds: http://www.bakersjournal.com/
Baking Association of Canada Hosting large trade
show of 200 exhibitors: meet equipment and food product
suppliers servicing the bakery industry. 7895 Tranmere Dr.,
Suite 202, Mississauga, Ont. L5S 1V9; e-mail info@baking.ca
Web: http://www.bakingassoccanada.com/bakeryshowcase/bakery
showcase.html

Unique Sources of Equipment

Nextag a price comparison website where shoppers nd
side-by-side comparisons of the latest prices on new equipment, including tax and shipping, from a wide variety of
sellers. They also provide information about sellers to help
shoppers decide where to order from. Nextag does not sell
anything directly; they simply provide a service for equipment merchants to list their products for sale on the website.
If you decide to purchase a product, you contact the
merchant directly by clicking on the merchants logo or the
Go to Store button. A link one bakery equipment list:
http://www.nextag.com/Bakery-equipment/products-html

http://kijiji.ca a website that allows people to list items

or services to buy or sell. Select your closest city from the
My Location drop-down menu in the upper right corner.
Type Bakery Equipment on the search line or click Business, Industrial in the Buy and Sell section.

Chef Pierre pies. They have 3 distribution locations listed on

their website: Kitchener, Owen Sound, Sudbury. Web:
http://www.flanagan.ca/home/

Lockwood Manufacturing Baking pans, trays, racks;

also clean and recoat baking pans, etc. 84 Easton Rd.,
Brantford, Ont. N3P 1J5; tel. 519-756-2800, 800-2658445; fax 519-756-1541; e-mail sales@lockwoodmfg.ca Web:
www.lockwoodmfg.ca

Rich Products Corporation Canada (also called Richs)

Full line of bakery products, some basic ingredients, many
nished products and several stages of breads from frozen
Continued on page 12

On-Farm BAKERY page 12

A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

dough to fully baked. 12 Hagey Ave., Fort Erie, Ont. L2A

1W3; tel. 905-871-2605
Stonetown Supply Services Bakery supplies, pie
boxes, foils, liners, plastic clam shells, bags, coee cups,
cleaning supplies. Locations:(1) St. Marys - tel.519-2844141; fax 519-284-0303 (2) Ingersoll - tel. 519-485-1815;
fax 519-485-1084; e-mail stonetownsupply@quadro.net Web:
http://stonetownsupply.ca/products.html#food

Summit Food Service Distributors (Similar to

Flanagans, but their website does not list their product lines)
Locations: (1) head oce, 580 Industrial Rd. London, Ont.
N5V 1V1; tel. 800-265-9267; fax 519-453-5148 (2) 6270

Pest Control
Pest control is very critical in a bakery. Often the most
common pest to control is mice, but three others that can be
a nuisance are ies, fruit ies and yellowjackets.
With all four pests, eliminating entry points, preventing access to their food source and trapping are all elements
of good control; this includes storing products (the pests
food source) in enclosed locations; storing some products in
the fridge and others in cupboards. Another very important
goal is to keep the bakery itself very clean.
Keep garbage in tight containers; empty and clean
these containers often. In all cases with pests, it is important
to be diligent. A good general website for background information is: http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/info.htm
Mice Populations can get out of hand very quickly.
You need only imagine what the Health Inspector will do if
mouse droppings are found in your bakery.
The rst step is to build the bakery tight enough so
rodents cant get in; make sure that doors and windows t
tightly: mice only need a 3/8 hole to get in. Reportedly,
they are able to walk up an 8-ft. high panel wall, can jump
one foot in the air and down six feet without hurting themselves. They also dont move far from their nest (if theres
enough food in that range), so it is important to have lots of
traps in place. It is important to control and prevent
mice on the premises, as one pair of mice can multiply to a
population of 500 within a year.
http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/rodent/index.html is a
good source of basic knowledge on rodents and how they
live within a building, which is helpful in deciding where to
place traps. The company doesnt ship to Canada, but their
information is good. In Ontario, you can use bait traps,
mouse stations and sticky traps, but you cannot use poisons

Kenway Dr., Mississauga, Ont. L5T 2N3; tel. 800-2659267; fax 519-453-5148 (same as above) (3) 100 Legacy
Rd., Ottawa, Ont. K1G 5T8; tel. 800-267-9610; fax 613737-4678 Web: http://www.summitfoods.com/home.html
Dawn Food Products 75 Vickers Rd., Etobicoke, Ont.
M9B 6B6; tel. 416-297-2697 Web: www.dawnfoods.com
Ontario Farm Source of Partially Processed Fruit for
Baking - Cherry Lane Oer frozen fruit, mostly IQF,
some frozen in sugar syrup. (1) Ontario: apricots, cherries
(sweet, tart), peaches (freestone, clingstone); (2) Nova
Scotia: blueberries; (3) Outside Canada: blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries

inside the bakery; http://www.micetoronto.com/ shows some of

the products available in Ontario.
Flying Insects house ies, fruit ies and yellowjackets
are frequent pests.
Most ying insects are attracted to light or bait (food).
Bug zappers can be used in a bakery, but they cannot be
above food preparation areas. Some people use banana,
vinegar or ripe melon pieces to attract fruit ies into a jar
covered with cellophane that has holes poked into it. A site
with other suggestions:
http://www.creativehomemaking.com/cleaning/fruit-flies.shtml

There are bait traps for yellowjackets at most hardware

stores.Keep the bait traps outside, but near the bakery (you
dont want the bait to spill into food or onto preparation
surfaces).
Some marketers hire a pest control company to take
care of all their pest problems. If you choose this option,
here is an association of pest control companies that should
be able to help. Just click on a city and a list of pest control
member companies that service your area will appear.
http://www.spmao.ca/findadealer/citylist.php

Material provided by Bob Cobbledick with

special thanks for their generous help in the
preparation of this FRESHfile:
Sharon & Ernie Muzylowsky, Apple Land Country, Thorndale
Doug Dinley, Harvest Barn, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Dave Inksetter, Inksetter Farms, Ancaster
Colleen & Walter Pingle, Pingles Farm Market, Hampton
Laura Hughes & Jesse Lauzon, Springridge Farm, Milton

Continued on page 13

page 13

On-Farm BAKERY
A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

B A K ERY L AYO UT
This is one approach to creating a bakery layout:
Decide what baked goods you want to oer.
Go and look at the equipment you would need to make
those products; take measurements.
Using graph paper (with scale marked on it), cut out paper
replicas of the footprint of each piece of equipment (mixer,
oven, 4 sinks, hot water heater, cooling racks, etc.), using
the same scale as the graph paper. This way, you can try
dierent locations for the equipment, moving the replica
pieces to nd the best arrangement. Keep in mind that
many pieces of equipment such as ovens dont t right
up ush with the wall; leave a reasonable distance for air
movement and gas/electrical service.
Consider the work ow, from basic ingredients (our,
fruit) through preparation, to oven, to cooling racks to
packaging to display. Aim to minimize trac congestion
(sta crossing paths with other sta). Provide for aisles of a
generous size, remembering that sta might be working in
the same aisle as the one in which you need to convey a
cooling rack. In the oor plan on the following page, main
aisles are 5 feet wide to handle high trac; 4 feet wide in
lower-trac areas. If you expect to handle ingredients and
canning jars on skids, leave room for a pallet jack to
manoeuvre.
For eciency of movement, in small kitchens where only
one or two sta members do everything, remember the
kitchen triangle, keeping the fridge (cold room/freezer),
oven and sink in close proximity; this arrangement is not as
critical when your operation expands to larger capacity.
Once you settle on a design, allow for adequate counter
space and storage; leave room for expansion. In future, you
may need more than one oven, or you may get a mixer,
commercial dishwasher, sheeter or steam-jacketed kettle.
Incorporate an island into your kitchen design; because it
can be accessed from all sides, it adds considerable workspace.
Leave room for a walk-in cooler/freezer that can also be
accessed from the prep area for ingredient deliveries. You
may decide that chest freezers are more economical to start
with, but create a oor plan that allows for future installation of a walk-in freezer.
You will need a lot of storage (ingredients, pie boxes, utensils, pots and pans, cleaning products, etc.) NOTE: in the
bakery oor plan below, cleaning products are not stored in
the bakery. They must be stored outside the bakery.
Include plenty of electrical outlets.

Here are a few layouts from the internet:

TMB Baking is a company out of San Francisco,
California. This link is an interesting bakery diagram. Click
on any of the items in the diagram and the site will display
several dierent kinds of ovens or mixers or other equipment, describing the dierent types and benets of each.
http://www.tmbbaking.com/bakerydesign.html

All About Bakery Equipment is a company in

Australia. Its Floor Plan Example 1 is marked with areas A,
B and C on the diagram; below Floor Plan Example 1 are
three more pictures showing what A, B and C look like from
a dierent angle.
http://allaboutbakery.com.au/Floor-Plan-Design-pg7681.htmlhttp:
//allaboutbakery.com.au/Floor-Plan-Design-pg7681.html

EV Studio has a bakery with a sit-down eating area:

http://evstudio.info/new-floor-plan-for-bakery/

Here is some explanation of the diagram of a bakery

layout on the following page:
This is for a from-scratch bakery. If you are planning on
a bake-o bakery, you can eliminate some equipment and
its corresponding space; but even a bake-o bakery may
eventually want to make a couple of signature products.
Make sure you leave room for expansion.
The oor plan has a walk-in freezer, inside the cold
storage. You could use chest freezers in the cooler or in the
prep area, but it is advisable to leave room to add a walk-in
freezer at your next expansion. The cooler can be accessed
from both the prep area and the bakery.
The room beside the freezer is for storage of cleaning
products and cases of products (jam jars, etc.). Note that the
washroom does not open into the bakery; check your local
building code for requirements. The Ontario Food Premises
Regulation requires separate washrooms for men and
women, but if your bakery size is small, they may permit a
single washroom.
This room could also house refrigeration compressors
from the cooler and freezer: advantageous because waste
heat from the compressors could be used to heat the bakery.
(This would be benecial only if you operate in the cooler
months of the year.)
There is also a door leading from the receiving/prep
area into the bakery for bringing in jars, ingredients, etc. It
would be helpful to make the aisle inside the bakery wide
enough to handle a pallet jack with a skid on it, to reduce
handling of large deliveries when your business expands.
Continued on page 14

On-Farm BAKERY page 14

A series of practical farm management guides compiled by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Note that there are four sinks: three for cleaning

bakery utensils, trays and pans, plus a separate one for sta
to wash their hands.
There is a separate room for bulk storage of ingredients
such as our. One market provided such a room in their
bakery and said it made it much easier to reduce our dust
in their bakery which, in turn, made clean-up faster.
Having windows enables customers to see into the
bakery, adding credibility that you are involved in preparation but people dont need to see the clean-up area, so it
is recommended a solid wall be erected between the long
counter with the 3 sinks and 2 ovens and the cooling racks,
to eectively block the clean-up area from view.
SHELVING



SHELVING

SHELVING

Bulk Storage
(flour)

Compressors, cleaners,
cases of jars, aluminum

Washroom

SHELVING

Dishwasher

COUNTER WITH SHELVING SINK

ABOVE & BELOW

SINK

SINK

1 HAND SINK

Oven

Oven
Mixer

Cooling Racks



RECEIVING & PREPARATION AREA

FOR RETAIL MARKET

ONE POSSIBLE FLOOR PLAN

for a
FROM-SCRATCH BAKERY



3 SINKS FOR CLEAN-UP;

COUNTERS WITH SHELVING

COUNTER WITH SHELVING

ABOVE & BELOW



COOLER



SHELVING

Freezer
SHELVING



SHELVING

Storage space is always at a premium, so consider

having storage shelves above and below all counters.
Most from-scratch bakeries dont start with a sheeter;
some may opt for a pastry press, or roll all dough by hand
but before you dismiss sheeters because you think they make
pastry too tough, be sure to visit a couple of farm marketers
who use them; also test their product. Sheeters can produce
good pastry and they save a lot of labour. In the diagram, the
sheeter is at one end of a long table. You could have the table
on lockable casters, for easy relocation against the wall when
not in use.
Inside measurements of the bakery illustrated below
(not including the cold storage and freezer) are 38 ft. x 29 ft.

Retail Area

Work
Table



Window

Work
Table

ABOVE & BELOW

SHEETER OR PASTRY PRESS

SINK

Pastry Press
Window

TO RETAIL BAKERY DISPLAYS