What Does It Take to Set up a Bakery?

When you pop into your supermarket or corner boulangeries, do you ever stop to think about how much effort, time, expertise and money went into that loaf that you are about to buy? Setting up a bakery is more than a profession, it is a calling, writes Andre Erasmus.

Bakers are passionate, particular and perfectionist. They have to be, you cannot guess measurements when baking. It is a precise art. Before looking for a job at a restaurant, bakeshop or specialty shop, it is best to get some decent training – like at a baking school.
A certificate or degree will prove to employers that a want-to-be baker already has the skills to make breads, pastries and desserts.
However, getting that all-important piece of paper takes dedication and costs money –tuition fees, books and supplies, and living expenses are all required.
In the United States, for example, the costs of funding an associate degree in a baking school can range from about USD 10,000 to more than USD 40,000 a year, while a bachelor’s degree program can total anywhere from USD 35,000 to more than USD 100,000 a year.
That is just for starters. Next comes the strange working hours. A baker needs to be on duty and baking bread while most of the world is still asleep. This is why your breakfast bread smells fresh when you pop in at around 7am to buy it.
Then, if you want to succeed as a baker, you need to have an eye for detail and measurements.
The ingredients for baked goods need to be precisely measured so that they come out and taste the way that they should.
So, this job is physically demanding and a baker needs to be fit and healthy to be able to do the tasks well.
You also need to be business savvy if you are operating your own bakery.
Baking equipment is not cheap. From the mixer through to the proofers and ovens, the bill will be large and it might take some time to get a return on the investment.
Remember, too, that this equipment is made by professional craftsmen who know what a baker needs. They will be or can be tailor-made to suit the purpose and bakery.
The location for the bakery also needs to be carefully checked out, too.
You will need a room that is airy and suitable to your needs, with ample power and ventilation.
Ideally, if you are aiming for artisanal work, you need to be where the public are – and this will add to the costs.
Then, it is not only word of mouth that will make your bakery a success, you will need to advertise and be noticed.
Bakery is a big business. In the UK alone, the Federation of Bakers represents the interests of the nation’s largest baking companies who manufacture sliced and wrapped bread, bakery snacks and other bread products.
It is a GBP 3.5 billion industry at retail sales value, employing over 20,000 people supplying the majority of the nation’s bread.
Similar national unions or associations can be found in most countries in Europe and internationally – all representing their bakers, whether they are industrial conglomerates or the individual artisanal baker.
So, when you buy that loaf or delicate croissant, spare a thought for the person who made it. They are the real stars.