06/16/2017
Dear Friends, Remember me? I'm still baking (of course) for Open Arms of Minnesota, a non-profit that delivers free meals to individuals with a life threatening illness. But I'm also still sampling bakery items from other bakeries, and I got to say something about a recent bakery visit - Bellecour, in Wayzata. Sure I read the unbelievable glowing review by none other than Dara Moskowitz, who once upon a time called me a delusional baker, so out I went to the suburbs.
Chocolate Croissants? BLAH.
I"ll be brief: take a lot of money, I mean loads and loads of money to build out a bakery RETAIL SPACE to appeal to your target market: other people in the 1% category (who may or may not know anything about baking), so you've got to make it extra extra beautiful and special, AND IT IS AN AMAZING INTERIOR. Would be worthy of a post in Elle Decor, my favorite magazine. And then, well, you don't really need to build a bakery- bakery production space because that cost too much money, therefore, double up on the restaurant - kitchen production area , which means let your baker have about 2 square feet of counter space and a steam oven, and the kitchen at 2 AM when your restaurant is closed, and let them have at it. Bake away!!! Or at least bake enough product to look good in your display case. And don't get any flour any where, because that's messy. Similar set ups at Birchwood and so on. My point is this is a facade of a bakery, not worth the drive, with really a very few items for sale - a vanity if you will for the restaurant owner and all the people who just want to say I went to this place, Did I mention it felt the same way when I did an interview for Buchon Bakery in California (French Laundry). No bread was worth eating or interesting enough for the community to buy, all was a souvenir for tourist and that was the way they liked it. Sell a product that is made by the suffering of the bakers, in tiny spaces, because your market doesn't care really about the product, just the "experience" and "prestige" of being in Wayzata.
The guy fixing my mixer at Open Arms told me that a bakery equipment company in Germany gives all employees the months of July and December off from work. What are the benefits on Craigslist for bakers across Minneapolis? work from 2 AM to 10 AM, be a master bread baker, know how to laminate dough, be creative, make an amazing product, bring new ideas to share with customers, and know how to bake with no equipment...... Well, if you wonder why the bread is so bad, here are a few ideas!
all the best dear friends and bread lovers
