The week before last, without realising it, Bakeri Baltzersen's second birthday came and went. Starting and operating the bakery has been a total whirlwind from the very first bake just 10 days into the first lockdown of the Coronavirus pandemic up until now.
Expansion Plans
We are really pleased to announce that we have agreed terms with our landlord on the building adjacent to our current bakery site at Springfield Farm Business Park, so over the next 3 months we'll be fitting that space out and then joining the units together.
The new unit will mean we have more than double the space we have available now!
We are very grateful to have received financial support in terms of grants from Harrogate Borough Council and also the Product and Process Innovation Programme - a European Funded scheme to encourage job creation in the manufacturing industry. The project represents a £250,000 investment in equipment and preparation of the site. It will generate a significant number of jobs for the local economy.
New Products
The additional space will allow us to explore new products to begin producing with doughnuts, more flavoured breads, different types of rolls, other traditional bakes and lots more planned.
We'll be moving the other part of our bakery team, the smaller cakes and bakes element that still work out of the cafe, to the larger bakery too. This will allow us to produce those products on a larger scale too - so it could well be that these become available via the online shop too.
Work with us
We are in the process of hiring some new members of the team ahead of the opening but we know we'll need to recruit some more help in the coming months. The roles will broadly fit into two categories:
Bakers
We are always on the lookout for trained bakers who have already worked in the artisan bakery environment and who could step right into our team and start adding value to production. We know that trained bakers are in short supply so we also offer Trainee Baker positions where we're able to take someone with a keen interest in bread and pastry and teach you everything you need to know to be able to operate in a professional bakery environment.
We are trying to actively design the bakery environment and processes to make the shift patterns as attractive as we can. We want to offer the best work-life balance that is possible without compromising on the products we bake.
If you fit the mould for either of the roles above you can contact the bakery on info@bakeribaltzersen.co.uk.
Driver/Packers
An increase in the number of products baked means we'll have more to pack and deliver - as a result we'll be looking to add to our delivery team.
We primarily supply independent coffee shops, farm shops and delis. A lot of these outlets buy products that sell best in the morning like croissant and other pastries, so we need to make sure their deliveries arrive before they do. This means that our team have to start work from Midnight (or perhaps even earlier in future) to make sure all our vans are away in time to do their rounds.
Night work isn't for every one but we pay an hourly rate and then an additional 'Unsocial Hours' rate on top to reflect the inconvenience of the timings.
If you're interested you can get in touch with the bakery here info@bakeribaltzersen.co.uk.
Become a Partner
With all the new capacity we'll also be looking for new partners to supply our breads and pastries into. Our current plans are focused on a new delivery route that may include include Hebden Bridge, Halifax, Huddersfield, Wakefield and a few other stops en route depending on who is interested.
If you are based in these areas, or along our existing routes (Harrogate, Leeds, Ilkley, Wetherby, Otley) and might be interested in working with us then let us know.
You can register your interest here - we'd love to hear from you.