Bread hits the Poundland culture!!
Walking through my local shopping centre today I noticed a new store . . . . PoundBakery. I was somewhat aghast !
At a time when we are still struggling to educate the general public about what "real bread" is and why a product made with just flour, salt, yeast and water is inherently healthier, tastier and more satisfying than the crud churned out by "chorleywood" method supermaket baking laden as it is with ingredients running into the teens inc chemicals and 'E' numbers, I can but despair at this latest discount store approach to bakeries.
The Artisan Bread movement I think has been a difficult one. Most bakers I have spoken to are making meagre profits, some only doing it for a pastime rather than a business. Now we have discount bakeries hitting the high streets and shopping centres. What does this mean for the struggling artisan baker?
Here's an idea of what's on offer at PoundBakery as taken from their website:
Sausage/Bacon barms £1
Fresh sandwiches and filled barms £1
Freshly baked scones 4 for £1
White barms 8 for £1
Freshly baked loaves 2 for £1
I also saw Madeira cakes for £1.
At face value there is a world of difference in products here between this and an Artisan Bakery, but there was already a battle on between Artisan bakeries and supermarkets. It's a somewhat niche market appealing only to those who understand what a hand made loaf is all about and who are willing to pay a lot extra for a loaf.
Will the ever increasing number of "poundland" style discount stores simply create competition for supermarkets or will this now have an impact on the campaign to educate people towards real bread?
competition is good for everyone.
You can't compete with a machine.
So thats the lay of the land, adjust and beat them at their own game or lament.
The small scale baker can run rings around the bigger operations, the big guys can't easily change direction, they are locked into legacy methods. But they've done their homework and seen what sells.
Trying to do business with a hobbyist philosophy will lose in direct competition, so you're limited to a specialty customer base , margins are slim on the best days but it doesn't take a genius to see bread is the backbone of a sandwich. About 15 yrs ago there was a business survey that showed 70% of bakeries were selling sandwiches.
A $5 loaf easily makes $40 when converted to sandwiches and only needs cheap labor, it doesn't take a pastry chef to make a BLT.
heck, I buy their 2 for a quid bread and make sandwiches on it. Let them be the fool baking their loaves.