General News
15 November, 2024
Modern technology a saviour
In coping with their increasing output over the years, through wise investment in technology, the "Bow Bakery" team has been able to make a number of processes more efficient, but without at all compromising their dedication to meticulous hands-on attention to product quality.
Just one example of this is Mark's painstaking measuring and scalpel-like cutting of the
sausage roll pastry, both processes carried out with speed and deftness.
Where technology comes to his aid now is through the help of the $18,000 semi-automatic meat distributor whose computer- controlled nozzle determines the content measurement of the famed bakery pies.
Stuart comments that their best investment was the enormous dishwasher, though Mark
votes the ranks of teflon-coated bread-baking loaf tins high on his list.
The upgraded oven, expansive prover house, and a third dough-mixer are all additions from my last visit. The cute "Fortuna" bun-shaping machine is my personal pick of these acquisitions.
So how wide is the bakery's sales area? Well try the Woomelang Cafe, McPhersons at Brim, the Beulah convenience store, Lascelles hotel, Patchewollock store, Ouyen Servo and the Hopetoun Bow Bakery branch of course.
Footy/Netball clubs? Thunder, Sea Lake, Ouyen, Minyip-Murtoa, Pimpinio, Kalkee. Add the Jeparit and Rainbow supermarkets, Ouyen Harness Racing, Speed Field Days, Speed store, the Hopetoun, Ouyen and Rainbow Colleges, S.t Josephs, Rainbow Servo, Haydens Cafe, and the Rainbow/Jeparit and Hopetoun Hospitals contracts.
And let's not forget those five or so pie drives each year. Whew!
So how much raw material each week goes into the bakery? For this week that would be 20 dozen eggs, a ton of flour, 180 kilograms of mince and sausage meat, 50 kilograms of vegetables, 35 litres of cream, 20 kilograms of apples, 25 kilograms of shortbread plus other bits and pieces.
These quantities can tail off in summer, or significantly increase if the "Bow" has to supply a special event.
To share with the community the 50th milestone, the "Bow Bakery" is planning a special day on Friday November 15, so do drop by and perhaps even treat yourself to a favourite pie, piece of hedgehog, a pink biccie, matchstick, apple tart or eclair.
Congratulations indeed on half a century of sustained quality service to our community!
CONTRIBUTED BY Peter Ralph