Baking & Snack - November 2023 - 24

BAKERY EXPRESS
Cookie dough is wire
cut before passing
through a nitrogen
tunnel freezer.
ucts, and getting those set up and ready, " Mr. Borsh said.
There are few manufacturers producing such a wide
array of products and at such a high volume as Bakery
Express. To make it all work, the company keeps production
flexible.
For example, the bakery hasn't committed to tunnel
ovens, allowing it to move quickly between products.
This is especially beneficial on days when the bakery
must do multiple runs of the same product to meet the
shipping times of its fresh customers.
" Flexibility has lent itself extremely well to our success, "
he said. " We can fit anything in where we need
to fit it in, and if we can't, we just make the day longer,
work at night, whatever we have to do. "
At the same time, Bakery Express knows when to
make those critical investments in automation to boost
its capacity. The bakery is currently installing a frozen
donut line, complete with a spiral freezer, proofer and
packaging system to meet growing demand and maximize
labor savings.
" We needed that line just to keep up with what we anticipate
volume to be, " Mr. Reade explained. " And to make
it make sense over time, we had to get labor out of it. "
Mr. Borsh noted that if the company believes any
product to have high growth potential, it invests.
" It kind of turns into 'If you have a hunch, bet a
bunch,' " he said.
Bakery Express has the added benefit of a flat leadership
team that often quickly comes to an agreement on
which customers to take on and where to invest.
" We really put our heads together and ask, 'Does this
make sense? Is this the right thing to do?' " Mr. Reade
said. " And if the answer is yes, then we find a way to make
it happen. "
" Finding a way " is the backbone of Bakery Express'
culture. Whether a fresh or frozen customer, if Bakery
Express says it can ship, it does.
" Culturally, it's a big commitment to do business that
When Bakery Express moved its operation to Halethorpe,
Md., Steve Borsh, chief executive officer, knew the bakery
would need to provide a place for its employees to eat.
" We're in an industrial park, and there's nothing really
around us [to eat], " he explained. " So we said, 'If we're going
to do it, let's build a really nice café.' "
The company soon opened the Bakery Express Café,
offering sandwiches, wings, salads, donuts and more, as well
as custom cakes and wedding cakes. Business was slow at
first, Mr. Borsh noted, but the café soon grew into a bustling
lunch spot for the community.
" The local businesses around here and the local folks are
great, " he said. " It took some time, but it's turned into a nice
business. "
Bakery Express strives to give back to the community
through the café as well, hosting events around the holidays
and donating donuts to an estimated 1,000 people a week.
" The café has always been a really integral part of what we
do communitywise, " Mr. Borsh said. " We donate to support
the community because they support us. "
24 Baking & Snack November 2023 / www.bakingbusiness.com
way, " Mr. Borsh said. " And there are definitely times
where it's a loser. But we said we would do it, so we do it,
and figure if we do a great job, we'll get it back in the end. "
R&D with speed
Bakery Express' ability to produce such a variety of baked
goods is thanks in part to the skill and speed of its R&D team.
" R&D happens very quickly here, " Mr. Borsh said. " If
someone says I need such and such, we get to work on it. "
The Bakery Express Café, which is connected to the
commercial bakery, often doubles as a test kitchen for R&D.
" We have very talented bakers here who are really good if
you tell them what you're going for, " he explained. " They'll
get close on the first or second try. And then it's just tweaks
after that. "
The café is also a great gauge of which products will sell
for Bakery Express' customers. If a donut is flying off the
shelf in the café, there's a good chance it will in the convenience
or grocery store as well.
" We just put it out there and see what moves, " Mr. Borsh
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Baking & Snack - November 2023

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