Feature -- by Mark Sproxton

This month, nextSteps caught up with two bakers, one who now works as plant manager for a large pie making manufacturer, the other who works in a small, specialized bakery. Here are their stories:

Plant manager has to know every job

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Filling the air with a high pitched squeaking everyone in the pie-making factory knows what's coming. The two-armed pie assembly machine will start moving in seconds. One arm will take the pie top up one side of the machine while the other arm takes the pie bottom along the other to be loaded with a fruit filling. The two pie pieces will eventually come together and be automatically loaded to a "completion table" at the end of the line ready for the next step of the process. This happens thousands of times a day.

Large ovens cook dozens of pies at a time.

Plant manager Mike Tynan keeps a careful eye on production to help the workers be as effective as possible and steps in if he sees problems ahead. "The key is preventative maintenance," he said. "You want to see something before it happens and fix it." But the production process is only one aspect of his work. Tynan must also ensure the ingredients required to make 14 different kinds of pies are in the manufacturing plant and ready to go.

To keep on top of the supplies, which includes buying strawberries from California, raisins from Turkey or dough from Ontario, Tynan is in constant contact with commodity brokers. These commodity brokers keep in touch with those selling the fruit, dough etc. The brokers inform Tynan of the price of the items and he buys them as needed at the best price possible. "My key role is forecasting what to do in what time frame," Tynan said. "Everything is labour intensive. I look at things I can make on that machine without increasing labour costs."

Learning the business and job from the ground up, Tynan has over 30 years experience in food manufacturing. He first started in the pizza business then moved into loading trucks at a bakery before getting into the baking side of the industry. After showing a strong aptitude for baking, he completed the commercial baking program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Then his career took a twist when moved to a new baking facility. "I used to be a lead hand, I could do anything in the bakery," Tynan explained. Despite his experience the new employer put him in the back doing entry-level work. Not satisfied, Tynan walked down the street to Watson Pies and asked if they needed a baker. "He said no but we're looking for a dishwasher. I needed a job. A baker quit and two weeks later I was a baker. Nine months later I was the head baker. I liked it so much I bought it (the company)."

That was 1984. Over the years Tynan, whose wife Susan and their family also became heavily involved in the pie-making work, did every job in the plant including developing recipes, dealing with staff, purchasing ingredients, finding buyers for his pies, delivering pies, troubleshooting equipment and baking. Tynan sold the facility to Weston Bakeries but remained on staff as plant manager.

One key element to commercial baking, and is the case for all types of food manufacturing, is health and safety. Tynan must also ensure everything in the plant is done to meet strict health codes. Those employees working on the production line will spend approximately three hours of an eight-hour shift cleaning and washing equipment ensuring everything is spotless before the next round of production begins.

Tynan said there are many key skills required to work as a plant manager in food manufacturing but the most important is: "You've got learn how to do everything." His words of wisdom for anyone considering a career in commercial baking or as a plant manager: "My father told me 40 years ago people always have to eat. And nothing has changed. You reap what you sew. If you're a hard worker you'll be justly rewarded."

Home baker turned hobby into career

Carefully measuring the flour and pouring it into an awaiting bowl, the baker begins the creative process. Each ingredient is perfectly gauged and the baking time exact. A bakery and baker's reputation rely upon creating consistently delicious products for the customer. Nothing can be left to chance.

A chocolate raspberry ganache is but one delicacy made at the bakery where Norfolk works.

"You need to be patient and you need to be able to follow instructions," explains Jennifer Norfolk, a baker at Brulée Patisserie. "Follow directions and do what the recipe says... if you don't, it won't work." With five years experience working as a baker in addition to years of baking at home, Norfolk now finds treasures instead of disasters in the oven.

And working in a small bakery specializing in desserts, she's also able to see exactly how the people buying the baking react to each treat. "I certainly like the creative aspect a lot," she said of the baking process. "I like having the interaction with the customers and seeing what they like. With this being a small place you do a little of everything, customer service, baking... everything. Sometimes that can be the thing I don't like about it."

Norfolk, however, hasn't regretted one day since making a big turn in her career direction and becoming a baker. "(Baking) was a hobby. It was one of those things where I had been working in a completely different industry. I moved out here and thought it was time to try this. Thankfully, it worked out." She completed the commercial baking program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, worked part-time in a couple of bakeries and continued to bake at home while going to school.

Formal schooling taught Norfolk much about baking. "What they teach you in school ends up being a bit different when you have to apply it to a day-to-day job," she said. The long-time baker also had a work experience component of her schooling at a large local commercial bakery full of huge state-of-the-art machines and lots of people, but Norfolk realized she preferred the smaller bakery.

Working at Brulée for five years, Norfolk spends her time floating between duties. As there is no bread baked at this bakery, neither Norfolk or any of the other bakers begin work at 3 a.m. as they do in other bakeries. She will typically start her day doing customer service work by taking phone orders before moving into the back to do some baking and then moving on to checking inventory. As the business is small, the bakers follow their goods from start to finish. "We do all our own dishes because we don't have a designated dishwasher," she said.

In that regard, working as a baker is similar to baking at home. But there are differences. "The time frame is different because you're always working on some deadline where at home it is self-designating. You're thinking more ahead here and doing forward planning." Norfolk works 40 hours a week Tuesday to Saturday. Many other bakeries are also closed Sunday and/or Monday.

Pay for a baker will vary widely depending on where a baker works, the size of the bakery and the responsibilities the person holds. "It's not a job that tends to pay a lot of money unless you get in a managerial position or are in a large company. You have to decide if you want to work in a huge operation or a smaller place."

Norfolk recommends anyone considering a baking career ensure they enjoy it and not worry that it is a trade and not a university-trained career. Her advice: "Try to get as much experience as you can. Practice at home, that's always helpful. There's a lot of room for creative thinkers."