The bakery world has been facing upheaval in recent years. After hypermarkets, artisan bakers are facing competition from bakery chains which are popping up everywhere.
–
The first business to open, the bakery is the soul of our countryside and our neighborhoods. In Dijon, Jérôme Merle has been in his bakehouse since 2am. With his wife Kelly, they make all their products from A to Z. Viennoiseries, pastries and of course bread.
“It’s the passion that keeps us, says the artisan baker. It is sure that it is a lot of commitment and that requires a lot of work. We try to stand out by our personality. We make our sourdough, we make a unique bread with selected flour. You add nothing but wheat, sourdough, salt and water. ” This baker doesn’t just make baguettes. It is supplied in different flour mills and has developed a wide range of bread. Because he knows it, his customers are looking above all for products that have taste.
video length: 03 min 54
–
It’s eco-friendly: bakeries, a coveted sector
–
Several kilometers away, in the Quetigny shopping area, the atmosphere is different. Here, we are in a franchised store which employs around thirty people, including five bakers. Pierre Lheureux, independent manager, is in charge of the company. He comes from a business school. Here also the bread is kneaded, shaped and baked on site. In view of the law of 1998, it is therefore a bakery. But if the craftsman talks about recipes, the franchisee talks about the manufacturing process. “We make the bread with a long fermentation, we start the day before, explains the manager. We work with liquid sourdough, with flour from sustainable cultivation. The baguette is our star product”.
The Ange chain has 170 bakeries. It emphasizes the bread and especially its price: eight baguettes for four euros, it’s unbeatable. The bakery sector weighs 11 billion euros. There are 32,000 bakeries in France, with a total of 180,000 jobs. The bakery is a rapidly changing sector, especially with the arrival of many chains such as Ange or Marie Blachère. These brands are gaining ground and come to compete with traditional bakeries but especially supermarkets.
–
“We had large and medium-sized stores, manufacturers. Today, we have chains. Some bakeries have been around for 150 or 200 years. So they are there, well established. Competition allows us to improve, to force ourselves. on home-made, on quality “, indicates Dominique Anract, president of the national confederation of French bakery and pastry.
Two thirds of bakeries have meal plans
Diversification is underway. In ten years, snacking has exploded. Two-thirds of bakeries now offer meal plans. At Jérôme, and Kelly, in Dijon, sandwiches and other wraps have become essential. “It’s 30% of our turnover, explains Kelly Merle, the co-manager of the bakery. We are in a neighborhood where there is a lot of demand. It’s still healthier to eat baguette bread. with sourdough and healthy products inside than eating fast food every day. “
For Pierre, the franchisee, the rise of snacking like that of chains are the symbols of the change in consumer habits. “We are not at all in a traditional bakery location. We are in fact quite far from the residential areas. It is an offer that suits our customers well, which lies between fast food restaurants and traditional restaurants. . For people who want to go fast at lunchtime, who want good value for money and better nutritional qualities than in fast food. “
For this second confinement, the bakeries are doing better. Some even hire. Jérôme and Kelly are looking for a pastry chef to lend them a hand.
–
Continue reading on these topics
–
–
