Running a busy 24/7 wholesale bakery is not for the fainthearted. There is always lots going on and I am constantly pulled in different directions. As a result no two days are ever quite the same and there can be lots of variations especially when I am flying about between customers! However, a typical day could be as follows:
6.00am: Up and off to the gym. I like to get this out of the way because I never know whether I will manage to go later in the day sometimes and I might get stuck dealing with inevitable extra tasks! Burning calories in the morning before I get to work allows me to have treats in the bakery during the day and it is also a great way to bust stress.
8.00am: I take 15 minutes to have breakfast at work. I enjoy these 15 minutes because they are still my own time where I have the opportunity to think and maybe have an idea for a new product. I usually have a boiled egg for breakfast with some lovely toast made from Walnut and Raisin Bread or Pure Rye followed by a mini fruit pastry, which is a bit naughty – but then again I have just slaved in the gym!
8.15am: I catch up on emails and whilst it is still quiet and check what is in my diary and map out my day ahead. This might involve travelling up to Central London to visit clients or meeting suppliers at my office. I might have interviews scheduled or be involved in product development sessions. There could be engineers visiting to plan the installation of new equipment or I might be going to a Primary School teaching children how to bake bread, which is something I love doing voluntarily for Chefs Adopt a School, a charity connected to the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. I love early mornings before the phone starts to ring. It is my most creative and productive time of the day.
8.45am: I have a meeting with my ops manager who will update me on the production shift of the night before during which we made vast amounts of bread and pastries for our clients and he will make me aware of anything that I might have to deal with or problems we have to find solutions for. Often he tells me that the team performed very well and that everything ran smoothly.
This is a really important time for me because my ear is to the ground and I find out everything that has gone on, good or bad. It’s crucial to be aware of what happens when I am not here.
9.30am: I catch up with clients regarding special projects, new products or anything that might be going on with them. Recently we launched a lovely Tear and Share Loaf for the Hilton Park Lane which is a big hit with their guests.
11.00am: Strategy time. I will deal with anything that has to do with making the business move forward. When we launched in 1998 we were a small retail shop in Wimbledon Village. Today we are a multi-million pound wholesale bakery supplying the crème de la crème of the hospitality world in this country with our amazing bread. There is plenty of room for expansion and we are looking to double up over the next 3 years.
12.30: Break for lunch 30 minutes. I try and get some fresh air to clear my head and refresh my mind but it doesn’t always work out that way. I usually have some soup accompanied with our tasty focaccia or a sandwich made with our slowly fermented Bocodillo sticks, then take another look in that pastry box of mine which was left out for me by my packing team and fish out a chocolate muffin. (Thank god I went to the gym in the morning!)
1.00pm: Time to liaise with other departments such as accounts and Technical and check that all runs according to plan. These departments are quite self-sufficient but I still like to know what is happening so I take a bit of time to catch up especially with Technical who deal with Health and Safety etc.
1.30pm: Back to strategy again, dealing with taking the company ahead.
2.30pm: I have a meeting with my head of production. We discuss any issues that have arisen, product development and any staff or equipment related matters. Recently we had plenty of discussions, planning the installation of a new oven. We splashed out on the very best oven money can buy, a Miwe oven from Germany and as we can’t ever halt production things need to be planned in the finest of detail which include when to do Gas installations, flues, electrics and so on.
3.30pm: I spend a bit of time on our production floor to stay connected with the bakers and find out from them what has been going on. It is amazing what I can find out about the goings on at the bakery by just chatting to them and they like it and also stay connected.
4.00pm: Back to strategy and dealing with any loose ends before the end of the day. I retreat back to my office which is next to the bakery for this.
6.00pm: I head home or meet a client for dinner, or I might stay late and work on a special projects. If I cook at home, we would usually have fish and various vegetables for dinner. I like to keep things light at night, having indulged in plenty of carbs during the day. If I eat out, I might just head to the Delauney for a Wiener Schnitzel or some Beef Stroganoff. It is almost as good as my mother and grandmother used to cook. The main thing is to eat early. I don’t like eating late as it keeps me awake all night and I do try to go to bed before midnight so I get plenty of sleep before it all starts all over again.
