Blog #5

 This week we started baking, which was very exciting. I have always loved baking and being able to bake was the biggest reason why my group and I decided this opportunity would be perfect for us. It was a little more nerve-wracking baking in a professional setting, especially because the batches are so large, so if a mistake is made, then a lot of product could potentially be wasted. However, after joining the bakers and frosters in the back, our worries were quickly put to rest. The environment was very welcoming and the employees wanted to help us. In addition, there were also some employees training to bake and frost as well, which showed us that not everybody is immediately good at certain tasks. It was very interesting to see baking on a professional level and how large the operation is. Everybody focuses on a small task and works in an assembly line fashion to remain as efficient as possible.

In addition, it was cool to see the flipside of where we had been for the past week. Before, when we were in the front, we learned how to communicate with the back of the bakery, but it wasn't until we started working in the back that I truly understand how essential that communication is. This way, they bake and frost enough so that customers can have their pick of flavor, but not too many that there are so many leftovers which hinders the bakery from being able to deliver their promise of a fresh product.

It was also fun to meet the employees who we had seen before, but didn't have a chance to properly talk to. The atmosphere is very different in the back because they do not have to worry about customer interaction, even the aprons are different. It was also nice to learn about all the health protocols they put in place like frequent handwashing and wearing hairnets. 







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog #7

Image
 Our last few days at the bakery have been spent shadowing Amber, and also helping some customers upfront. Amber not only works in the back, but she also helps customers and ensures to the best of her ability that each customer leaves satisfied. We have learned a lot about her managerial tasks by shadowing her, but I think my biggest takeaway was her attitude towards her crucial role of assisting customers and creating a safe space for employees. While I am not quite sure about what career I want to pursue yet, I am positive that she has set a very important example that is applicable to any career. She consistently goes out of her way to help everyone around her. One of the biggest things she stressed was how key it is to attempt to brighten customers' days. It wasn't hard as many people came bustling in eager to share stories about who the cake is for and why. It has been a pleasure to be able to listen to all the stories, especially ones in which people have been to an event...
Read more

Blog #1 Pre-Project

The biggest inspiration for this project was our love of baking and our desire to learn more about baking professionally. We also were very curious about the business side of running a bakery. Personally, I plan to continue developing my interest in business at college and beyond. I had previously felt like my love for baking and my interest in business had to be separate, however, I realized that this project gave me the perfect opportunity to combine a more practical interest with a lifelong hobby. We were incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work at Nothing Bundt Cakes because we had all tried their cakes and enjoyed them before. In addition, all of our pre-project communication with our mentor, Amber Hamilton, has shown us how much value we believe this experience will hold. Our initial hope for this project was to learn about both the baking and business sides of running a bakery, however, we knew that this might not be practical for a bakery who had already agreed to acc...
Read more