As the countdown to the NR 2023 Awards continue, we take a look back to our 2022 winners, who tell us how it felt to win a Neighbourhood Retailer Award and what it means to them, their team and their business.

Rising above the competition, it was an extra sweet win for Lisburn bakery, The Daily Apron, as they scooped the award on the same day they celebrated the first anniversary of the business.

Owners Katrina Collins and Cathy Stevenson were “absolutely thrilled” that their bakery – the first artisan small batch bakery in Lisburn – took home the  Bakery of the Year award.

“As an independent female-owned and female team, we are proud of producing award-winning sourdough by Cathy, who is the co-owner and head baker. She is self-taught. Our motto is ‘cake and kindness’ which is baked into everything we do,” said Katrina.

Described as being “crammed full of delights” by the judges, The Daily Apron’s offerings were “sensational, fresh, innovative and beautifully displayed”.

The judges added that staff were “well informed and enthusiastic, serving the volume of customers with ease and efficiency”.

Speaking after their award win, Katrina said it meant that “all those early starts – especially for Cathy, starting at 2am – were worthwhile”.

“All the individual effort we put in, it’s not mass-produced, we really believe in what we do and we really love what we do,” added Katrina.

“We want to grow people’s interest in real bread and the real product.”

The post ‘Winning this award made all those early starts worthwhile’ first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

After 12 years running the café in the city centre institution, Katrina Collins and Cathy Stevenson have decided to centre their attention on their bakery, which continues to enjoy significant growth.

Established in 2021, The Daily Apron won Bakery of the Year at the 2022 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards, while their plain sourdough bread has also won the gold award at the UK World Bread Awards.

Katrina and Cathy’s first foray into the catering business saw them run the 80-seat café, previously called Arora, in Smyth Patterson. Having made everything from scratch to sell in the café, they decided to open their artisan bakery in Halloween 2021, which Katrina described as a “natural transition”.

Since opening The Daily Apron, Katrina, Cathy and the entire team have enjoyed great success, quickly earning a name for themselves as the go-to artisanal bakery in Lisburn.

They have also branched out into the wholesale market, supplying breads, afternoon teas, scones and sourdough to other cafés in Lisburn, Hillsborough and Dungannon, and are also regular attenders at the farmers’ market in Dungannon.

Katrina told NR that as the bakery business has grown so much, they made the difficult decision to step back from their café and are looking forward to exciting developments at The Daily Apron.

“With the growth in our bakery business we have decided to focus our efforts on that side of the business and will be handing over the cafe to a new owner on 1^st August. Ivan will continue to have our bakes and products in the café,” said Katrina.

“We are so proud of all we achieved in the 12 years at Smyth Patterson but are excited for the times ahead.

‘It is our greatest pride to have had our café in Smyth Patterson for the last 12 years’

“As we have outgrown our capacity in the current space, we will be taking on an additional production unit to support this expansion.

“It is our greatest pride to have had our café in Smyth Patterson for the last 12 years. We cannot begin to thank everyone who has supported us, especially Colin. Our girls have been the best team and we are proud to have helped so many on their journey through life.”

Additionally, in their commitment to provide the best bread and pastries to their customers, Cathy has travelled to Canada to gain further skills.

“Cathy our head baker has just started a five-week sabbatical in Vancouver with a French baker,” added Katrina.

“She will bring back her new and strengthened skills to The Daily Apron to share with the team and bring even more delicious pastries and bread to our customers.”

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One notable sector that is finding this particularly relevant is the bakery sector. With the rise of bakery departments in shop settings, as well as the traditional bakeries in towns and villages across the province, owners and managers are finding it increasingly difficult to reach a full quota of staff.

With priorities shifting and more and more people striving for a better work-life balance, finding staff willing to work the unsociable hours the bakery sector demands is among the reasons for this.

“There is definitely a shortage in qualified bakers,” Katrina Collins, co-owner of Lisburn-based The Daily Apron tells NR.

“However, there is an additional issue which we have experienced a number of times and it relates to apprentices, including qualified baker apprentices.

“We have found on multiple occasions they might have skills, but they are not work-ready for the industry. There is a lack of understanding about the pressured environment of a bakery and how time is money.

“There is also a reluctance to start early shifts despite this being a defining aspect of the baking world.”

Having spoken to her colleagues in the industry, Katrina said they are all facing the same issues.

“They have said this is even more pronounced after covid. With options to work from home or indeed set up their own micro-bakery, it’s really difficult.”

Katrina, who owns and runs award-winning The Daily Apron with her partner Cathy Stevenson, opened the bakery in October 2021, and have run their own 80-seat café in the Smyth Patterson’s department store for over 11 years.

‘The conditions associated with baking, such as early mornings, being physically demanding and rates of pay make it both difficult to recruit and retain’

Heading an all-female team of 15 staff ranging in ages from 15 to 56, Katrina said they pride themselves on having a very nurturing environment and indeed, have also sent people on apprenticeships, who have then come back to work with them.

Having encountered the challenge of recruiting and retaining staff, she said they are trying to address this in-house.

“We have decided to train staff we already have, who we know are a great fit for the business,” she said.

“It speaks to the importance of attitude, aptitude and work ethic over skills. Skills can be taught and we are very much a teaching business.

“The conditions associated with baking, such as early mornings, being physically demanding and rates of pay make it both difficult to recruit and retain.”

“Some people may be put off by the early starts as is typical of commercial bakeries,” agreed Jonathan McCullagh, co-owner of McCullagh’s Classic in Omagh.

With an in-store bakery at their SPAR site, Jonathan is all-too-aware of the staffing challenges.

“There appears to be a lot of vacancies in the jobs market for qualified bakers in general. This however, is not unique just to bakers and is widespread among many other professions and sections of the economy,” said Jonathan.

“One of the market changes during covid saw the emergence of bakers setting up niche markets from their homes and using social media to promote and sell their products. Therefore, leaving it increasingly difficult for commercial bakers to hire bakers.

“There are also many other opportunities for bakers who maybe want a change in career – there is no shortage of job options with a lot of employers struggling to fill various positions in most sectors of the economy.”

Jonathan describes the bakery team at his store as “small” as they produce for their resale items in their single store, and said they were “very lucky” to have had no vacancies in their bakery department for a number of years.

“It’s always challenging to attract and retain the best talent, but we are very fortunate to have an amazing bakery team. We have first-class facilities and a great working environment for all our staff. Flexible working hours is also a big attraction to our staff.”

‘I do not see the labour shortage easing in the short-term, so businesses will have to look at how best to make production less labour intensive’

He said that having spoken to others in the sector, he said they are aware of the challenges facing their colleagues.

“Some of the local bakery suppliers have been experiencing acute staffing shortages, which has hampered their productions and left some of the more labour-intensive products to produce as long-term unavailables,” he said.

“I imagine the larger bakeries will be looking to automate their productions processes as much as possible. I do not see the labour shortage easing in the short-term, so businesses will have to look at how best to make production less labour intensive in order to cope with less staff available in the workforce.

“There will however, always be a market for local scratch bakeries as people will pay a premium for these products as a treat.”

Katrina Collins said the current situation was “very concerning indeed” and added it was vital for communication and collaboration to avoid crippling staff shortages in the future.

“We believe there needs to be a bigger collaboration between industry and training institutions,” she said.

“We have worked closely with a further and higher education providers to share our experiences with baking apprentices. It feels that there is a curriculum to deliver rather work ready bakers,” she added.

“The government could listen to business problems and do a lot more to help certain industries experiencing acute labour shortages, such as issuing more skilled worker visas,” added Jonathan.

“Staff retention is key. Making the working conditions as good as possible, offering flexible working hours where possible and creating a happy work environment can all go some way to alleviate the situation.”

YOU CAN READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN THE MAY ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post Rising to the challenge of staff shortages first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

One notable sector that is finding this particularly relevant is the bakery sector. With the rise of bakery departments in shop settings, as well as the traditional bakeries in towns and villages across the province, owners and managers are finding it increasingly difficult to reach a full quota of staff.

With priorities shifting and more and more people striving for a better work-life balance, finding staff willing to work the unsociable hours the bakery sector demands is one of the main reasons.

‘HAMPERING PRODUCTION’

“There is definitely a shortage in qualified bakers,” Katrina Collins, co-owner of Lisburn-based The Daily Apron tells NR.

“There is a lack of understanding about the pressured environment of a bakery and how time is money. There is also a reluctance to start early shifts, despite this being a defining aspect of the baking world,” she added.

“Some people may be put off by the early starts as is typical of commercial bakeries,” agreed Jonathan McCullagh, co-owner of McCullagh’s Classic in Omagh.

With an in-store bakery at their site, Jonathan is all-too-aware of the staffing challenges.

“Some of the local bakery suppliers have been experiencing acute staffing shortages, which has hampered their productions,” he said.

“The government could listen to business problems and do a lot more to help certain industries experiencing acute labour shortages, such as issuing more skilled worker visas,” he added.

YOU CAN READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN THE APRIL ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER – COMING SOON!

The post Staffing challenges “need to be addressed” first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Named the Bakery of the Year at last year’s Neighbourhood Retailer Awards, co-owner Katrina said it was wonderful recognition for their hard work and meant all those early starts were worthwhile.

However, this was not Katrina and wife Cathy’s first foray into the catering business, as they have owned and run an 80-seat café in Lisburn for 11 years.

“Our café is based inside Smyth Patterson’s department store on the first floor. We were previously called Arora but rebranded just before lockdown to The Daily Apron,” said Katrina.

“We opened our artisan bakery in Halloween 2021 and our ethos has always been ‘everything from scratch’. We were making everything ourselves for the café, so it was a natural transition to open the bakery.

“We could make it cheaper by getting the goods in from other suppliers, but we are 100% committed to us making things and we want to expand the palettes of our customers.”

Cathy has always had an interest in baking, with a love for making bread and sourdough in particular.

“The offering in Lisburn didn’t have anything like that, or that particular type of bake, and that was why we decided to open the bakery,” explained Katrina.

“The intention was that it would look like a boutique; we have a bread wall and that is quite striking. It is an open bakery where you can see what is happening and watch everything being made.

“We have lots of people coming in to ask Cathy about her baking and for some tips, how to make a good ‘starter dough’ and so on. Our motto is ‘cake, kindness and community’ and we are big believers in helping others where we can.”

AWARD-WINNING SOURDOUGH

Following their Neighbourhood Retailer Award win, the duo discovered they had won the gold award for Cathy’s plain sourdough at the UK World Bread Awards.

“We couriered the breads to London overnight for the judging. We were the only Northern Ireland company to win gold in this award category, so we were absolutely delighted.

“These award wins meant all those early starts – especially for Cathy, starting at 2am – were worthwhile. All the individual effort we put in, it’s not mass-produced, we really believe in what we do and we really love what we do.

“We want to grow people’s interest in real bread and the real product.”

Katrina is a psychologist but is also the main decorator in the bakery, as well as working in the café. Her and Cathy head an all-female team of 15 staff, who she describes as “alpha females!”

“The girls range in age from 15 to 56 and we pride ourselves on having a very nurturing environment. We feel that one of our goals is to nurture and train and we feel a real duty of care to our girls. They would say the same thing and that is wonderful to hear.

‘Our motto is ‘cake, kindness and community’ and we are big believers in helping others where we can’

“We have people working with us from they were 15 years old and Julie, our manager, has been with us for 20 years.

“We have sent people on apprenticeships and they have come back to work with us, which is wonderful. We have seen potential in our young staff and the reward is seeing them grow and learn. It’s very rewarding for us that they come back and work for us.”

In their first year in business with the bakery, Katrina said they have received “lots of support from the community” and have established many new friendships.

“I think things come to you from how you behave and we got lots of support and a lot of positivity from the community. I know people can be negative about town centres, but so many people are grateful that we took this venture to Lisburn.

“We have a very strong, core customer base and that is growing. One of the things we were surprised about was that 70-80% of our clientele are from other countries. This is bread that reminds them of home, so we would have a lot of Portuguese and Eastern European customers, and we have developed a lot of friendships and connections there.”

WHOLESALE GROWTH

While a Lisburn bakery, The Daily Apron’s reach is going further afield with the development of their wholesale market. They are currently supplying breads, afternoon teas, scones and sourdough to other cafés in Lisburn, Hillsborough and even as far as Dungannon. Katrina said this success has come from their commitment to attending local farmers’ markets.

“Farmers’ markets have really taken off for us and they are the most financially viable as well. It is hard work, but it brings in the volume of what we sell and the customers.

“We have had people travel to us because they have seen us at a market and they come to try out more of our products. There is a café in Dungannon which we now supply to and that came from us selling at a market there.”

‘We have seen potential in our young staff and the reward is seeing them grow and learn. It’s very rewarding for us that they come back and work for us’

Inevitably there are challenges in the industry, particularly with rising foods costs and notably the rapid increase in the cost of ingredients.

“It’s definitely hard. We have looked to a different supplier and buying in bigger quantities. Andrews Ingredients have been a great partner for us and we have a good relationship with them.

“We have had to put up our prices once. We have to look at the balance of what people will pay and the quality. We are very frugal in how we do things and are constantly looking at efficiencies.

“We have seen some changes, like sunflower and vegetable oil, they had gone up last year, but we got a letter recently to say that the prices of those items are coming down.

“With the economy as it is, I think there is a real return to thinking ‘if we are going to treat ourselves, it needs to be a good treat, we need it to be good quality’. People are telling me that they want to make sure it’s good bread and they are avoiding the bigger chains if they can.

“We can really see that at the markets. People are choosing to come in the wind and rain to select our products and support us. There is always a desire there for fresh-baked, good-quality products.”

BAKING ALTERNATIVES

Another challenge bakers face today is the increase of and awareness around allergies and clean and healthy eating. While baked goods aren’t renowned for being the healthy option, Katrina said they are working continuously to provide as many options for their customers as possible.

“I did a dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free cake for a wedding last year, which was interesting! We do cater for all this and people just have to choose what suits them, but we certainly do try to accommodate everyone.

“We are in a kitchen containing gluten in the café, so our free-from baking is done in the other kitchen. We do a seeded gluten-free loaf, granola bars and walnut and banana muffins. We do ask our customers to let us know their allergens.

“We do have a vegan menu in the café and we have vegan bakes. Even something simple like alternative milks for coffee, we have built up a bit of a reputation for giving people that choice.

“It is challenging within the bakery and getting it all to work. Cathy is really accommodating and willing to try, but there are some things that are difficult to bind together, but overall we feel we do quite well.”

MASTERCLASSES

While wanting to continue and increase the wholesale side of the business, Katrina said they have to give careful consideration to any future expansion.

“For us, the difficulty is that we are already at capacity inside, as it’s a small base. The potential is there, but we are limited by our space. We would need another production unit and keep the bakery as the front, but it’s not something we have made a firm decision on.

‘The greatest reward is when we are having that conversation with a customer and they are smiling and happy and wanting to get your product’

“Cathy is beginning to do sourdough masterclasses in the bakery and has also been invited out to people’s homes and different organisations to do her masterclasses, so that’s an exciting development. We actually have people coming over from Scotland for a masterclass!

“It’s important that we don’t dilute and don’t get larger than we can manage, but looking forward, we would like to grow the retail side of things and that if people think of sourdough in this area, that it is synonymous with us.”

Katrina describes their award wins as “lovely” and said they “really help assure you that you are going in the right direction”, however she said the real measure of success is something more down-to-earth for them.

“For Cathy and myself, the greatest reward is when we are having that conversation with a customer and they are smiling and happy and wanting to get your product. The support they give you, for us that day-to-day exchange and relationship is the biggest reward and we thrive on that.”

TO VIEW THE FULL FEATURE IN THE 2023 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

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