Archaeologists Discover World's Oldest Bread

Read the details here;https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/oldest-bread-1.3038418

Tiny Rebel Brews Beer From Iceland's Bread Surplus

As the awareness and effort to cut down on waste bread (bread surplus at the bakery) continues to grow; topmost frozen retailer, Iceland, has joined the creative innovation. The use of surplus bread to produce beer is the latest move in the many efforts to curb bread waste. Relying on this, Iceland has teamed up with Tiny Rebel, a Newport-based brewer in the UK, to create beer made from surplus bread. The technique uses bread to substitute some of the malt in the mashing process, thereby using bread to provide some of the sugars needed by yeast for fermentation.  This way, the excess bread is utilized in a very creative way, instead of being thrown away as waste. Read more here.    https://m.bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/19839/Tiny_Rebel_brews_beer_from_Iceland_92s_surplus_bread.html

Honeywell Group Secures Landmark Judgement Against Ecobank at Supreme Court

In what appears to be its most strenuous legal battle as a corporate legal entity, Honeywell Group (the parent company of Honeywell Flour Mills PLC) has secured a major victory over transnational African financial powerhouse Ecobank. The two business entities have engaged in a protracted legal dispute that dragged on to the Supreme Court. The case was finally settled recently in favour of Honeywell Group at the apex court. The court ruled on the case on July 13, 2018 in which it dismissed Ecobank's appeals against Honeywell for frivolity and wasting of the court's time. Prior to approaching the Supreme Court, Honeywell had won the case at the lower courts, prompting Ecobank to seek appeal.
Coming at this time (tough business climate), this is a great news and huge relief;  not only to the owners and management of Honeywell, but to the baked goods industry and supply chain, being that the group is a major player in the flour milling landscape. Legal disputes are always a distraction to businesses, therefore it gives great relief to end it as quick as possible, so that the distractions and costs could be put behind. We hope Honeywell Flour Mills could ride on the back of this ruling to reposition and refocus her business, to deliver more competition to the supply chain.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/07/18/ecobank-fails-against-honeywell-as-supreme-court-dismisses-appeals/amp/

Concern For Weather Pushes Wheat Price Up

As bakers in Nigeria grapple with imminent increase on the price of flour (a major ingredient in bread and other baked goods), research by Naija Bakers' Corner shows that the trend is not limited to Nigeria alone, but consistent around the globe.  In countries like United Kingdom,  outlook for flour and butter, two major ingredients in baked products, indicates that prices of these two commodities have been going up since Easter.
Buoyed by change in weather in major wheat producing countries like Russia, the concern for wheat futures continues to push wheat price up around the globe.  "According to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts, the Russian crop is down 19% on last season, due to wet spring conditions". Generally, extreme weather conditions around North and Central Europe have had a toll on cereal output, and the impact on flour price is quite comprehensible.  Nigeria being a wheat import-dependent nation, we are likely going to be affected. https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/19772/Margins_threatened_by_rise_in_wheat_and_butter_costs.html

Naija Bakers' Corner Gets New Ownership

Dear Esteemed Bakers/Caterers,
I am delighted to inform you that your best and only online source of baking news in Nigeria, 'Naija Bakers' Corner', now has a  new ownership. I find it difficult to tell you this; in fact I do so with mixed feelings. I have a new interest I'm pursuing elsewhere, which may not give me time to run the blog. I wanted to rest it, but a close friend indicated interest in acquiring it; like me, he believes that the blog has great prospects and is worth keeping alive. Although, I'm handing over, yet, I am not exiting completely, I would still be off and on as a guest blogger. Just that, the editorial content, ownership and adminstration of the blog rests with the new owners. There may be changes along the line, especially on the content; may be there could be rebranding as well. Meanwhile, I want to thank you all wonderful bakers and caterers (both hands-on, and bakers at heart) for your support; because no one writes or publishes for himself, and he has no media platform, who has no readers.
Thank you great bakers for your time.
Stanley Echebiri.

Bakers Brace Up For Review in Flour Price

Feelers from the Nigerian Flour Milling Association, indicate that the price of flour - a major ingredient in the making of bread and other baked products, may be going up  over the next couple of days or weeks (as the case may be). Although, we do not have all the details of the price review, however, news from the grapevine suggests that the price of 50kg bag of flour (that is the standard pack size for flour) may go up with as much as N600. As we understand, the proposed price review by millers is as a result of the harsh operating business climate in Nigeria; the ease of doing business has continued to worsen over the years.
As the industry looks forward to another round of price adjustment, we are sure the bakers are bracing up for the unpleasant news.
Although, increment in price of flour and other ingredients used for baked goods is a burden to bakers, it is also not strange to bakers. However, while bakers would look ahead to adjusting the price of their products to accommodate the change, it is also critical for us to look at other ways to cushion the impact beyond price increment. Bakers should focus a lot on the technical end of the business and see a way they could use it to offset the burden. The following actions would be beneficial to bakers.
I). The use of modern equipment like spiral mixers – to maximise water absorption of flour and also minimize dough loss. This would improve yield or cuts. There could be additional 3 to 5 litres of water to gain when spiral mixer is adopted over dough breaker or milling machine.
2). The use of high quality flour – While high quality flour would result in perfect product and reduced loss, they also have a direct bearing on yield. This is because, good quality flour, is a function of the gluten-forming proteins in the flour. The higher the gluten, the higher the quality and also yield. Technically, the rate of water absorption of flour is twice its protein and about a third its carbohydrates (on a weight-weight basis). In other words, higher gluten results in higher water intake.   There are simple tests we can do to analyse gluten within the bakery. Soon, Naija Bakers' Corner would be promoting Do It Yourself (DIY) culture within the bakery. We would also be running a Do-It-Yourself baking school, utilizing tools like baking webinars on social media to enlighten bakers. Please stay tuned.

CO2 Supply Crisis Now Impacting Bakery Industry in UK

A new report from the United Kingdom indicates that the carbon dioxide supply shortage that has been hampering business operations within the Food and Drink sector in the UK and the rest of rest Europe has also hit the bakery industry. Across the food industry, CO2 is utilized widely in food and drink packaging as a means to enhance storage and increase the shelf life of food products. The principle relies on a modern method of food preservation called Controlled Atmosphere (CA), alongside other well known food preservation methods; like heat treatment (pasteurization), and use of preservatives to extend shelf life.
Termed Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP), the process removes oxygen which is a vital ingredient for aerobic spoilage organisms like moulds, which grow on bread, and replace it with a mixture of CO2 and nitrogen. Carbon dioxide inhibits mould growth and activity, while nitrogen acts as filter gas to replace oxygen and prevent pack collapse.
In some Western countries like UK, MAP is widely used in many bakeries, but the case is different in Nigeria. Except for Yale Foods, there are no other bakeries in Nigeria known to employ the technology in their plant. However, while MAP extends the shelf life of bread and other baked products considerably, its ability to do so is in combination with other known preservation methods, including Good Manufacturing practice (GMP) and standard food hygiene and handling.
https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/19752/CO2_supply_crisis_now_impacting_bakery_industry.html

Unilever Sells Her Margarine Business

In an apparent bid to position righty for the future, one of the world's largest manufacturers of bread spread, and also the top bread spread promoter in Nigeria, Unilever, has sold off its bread spread business. With known brands like Blue Band margarine and flora (for table), Unilever was the biggest promoter of bread spread in Nigeria. Only recently, it embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign tagged 'No B Without B' to reenergize the Blue Band brand and endear it to consumers. Somehow, this did not work as the brand continued to struggle in it's troubled category, hence, the company had limited choices. Although, painful (when considered from the business angle), however, it's not unexpected, because margarine (hydrogenated fat precisely) is junk and unhealthy, the death of margarine is long overdue.
https://nairametrics.com/unilever-makers-of-close-up-to-divest-its-magarine-business/

Baker Wins All-Expenses-Paid Trip to Dubai as Honeywell Rewards Dealers.

An erstwhile baker and flour dealer, Mrs. Opeyemi Raji, of Opeyemi Bakery, has won an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai (courtesy of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc.). Opeyemi Bakery emerged winner in the Business to Commercial category reward scheme, during the just concluded Honeywell Flour Mills Customers' Forum.
We at Naija Bakers' Corner congratulate Opeyemi Bakery on this feat. We urge Madam Opeyemi to enjoy herself at Dubai, please do not spare Honeywell, spend and spend and spend. We hope they would be able to lodge you at the Burj Khalifa?
For those who do not know, Opeyemi Bakery is a foremost bakery at Alimosho, Lagos. From a humble beginning, the bakery branched into flour and ingredient trading, and is today a top dealer in Lagos.
https://t.guardian.ng/business-services/honeywell-rewards-customers-promises-improved-performance/

Bakeries Commit to Cutting Loaf Surplus

To tame food waste in bakeries, some bakeries in the UK have devised plans and ways to cut loaf surplus in their bakeries. Find out more about this here. https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/19420/Bakeries_commit_to_cutting_loaf_surplus.html

Foodhaven Sourdough Declared Britain's Best Loaf

Sometime ago, we announced the annual Britain's Best Loaf competition for 2018 on this blog.  Finally, the competition has concluded and winners announced. Just take a look at the bread that won Britain's Best Loaf for 2018 and drop your comments. I'm sure Nigerian Master bakers would produce great loaves too. https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2784903438002734280#editor/src=sidebar

GTBank Cake Masterclass

Fellow Bakers
The GTbank annual Food and Drink Fair would take place in Lagos, between April 29th - May 1st. This year, the organizers are bringing in famous chef, Elizabeth Solaru, to facilitate a Masterclass on how to make great wedding cakes. Attendance to the event is free. Find the link to register here. Registration is free too. I hope many professional bakers and caterers would make it. https://foodanddrink.gtbank.com/registration/masterclass/#formtop

Woman Buys Up All The Cupcakes In A Store Because She Was Fat-shamed

A  19-year old woman took an unusual revenge to punish fellow customers at a bakery for fat shaming her. Following a mockery side talk, in which an older woman referred to her as 'fat bitch', Vega  Blossom, purchased all the cupcakes in the store, to get back at the amibos behind her.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/woman-fat-shamed-bakery-customers-gets-revenge-buying-cupcakes-105934235.html

Baking Cures Stress

Fellow bakers, do you believe this? A research in the UK suggests that one in three Brittons use baking to help them de-stress after a busy work day. How likely is this?  I guess baking method, equipment and technology come to play here. Read the detailed report here. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/baking-stress-busy-day-work-mental-health-sex-relaxation-cakes-sweet-treats-a8279436.html

Plastic Fish in Nigeria, NAFDAC Allays Fears

Nigerians, there is nothing we would not hear. Just like the plastic rice controversy, the latest rumour in town is that there is plastic fish in the market. Thank God now, NAFDAC has dispelled this rumour, please continue to eat your fish, it's healthier compared to meat. Read more here. https://lailasnews.com/there-is-no-plastic-fish-in-nigeria-nafdac-dismisses-rumour/

Dangote Donates N25m Naira to Support Entrepreneurs

Dear Bakers what are you waiting for? Report has it that Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote has donated 25 million naira to comedian, Ali Baba, to help support business entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Don't just read the story, take steps towards it, who knows? www.ladunliadinews.com/2018/04/dangote-gives-ali-baba-n25m-to-give.html

Nigerian Bakers Threaten Strike

In a move that would end in an upward adjustment in the price of bread and other baked products across Nigeria; Nigerian bakers are threatening to embark on a nationwide strike to protest the high cost of major baking ingredients, like flour, sugar and fat. As a result of the last recession and new wave of import duties, prices of these commodities saw very sharp and sustained increase over the last two years. While bakers have also increased the price of bread and other baked products, unfortunately, the margin of increase on these products is yet below what the bakers need to remain profitable. Again bakers also face a big challenge with waste, in the sense that baked products like bread are highly perishable, also majority of the bakers still use non-modern equipment that short change them, in terms of product yield. While we hope it ends well, news about bread would continue to remain on the front burner in Nigeria and elsewhere. As reported on this blog sometime ago, a sharp rise in bread price in Sudan early this year led to mass protest in the North African nation. Only recently too, the bakers union in New Zealand have been mulling the option to down tools to protest poor wage.www.ladunliadinews.com/2018/03/bakers-threaten-strike-over-costs-of.html

Risk of Bread Shortage in New Zealand as Chance of Bakers' Strike Rises

The bread wind is blowing again, this time in New Zealand. Read it here: www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11985977

Emefiele, Akeredolu to inaugurate largest egg powder plant in Africa, Middle-East Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/emefiele-akeredolu-inaugurate-largest-egg-powder-plant-africa-middle-east/

Few days ago, Nigeria made a giant stride in Agro and Food Processing. This time it came in the establishment of an egg powder plant - the largest of its kind in Africa and Middle East. This is a great news for bakers and caterers, because we consume a lot egg powder. Read the story here.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/emefiele-akeredolu-inaugurate-largest-egg-powder-plant-africa-middle-east/

Hunt Begins for the Scottish Baker of the Year 2018

Trust Oyibos, they have a way of promoting and encouraging talent, and they do it in style.
Competition to select the Scottish Baker of the year 2018 has started. Now in its seventh year, the competition sees consumers vote for their favourite baked goods from across Scotland, with expert judges shortlisting products to decide the ultimate winner. Read more here.
https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/19190/Hunt_begins_for_Scottish_Baker_of_the_Year_2018.html

Woman Uses Breast Milk in Bake Sale

Sometime last year, a mother raised a stir, after she used breast milk to make brownies, and went ahead to sell the products to other kids at her child's school. Ever since then, reactions have been ongoing over what she did. Under food regulation, acts like this are forbidden, but some people think it's cool. What do you think  
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mother-breast-milk-brownies-bake-sale-not-tell-school-cake-ingredient-facebook-reaction-a7852286.html

Dangote Group’s revenue exceeds a trillion naira in 2017

 Nigeria's largest indigenous conglomerate and most successful, Dangote Group, recently released details about its revenue for the year 2017. The group led by Africa's richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, raked over $4.1 billion dollars (over a trillion naira) through its numerous business units. The Group has hands in many pies, ranging from cement, sugar to flour milling. They plan to invest more deeply in the Nigerian economy.  
 https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/dangote-groups-revenue-exceeds-4-1bn-2017/

Five tips for reducing bakery surplus and waste

Waste and excess products are always a drain on production. In bakery business the problem of wastes and surplus is very prevalent, whether in Nigeria, UK or elsewhere. In this article, the British Baker has published tips on how to tackle this common problem. Read on the link.
https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/19027/Five_tips_for_reducing_bakery_surplus_and_waste.html

Iceland set to axe plastic bakery packaging

In an indication of how packaging of foods (baked products especially), would change in the near future, a British frozen foods specialist and supermarket chain Iceland, has concluded plans to axe plastic bakery packaging materials; nylons and others, by 2023. This bold step is in line with the plan by the British government to tackle plastic waste in the near future. It is apparent this is going to be a trend in the not too distant future. Read the story on the link. 
https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/19024/Iceland_set_to_axe_plastic_bakery_packaging.html

Breakthrough' Breast Cancer Drug Thwarted by Chemical Found in Bread

Oh dear! Our almighty bread is fighting a lot of battles. If it's not link between bread (or wheat products generally) to Celiac disease, it is gluten-intolerance; prompting the need to avoid bread. Now, a new research suggests that a chemical found in bread prevents a breakthrough drug used in curing cancer from working. How would some of these drawbacks affect our industry? Read more on the link.
www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/01/11/breakthrough-breast-cancer-drug-thwarted-chemical-found-bread/

White Bread Just as Healthy as Brown Bread for Some People, Study Finds

A lot of health-conscious consumers have switched from white to brown bread; a lot more would want to switch too, in the hope that brown bread is a healthier and more beneficial bread. For this reason, a handful of bakers have included brown bread in their offering, many more are considering doing so, at any cost.
However, a recent research reveals that there may be little difference in how white and brown bread affect the body. Read more on the link.
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/white-bread-more-healthy-brown-people-study-cell-metabolism-sourdough-weizmann-institute-of-science-a7776666.html

French President Macron, Wants UN Recognition for French Bread - Baguette

The French people always pride themselves with baguette - their national bread. Now the French President Mr. Macron wants the United Nation to recognize it as a cultural heritage for humanity. What do you think? Do we have a national bread in Nigeria? Would there ever be a time a Nigerian national bread would gain global recognition? Think about it, and let me know your thoughts.
https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-un-baguette-a-load-of-this-wants-recognition-for-french-bread/

Dangote Retains Position as Africa's Richest Man

Africa's richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has retained his position as Africa's richest man for the seventh year in a row; this is according to Forbe's rich list just published. Dangote's wealth increased by one hundred million dollars.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/01/12/buoyed-by-rising-stocks-commodity-prices-dangotes-fortune-rises-to-12-2bn/

Flour Mills of Nigeria Shops for 39.86 Billion Naira

Foremost flour producer in Nigeria, Flour Mills of Nigeria plans to raise about 39.86 billion Naira (130 million dollars) through share sales to existing shareholders. The share sales is expected to commence on January 15. Read the story.
https://dailynigerian.com/news/flour-mills-nigeria-starts-130m-share-sale-january-15/amp/

Death Toll in Sudan Bread Protest Rises to Three

The number of people killed in the Sudan bread protests has risen to three. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/01/sudan-protests-dead-bread-protests-180112095320512.html

Meanwhile, Sudan's main clerical body, the Sudan Scholar Corporation (SSC) has thrown its weight behind the protests. SSC called on the Sudanese government to grant the absolute right to protest peacefully against its recent decision to increase bread prices. For nearly a week, Sudanese have been protesting against unjust increase in bread prices.
http://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article64476

Entries Commence for Britain's Best Loaf Yearly Competition

Entry for the 2018 Britain’s Best Loaf competition has commenced.  Sponsored by Rank Hovis, the competition is a yearly event carried out to identify Britain's top baker for the year. This year's competition takes place at the Farm Shop & Deli Show at the NEC in Birmingham on 16 April.

Read more about this on the link, and also find out whether you can enter for the contest. What would be more lovely than having a Nigerian baker winning Britain's Best Loaf title? And on a more serious note, can we  organize something like this in Nigeria?

https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/19012/Could_you_be_the_baker_of_Britain_92s_Best_Loaf_.html

Clean-Label Sweetners for Snacks and Baked Goods

Fellow Bakers, how much do you know about sugar replacers and sweeteners generally? Please read up here for  some useful insight.
 https://www.preparedfoods.com/articles/120672-clean-label-sweeteners-for-snacks-baked-goods

NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF BAKING - (Long Time Overdue)

NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF BAKING - (Long Time Overdue)

From unofficial data, the Nigerian baked goods industry employs over half a million people, both directly and indirectly. Directly, the industry employs bakers, careers, adjunct staff or those who function in non technical roles either in bakeries, biscuit companies, baked sausages companies, catering shops and so on. Indirectly, the industry supports and puts thousands in jobs in the flour milling industry, manufacturers of wrapper,  ingredient producers, bakery equipment fabricators and trade dealers. The baked goods industry alone consumes about 70% of wheat flour produced in Nigeria.
According to a research report published by KPMG, the Nigerian Biscuit Segment was valued at US$617 million, in 2015, while the Nigerian Bread Segment was valued at US$612 million, and growing at 3% continuously till 2019. In other words, the two segments combined (cake, pastry and sausage are not included) are valued at over a billion US dollars. These figures are huge, considering the size of the Nigerian economy. Bearing this in mind, the Nigerian Baked Goods industry is important and strategic to the economy of Nigeria, and the government ought to support it in every way. One of the best ways to support such an industry is usually through research, training and certification of  professionals, and manpower development within such industry. In advanced climes, this is what happens, and the reason countries establish national institutes in fields strategic to national security. If we want to move forward or improve the baked goods industry in Nigeria, this is what ought to be done. A national institute for baking is long time overdue in Nigeria.
We at  "Naija Bakers'  Corner" believe  this strongly, and are willing to take up this cause. To actualize this dream, over the year we are going to initiate a citizens' or grassroots' bill and get it through to the Nigerian National Assembly, through any elected members. Among other things, we are calling for the establishment of a National Bakers' Institute, through an act of parliament, empowered with the functions to;
1.Train Bakers
2. Issue Certification to bakers.
3. Conduct research and other studies related to baking in Nigeria.
4. Develop Content and curriculum for bakers' training
We are aware that some of these functions are carried out sometimes by FIRO and IITA, but there are a lot of loopholes, these efforts are not fully dedicated to the baking industry. Therefore we require a separate body. At "Naija Bakers' Corner", we are going to take a dive at this project, we would give it all we have, and if need be, we would mobilize signatures from fellow bakers. Please support us, when the time comes!

Watch How the People of Iceland Bake Bread in the Ground

The tiny nation of Iceland is unique in many ways. She generates more than 90% of her electricity from renewable sources. Also the island nation writes more books per capita than any other country in the world. But there is something else, Icelanders have found a unique way to bake bread and cake in the ground using geothermal heat - in other words, they use the ground as oven to bake.

https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/how-they-bake-volcano-bread-underground-iceland.html

Waste Bread Finds New Use in Beer in Britain

Bread is a highly perishable product. Under perfect handling and storage condition, a bread product would last only about one week (that is the longest duration in which it would retain its optimal characteristics to be regarded as safe). The moment bread or any baked products leave the oven, it automatically begins a rapid journey into degradation or spoilage.
Unlike some other food products like wine, beer and processed meat; bread does not mature in time. Comparably, bread is like vegetable, and like the later, it cannot be stocked or warehoused.
The high perishable nature of bread is a very big headache to bakers; once its out from the oven the product must be sold off or the baker risks wasting or losing all his effort. Creatively,  there are several ways bakers try to overcome this problem, including recycling or use of the wasted bread as rusk; but this has a huge draw back, especially when the waste is huge.  The fall out from this challenge is that bakers lose handsome money to wasted bread. However, in an innovative approach, some Brits have developed a novel way to solve the problem by using wasted bread to produce craft beer.  Find the story here;

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/food-waste-fight-brits-turn-bread-beer/

Want to get a job? Take up baking

Home economics skills are now more valued than work experience, according to research carried by baking decoration specialist Cake Angels.
https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/17987/Want_to_get_a_job__Take_up_baking.html

Student killed, opposition leader detained as bread protests grip Sudan

Around the globe, bread is a major staple for most countries; hence a means of livelihood is termed  daily bread. Anything that has to do with bread, whether price change, scarcity or whatsoever raises emotion. The North African country Sudan is today in the grip of a major protest as her citizens protest against rising bread price. Find out more.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-protests/student-killed-opposition-leader-detained-as-bread-protests-grip-sudan-idUSKBN1EW0R6

Bread And Other Foods We Shouldn't Keep in the Refrigerator, Find Out Why.

The fridge comes handy for preservation and storage of virtually every kind of food; milk, drinks, fruits and vegetables. But while it has proved efficient in preservation of various foods, the reactions and changes that go on in foods under storage in the refrigerator are not well understood. For the simple reasons like change in flavour, texture, colour, appeal and nutritional value, certain foods should not be kept in the fridge. And among them is bread.
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/the-foods-you-shouldn-t-keep-in-the-fridge-a6891371.html

The World's Oldest Bakery, Which Bakery Holds the Record?

According to estimates, there are about half a million bakeries or more on the globe, (Nigeria alone has about 10,000 documented bakeries). Among these are bakeries as old as only yesterday, and some with history and heritage. In style, our team at 'Naija Bakers' Corner' conducted a research to find out.
Although it's not stated outright, the following bakeries are about the oldest bakeries in the world;

1. Hofpfisterei - Founded in the year 1331, with headquarters in Munich, Germany, Hofpfisterei is a German bakery chain. It has about 163 branches and employs about 950 people. Its products are also sold online to countries like Austria, France, Sweden and Switzerland. It's included in the elite league of companies that are over two hundred years old still functioning.

2. Haeberlein Bakery - Also a German bakery, founded in 1492.

3. Edegger-Tax - This is the oldest bakery in Austria still functioning. It was founded in 1569.

4. Metzger Bakery - Another German bakery, founded in 1586.

While we have concentrated on companies that are traditionally in bread making, there are companies like 'Ichinomiya Wasuke' , a Japanese confectionery maker established in the year 1000. We consider it more of a confectionery maker, and therefore did not include it.
From our research, Jack Bakery,  in Plymouth, is the oldest bakery in the UK. It was founded in 1596.
Coming down home, we tried to find out the oldest bakery in Nigeria as well. From available data, we could not find any bakeries above two hundred or one hundred years old still functioning in any part of Nigeria. Therefore, we narrowed down our search to bakeries above fifty years. We were able to find a bakery in Ikorodu, Independence Bakery. The bakery was founded before independence in 1960, Originally, it was named Haruna Bakery before the name was changed.
While we rank it as one of the oldest bakeries in Nigeria, we are still continuing our research to find out whether it is the oldest bakery in Nigeria or whether there are other bakeries older. We hope to give you update once we conclude our research.

The World's Oldest Baking School

Today we go to the 'oldies'.
Like in many other professions, the baking industry has always relied on informal training, apprenticeship or direct learning from the master to train new bakers. Whereas the baking profession has existed for hundreds or thousands of years, formal training in the profession in the way of a baking school only dates back to a few centuries ago. According to historical data, the oldest baking school in the world is 'The National Bakery School' in London, United Kingdom. The baking school was established in 1894.
 http://britishsocietyofbaking.org.uk/the-national-bakery-school-a-brief-history-of-the-oldest-bakery-school-in-the-world/

Kenya Considers Extending Ban on Use of Nylon for Packaging to Bread

Following its success in the ban of use of non-biodegradable materials (nylons) for secondary packaging, the National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA) is pressing ahead with banning of the use of nylon wrappers for bread and has issued a six-month ultimatum to bakers in the East African country to comply or be forced out of business. Originally, NEMA excluded bread, meat and most highly perishable products from the ban when it commenced in August 2017. The ban was mainly on secondary packaging. But now the environmental body is emboldened by the success of similar ban in Rwanda. In 2008 Rwanda took a very tough stance on nylons and implemented a total ban on the use of nylons in packaging. To remain in business bakers in Rwanda resorted to the use of waxed paper and other alternatives to wrap bread. Considering the success in Rwanda, Kenya NEMA is expected not to waver in this regard. For years Kenya has battled with environmental pollution from littering and poor refuse management that has been adverse to its tourism industry.
Being a highly littered society, would Nigeria follow similar route with the East Africans? And how would Nigerian bakers cope? We at Naija Bakers' Corner ask.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001262380/nema-extends-ban-to-bread-manufacturers-issues-six-months-grace-period

Electricity Supply Worsens as Transmission Grid Collapses

Millions of Nigerians especially in the South West are now in darkness, following a major setback in the transmission infrastructure. The grid suffered system collapse around 10pm on January 2. This is coming in the midst of the crippling fuel crisis.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/power-supply-worsen-tcn-nnpc-record-system-collapse-pipeline-shutdown/?relatedposts_hit=1&relatedposts_origin=919446&relatedposts_position=0

Former Bread Seller, Olajumoke Shares New Year Kindness

Former bread seller and our own Olajumoke Orisaguna, went back to her roots during the New Year to show kindness. Catch the full gist here:

.https://www.informationng.com/2018/01/former-bread-seller-olajumoke-orisaguna-goes-back-root-give-back-new-year.html