KANSAS CITY, MO — Many things have changed since the previous International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), and yet, it seems one thing never will: the resilience of retail and artisan bakers. From a global pandemic to a tumultuous supply chain and depleted workforce, bakery owners have showcased their grit by consistently coming out the other side … maybe a little scratched up but never defeated.
At the heart of artisan baking lies the innate desire to connect, share and teach. Coincidentally, the heart of IBIE beats to the same rhythm.
For artisan and retail bakers, stability in itself is fairly elusive, but the total lack thereof can put small businesses in a tough spot. Or, in a mind-boggling turn of events, it can lead to great change and the lessons of a lifetime.
“It comes down to menu changes and getting creative about what you’re offering,” said Amie Smith, president of the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) and pastry chef and owner of AMIE Bakery in Osterville, MA. “You need to focus on what you can do, what you can’t do and how it impacts production. That includes staffing … I lost a lot of my staff [during COVID-19] and was totally blindsided. I was so worried about being caught off guard again that I overcompensated.”
Revitalizing the workforce
Labor shortages are nothing new — the baking industry saw its fair share long before the pandemic and resounding economic fallouts — still, those events were a wake-up call for bakeries around the nation.
In an effort to combat this, the industry has introduced copious baking programs in high schools, which allow students who may not have plans for secondary schooling to gain the skills they need to start their careers without making any binding decisions.
“There’s a school district close to us that just opened up a whole campus dedicated to vocational learning,” said Scott Calvert, business strategies manager for RBA and owner of The Cake Plate, a wholesale bakery business based in Dripping Springs, TX, that’s part of Tootie Pie Co. “They have a culinary program with an amazing kitchen, and they know not all kids plan on going to college. Getting younger generations into the industry early on is exactly what we need.”
With the introduction of Gen Z and millennial workers, the ways of life that have guided bakery operations for decades have seen some modifications, especially when it comes to work ethics.
“Younger people just work differently,” Calvert said. “They have more of a ‘work smarter not harder’ mindset, whereas we always put our heads down and just worked, because that’s what we were taught to do.”
This year, IBIEducate offers several sessions on workforce development that can help bakers navigate the environment.
For many young people entering the baking industry, sustainable employment means more than just a stable paycheck and competitive benefits.
“We’ve asked students at RBA about their perspective as new members of the workforce, and work-life balance is very important, but I think another aspect of that is finding employment
that supports growth,” said Marissa Sertich Velie, executive director of RBA. “It’s very important to this newer generation that, wherever they’re working, it’s not just a job. The job is an investment in their career.”
IBIEducate programming also offers professional development sessions that can help young bakers increase their knowledge and skills.
“[At IBIE] bakery owners can come together and work through their struggles because the problem they’re having is likely a problem another bakery is having.”
Embracing automation
A dwindling supply of workers and an increased demand for fewer physically taxing tasks have caused many bakeries to invest in equipment upgrades to help alleviate their labor woes. After all, automation isn’t meant to replace people; it’s meant to make their jobs easier.
“As automation becomes more common in retail operations, bakeries have to adopt technology more quickly, especially with e-commerce,” Sertich Velie said. “It’s become essential as a business to have an online presence in a way that some smaller retailers haven’t necessarily had.”
When it comes to small businesses, taking the leap into more automated processes can be daunting, especially with rising costs of materials and economic uncertainty.
“Up until about two years ago, we were rolling dough with a rolling pin,” Smith said. “Of course, the thickness wasn’t always consistent, and I finally just couldn’t take another minute of it. So, we got a sheeter. It wasn’t an investment I necessarily wanted to make from a financial standpoint, but I knew it was a no-brainer.”
For some, acquiring and maintaining sufficient capital to make strategic investments may feel impossible, but the payoff is worth the cost. IBIEducate sessions such as How to Solve Labor Challenges with Standard Robotic Solutions and It’s a Now, Not a Later: How to Get Started with Robotic Automation can help bakers understand their needs and point them in the right direction.
Investing in automation isn’t always about buying advanced equipment. It can also mean implementing online ordering systems or delivery services. Even amidst economic lows and rising inflation, people seek indulgent breaks, and retail bakeries can capitalize on this by offering the convenience of automated systems that provide shoppers with immediate satisfaction.
Luckily, resources to help bakers navigate labor shortages and automation hurdles are plentiful. That’s thanks, in part, to the strong community built by industry associations and tradeshows — specifically IBIE — which act as hubs for growth and connection.
“[At IBIE] bakery owners can come together and work through their struggles because the problem they’re having is likely a problem another bakery is having,” Sertich Velie said. “Bringing those people together to talk and be transparent is very valuable.”
Coming together
Learning from one another is what keeps bakers from repeating the same mistakes, and instead forge their own paths, equipped with the lessons and insight from those around them.
“If your bakery has been open for 30 plus years, you’ve gone through a lot … different administrations, economic downturns, potentially natural disasters,” Sertich Velie said. “It’s important to pass those learnings on to those who may be just starting out.”
Considering retail bakers tend to work independently, it can be easy to feel isolated and disconnected from trends … and the industry. IBIE events, such as the Pillsbury Creative Cake Decorating competition or the show debut of the Panettone World Cup and Coupe de Monde de la Boulangerie, connect bakers and allow them to showcase their skills on an international level.
“It’s so exciting to see the enthusiasm to all gather, especially from the retail side,” Sertich Velie said. “Smaller retailers have a big place at IBIE. There’s a lot to learn beyond manufacturing, and there’s so much value in having face-to-face time with peers who have experienced relatively similar struggles.”
Enveloped in unpredictability yet cloaked in passion, small-scale bakers find security in community and look toward growth, as one.
This story has been adapted from the Avant Food Media’s 2025 IBIE Show Issue. Read the digital edition here.
