Who makes the bread you eat?

[VetLegion]

In my city bread is mostly baked by small family owned bakeries. Usually a small store is in the front of the building, connected with other rooms in which the products (bread, pizzas, various things like that) are actually made and baked.

It just today occured to me that this is terribly inefficient and that one big "bread factory" should be able to crush these small producers through the magic of economies of scale. Yet it doesn't seem to happen.

So, how is it in your place?

[SlowwHand]

[Pekka]

God.

[Kuciwalker]

Elves.

[Wezil]

Both large and small outfits provide bread in these parts.

Strangest brand I saw recently was "OK".

What marketing genius thought up that name?!

"No our bread isn't great, but it's OK..."

Sheesh.

[rah]

Large bread companies have to deal with distribution time so preservatives are more common or shelf life is short. This allows the smaller bakers to compete but not on a large scale.

[DanS]

Small bakeries are starting to come back in the US. But it's still dominated by the big guys. Some are big guys with franchised small bakeries.

Similar dynamics to the breweries.

[Dinner]

Probably a Mexican.

[RGBVideo]

Re: Who makes the bread you eat?

Originally posted by VetLegion
It just today occured to me that this is terribly inefficient and that one big "bread factory" should be able to crush these small producers through the magic of economies of scale. Yet it doesn't seem to happen.

I used to also wonder this as a child. The fresher the bread, the healthier it is. This is why buying your bread from a local bakery is a good thing. There aren't any in Finland so I make my own. Heating the oven to make just one bread is horribly inefficient, energy-wise.

[Dinner]

The bread factories do crush the competition when it comes to price. Their economies of scale are huge. The little guys survive on marketing by selling not just bread but nestalgia for the simple life when every village had a butcher, a baker, and a candle stick maker.

[Tattila the Hun]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Elves.

Dwarves. It stays good for millennia.

[Japher]

Communists

[snoopy369]

Little bakeries can make bread with 'interesting' taste. Large producers are going to aim towards the middle, ie boring (but not objectionable). Hence why few large bakeries make any sort of real rye bread.

This is the same reason why Applebee's and The Olive Garden haven't taken over the restaurant industry... they make acceptable but fairly boring food, while the small places can make interesting food that attracts some customers and discourages other customers.

[General Ludd]

I do.

[Starchild]

Tesco.