Companion Baking helps producers forge a recipe for bread success

The bakery consulting company shares insights from its three decades of history.

As anyone in the business could attest, baking is not easy. Even the most experienced bakers and long-standing operations could occasionally use help with their recipes, supply-chain issues, or other common challenges.

Companion Baking aims to help alleviate some of those common headaches experienced by bakery operations. For about 30 years, the company has offered services and expertise to bakery operations looking to streamline and fine-tune their programs. To learn more, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery connected with a Companion Baking spokesperson.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please share a little bit about Companion Baking—how the company got started, how you’ve grown over the years (especially recently), key milestones, and anything else you’d like to share with our audience?

Companion Baking: Since 1993, we’ve helped James Beard winners, fast-casual start-ups, and established multi-unit operators create affordable and accessible bread programs. We take time to understand the vision of our customers, listen first and solve second, and help our customers tell their story in the bag or on the plate.

JS: Could you please tell us about some of your most notable products—feel free to spotlight some of your best sellers, and/or any especially cool recent offerings.

CB: We’ve recently developed a custom-curated, naturally fermented artisanal bread line for a home subscription in addition to a small mix of everyday value breads for multiple grocery store chains throughout the Midwest.

JS: Then, please share what you can about your partnership with Wally’s—how did you come to connect with the restaurant, and please tell us about the Lil' French 6" Bun and Potato 4" Bun breads they’ll be offering.

CB: Wally’s reached out to us to alleviate supply chain disruption problems they’ve faced with previous bakers. We were able to not only fix the product availability issue, but to improve flavor and handling of their bread program specifically for their carry-out sandwich program. Wally’s operates large scale roadside fueling and food stations. It’s a one-stop shop for customers to fuel up and grab quality food for the entire family.

JS: What do you have planned for the near and long-term future? You’re already serving a significant number of restaurants, but do you have any plans to expand further?

CB: We focus primarily on multi-unit operators with approximately 15-150 units. We’re nimble, flexible and capable of serving those folks across the country. We’ve got lots of opportunities in the pipeline and continue to build our team to serve and scale with those customers.

JS: Could you please share what you think sets Companion Baking apart from other companies operating in this field—and what are some of the qualities that you feel have helped contribute to your success thus far?

CB: Our passion is to solve our customer’s problems; and, I believe, our point of difference is our eagerness and willingness to listen.

Jenni Spinner is the chief editor of Snack Food and Wholesale with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business communications. She has written extensively about food production, safety and packaging; pharmaceutical drug development; concrete and masonry construction; and more. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois. Jenni can be reached at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com.

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