event discusses trends in the area

Everyone has their favorite bakery and bread that they wouldn’t trade for anything. But, even in such a traditional sector, there is always room for innovation and sustainability. Last Thursday (14), Bom Gourmet and Composta Mais came together to promote the event “Much Além do Pãozinho”, which discussed trends and sales strategies in the bakery area. Eduardo Feliz, partner and baker at Lucca Cafés Especiais and San Francisco Baking Institute, and Nayadi Manetti, marketing analyst at Família Farinha, shared a little about their trajectories in the area and highlighted how the adoption of sustainable practices can contribute to a business.

Feliz opened the event by talking about the beginning of his career, when he worked in his father’s bakery. At one point, he decided to leave the family business and went to the United States to study new baking techniques at the San Francisco Baking Institute, where he learned about artisanal fermentation. When he returned to Brazil in 2017, he became a partner at Lucca Cafés Especiais. There, he says that he faced some difficulty in winning over customers with new baking techniques, but that over time, they adhered to the concept. Feliz highlighted that, no matter how experienced the baker is, seeking new techniques and specializing is always important. Today, the businessman is responsible for the only Brazilian unit of the San Francisco Baking Institute, in Curitiba.

Next, Nayadi Manetti spoke about techniques to combine marketing with sustainability, a subject of increasing interest among consumers, who are now willing to spend more in establishments that adopt these practices. Small actions, such as changing straws and cutlery holders from plastic to paper, can leave a positive impression on customers. Nayadi highlighted the importance of seeing sustainability as an integral part of the company’s culture, without trying to “take a step too far” – but rather, doing what is possible within each reality.

Concluding the event, Ricardo Bruner, commercial director of Composta Mais, explained how the company works. Customers who subscribe to the service receive a 60-liter drum, where organic waste is deposited for composting. The containers are collected and, at the end of the month, customers receive a seedling and some fertilizer. The number of bottles and collections varies depending on the customer’s needs.