Starting a bakery not only requires exceptional skills, but also requires a person to be very creative. It’s the kind of business that allows you to be as imaginative as you want to be while making money at the same time.
Truth be told, opening a bakery is not everyone’s cup of tea. You are required to have a good mind towards business while being great at baking.
In this article, we will discuss what equipment you need to start a bakery in Kenya, which location you should choose, and the different types of bakeries.
CHOOSE A TYPE
Before starting a bakery, it is important that you plan everything first on paper.
There are a lot of things that one needs to decide on before running a cake baking business. Starting with the first and most important of them all – choosing the type of bakery to start.
Generally, there are two broad categories of bakeries that we can find.
Wholesale bakeries
This type of bakery works on business-to-business model. Wholesale bakeries do not sell to end consumers directly, instead they sell to other businesses that further sell to their customers.
These other businesses can include grocery stores, cafes, etc. This type of bakery does not need to have an attractive outlook, nor does it require traffic.
The one thing that it needs to be is fast at making baked goods in large volumes. As a result, this kind of bakery requires big pieces of equipment and a lot of space.
Retail bakeries
The second major type of bakery is a retail bakery. This type sells its goods directly to customers. If you choose to start a retail bakery, then here are a few kinds that you can consider:
Home Based Bakery
A home bakery does not require a large start-up cost, nor a dedicated location. Such bakeries mainly use social media platforms to market their products.
Starting a bakery business from home is a smart move if you do not have a large budget.
Bakery with a Café
As the name suggests, this kind of bakery has its café too. Bakery cafés generally sell goods like cakes and pastries along with tea, coffee, and other beverages.
If you plan to run a bakery with a café, you must look for a place that can accommodate more than 10 to 20 people at one time, as this type of bakery requires a dining space.
Counter Service Bakeries
These are the types of bakeries commonly found along the walkways of busy shopping malls.
If you plan on starting a counter service bakery in Kenya, you require relatively low start-up capital. The space required is quite small since you have no dining area.
CHOOSING THE MENU
After deciding on the type of bakery you want to start, the second most crucial step is to choose your menu items. The baking industry is highly competitive therefore it is important to stand out if you want to be successful.
The menu is the best way you can make that happen. Look at other bakeries’ products and see how you can make yours better. It may be in the presentation, the prices, using organic ingredients, etc.
Make your menu your unique selling point so that more traffic is diverted to you regardless of you being new in the market.
LOCATION
The location of your bakery depends on the type of bakery you decide on. If it has a café with it, you need dining space, or if it is a wholesale bakery, it requires a lot of space due to the greater amount of goods being produced.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO START A BAKERY IN KENYA
You must be wondering what equipment you need to start a bakery. To give you a little idea of the equipment needed to start a bakery, here are a few items.
Opening a bakery checklist:
- Oven
- Bread proofer
- Dough sheeter
- Pastry sheeter
- Spiral mixer
- Dough mixer
- Bread slicer
- Baking tins
- Bakery racks
- Dough divider
- Dough roller
Other pieces of equipment needed to start a bakery are stainless steel work tables, shelves, storage fridges and freezers. Jua Kali Products is the most convenient place to find cheap bakery equipment for sale in Kenya.