At More Than A Bakery in Versailles, Ky., the world is divided into “clean” and “dirty,” based on one simple concept. It’s about protecting the food that’s made inside. Because street clothes — fancy, sturdy or otherwise — are considered dirty, the company employs a captive uniform policy. Once past the front desk, no one can enter any area of the building before changing into one of two uniforms for either pre- or post-bake areas. This company places little, if any, emphasis on such trivial matters as attire.
“What you wear to work doesn’t really matter because once inside, everyone wears the captive uniform,” noted Felicia Quigg, vice-president, Family Pride.
Clothes are not intended to “make the man” in Versailles, said Joanie Spencer, editor of Baking & Snack. And clothes don’t make the food, either.
“People make the food, and that’s the center of More Than A Bakery’s universe,” observed Ms. Spencer, who recently visited the bakery and reported on it in the publication’s March issue. She noted a natural byproduct of the captive uniform concept, which the company borrowed from food safety practices in the meat and dairy industries, also breaks down any perceived delineations between “corporate” and “manufacturing.”
To drive that home, Bill Quigg, president of More Than A Bakery, even mandated that all employees — called “Family Members” in the bakery — from the board room to the plant floor, wear their name on the captive uniform.
“This is just one of the many little details More Than A Bakery considered when designing the new facility, where it values creating high-quality, safe food and a sense of family pride,” Ms. Spencer said.
