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In episode one of season three, we heard from IRI Worldwide about how panic-buying at the supermarket was reflected in sales data and how it’s changed over the course of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In this episode, we explore how that demand impacted commercial bakery production.
Jeff Dearduff, president and chief executive officer of Gold Standard Baking, Chicago, shared how increased demand at the supermarket and evaporating foodservice business changed Gold Standard’s operations. The company’s diverse product line and business was critical to keeping up with market changes.
“We were able to move production around to keep things balanced and people employed,” Mr. Dearduff said. “As we saw the foodservice and co-packer side that feed food manufacturing and retail increase, we just had to reevaluate our schedule and our people to those lines and move that volume to that capacity and it worked out well and continues to work out well today.”
Running a bakery during a pandemic comes with a lot of extra challenges from rearranging production to keeping employees safe. As the United States settled into the pandemic, consumer needs changed, and Gold Standard adapted with the help of its COVID-19 emergency team.
Hear how Gold Standard Baking felt the effects of the pandemic and the lessons the company has taken from the experience.
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