Use your Loaf

Putting together the right bread basket is an important task all too often overlooked by the busy caterer. Bread speaks volumes about an operation. It is usually the first item a customer will eat and consequently sets the scene for things to come. A poor bread offering can give an indication of an overall poor menu and, rightly or wrongly, instil a perception that can be difficult to shift.

Many operations still prefer to make their own bread, but for those without the facilities or skilled labour force a bought-in version is a viable alternative. This is particularly relevant in banqueting circles, where the cost of making bread would be prohibitive.

Unlike some products, commercially produced bread has seen extensive development over the past few years. Now it is often possible to achieve a bread basket that reflects the style of the cuisine, whether it be French, English, Italian, Mediterranean, Asian, or even a mixture of styles.

Part-baked frozen bread is one of the easiest formats for a caterer. It allows the bread to be finished off just before being served, thus arriving at the table warm and maximising aroma and texture.

Caterer invited a panel of five judges to the Glasgow Moat House to put their taste buds to work on a variety of bread and rolls.

The judges were: Bob Muir, food production manager at special events caterer Wheatsheaf Catering; David Donaldson, standards auditor for Kelvin International, the off-shore and site services division of Gardner Merchant; Gerry Sharkey, senior sous chef at the Glasgow Moat House; Ciosa Dallas, general manager of the Stakis Glasgow City, which opened this month; and Claire Window, front office manager at the Glasgow Moat House.

The products, which were all supplied frozen part-baked, were cooked according to manufacturers' instructions. Tasters were asked to assess each product for visual impression, aroma, texture and taste as well as give each one an overall mark. All products were tasted blind. There was a wide range of marks, but overall the panel was impressed by the quality of the products available. Those with different grains found particular favour.