HOW TO SETUP YOUR BAKERY IN KENYA

Video Title: How to Setup Your Bakery in Kenya
Source: Bakewave Official YouTube Channel

Introduction

Finally, this is it—the summary of the entire bakery structure. All standards are met: International Food Safety standards, high efficiency, high accountability, and high-quality products. That is exactly what Bakewave will assist you to achieve.

You have secured your premises, but what comes next? Watch this episode to understand why your staff, raw materials, and finished products should not mix unnecessarily, and why controlled separation is key.

Three Different Doors for Safety and Efficiency

A properly designed bakery must have three different doors:

1. Back door for raw materials.
2. Front door for ready products leaving for the market.
3. Side door for staff entry.

This separation avoids contamination and increases accountability inside the bakery.

Raw Materials Storage

The store area is critical. Raw materials must be kept under lock and key, with only authorized personnel allowed inside.

• The store must be tiled for hygiene.
• Pallets should be used for proper storage.
• This ensures accuracy in measurement and prevents costly mistakes that could affect the entire bakery process.

Dough Preparation Area

Next is the dough preparation area, where mixers and water chillers are located. This section should also be fully tiled.

Here, yeast activity is at its highest during mixing and proofing. Since yeast multiplies rapidly, this area is classified as a high contamination zone.

Hygienic Barrier and Baking Area

A hygienic barrier separates the dough preparation area from the baking area. This prevents bakers working with raw dough from entering the post-baking section.

Once yeast enters the oven, it is sterilized at 40°C. The post-baking area must therefore be treated as a sterilized environment.

Staff in this section must follow strict hygiene procedures:

• Wear gloves and hairnets.
• Store personal items such as phones, wallets, jewelry, and coins in lockers.
• Change into factory clothing, shoes, and gloves provided on site.

Staff Entry and Changing Rooms

All staff must enter through the designated staff door.

• Lockable cabinets are provided in the changing rooms.
• Workers change from outside clothes into sterilized factory attire.
• Hand washing and full sanitization are mandatory before entering production.

This ensures no external contamination enters the bakery.

Baking, Cooling, and Packaging

After baking, the bread moves into the cooling and packaging area.

• The hygienic barrier ensures only sterilized staff handle bread post-baking.
• Bread is sliced, packed into crates, and loaded directly onto trucks for distribution.
• This workflow supports the FIFO principle (First In, First Out), ensuring accountability and freshness.

Compliance With International Food Safety Standards

The design emphasizes:

• Clear separation of raw materials, staff, and finished products.
• Use of tiled areas for hygiene.
• Proper ducting with no 90° bends to prevent condensation and water leakage into ovens.
• Energy-efficient equipment to reduce costs and improve sustainability.

Many bakeries in Kenya overlook these standards, leading to contamination and losses. Following this structure ensures compliance with international benchmarks and long-term profitability.

Bakewave’s Free Support Services

Bakewave Kenya provides free bakery design consultation to all clients who purchase any of their 10 complete bakery packages, from small setups producing 300 loaves to industrial bakeries producing 100,000 loaves per day.

This includes:

• Bakery layout designs in line with International Food Safety Standards.
• Guidance on implementing the FIFO principle.
• Support on reducing operational costs through energy-efficient ovens and equipment.

Conclusion

In times of crisis and rising costs of living, efficiency and food safety are more important than ever. Bakeries that adopt proper designs and energy-efficient equipment not only reduce waste but also succeed where others fail.

This bakery setup model ensures:

• High efficiency.
• Accountability.
• Hygienic, safe, and profitable production.

At Bakewave Kenya, we are committed to supporting bakers with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive.