Bread continues to be a staple food in many South African households and consumer packaged goods company Premier has showcased, to the media, its automated Waltloo bakery that produces between 370 000 and 400 000 loaves a day of white and brown bread sold under the Blue Ribbon label.

Premier operates 13 bakeries in South Africa, eSwatini and Lesotho, as well as six wheat mills and 18 bread distribution depots under the brands Blue Ribbon, BB Bakeries, Star Bakeries, Mister Bread and SUB.

The group currently has about 27% of South Africa’s bread market share, with white bread accounting for the majority of sales.

Bread is estimated to account for 10.7% of total consumer food spend. South Africa’s bread and rolls market size was valued at R19.67-billion in 2023, with the industry being poised to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4% between 2023 and 2028. 

Continuous capital investment and operational improvements have ensured Premier’s product offerings to be of high quality consistently, with the world-class Waltloo bakery, in Pretoria, being the second-biggest in the Premier portfolio.

By producing 16 000 loaves an hour, at scale with fully automated machinery, the bakery has the lowest cost of production across the group’s bakery operations. The facility uses energy efficient gas ovens and clean room technology to eliminate pathogens and bacterial contamination.

Some of Premier’s other iconic South African brands include Snowflake, Iwisa, Manhattan, Mister Sweet, Rascals, Lil-lets and Dove cotton wool.

Premier Bakeries managing executive Danie Simpson says about 70% of Blue Ribbon’s loaves make their way into the informal market, with the group’s specialised fleet of trucks delivering to 50 000 stop points every day.

He adds that unsold bread still within the best-before date and collected from retailers is donated to charities, with Premier donating about R285 000 worth of bread to organisations every month.

In turn, non-conforming bread from the factory gets processed for animal feed, which ensures zero waste from the Waltloo bakery.

Premier quality-tests its bread daily to ensure consistent quality above minimum standards.

While South Africa is dependent on imports of wheat as the main input for bread, Premier localises other services such as driving, security and cleaning, employing more than 500 people across its local workforce and contractor base.

The baking process starts with mixing and dividing to optimal weight before progressing to moulding for optimal height and shape.

Premier manufacturing executive Kobus Schmidt emphasises the importance of temperature and humidity control within the plant, which is monitored on a continuous basis. The loaves are baked for 23 minutes before cooling off for 60 minutes to the ideal slicing temperature of 28˚.

Each Blue Ribbon bread batch takes three hours from mixing to distribution with the company generally aiming for a turnaround time of 24 hours to shelf.

The Waltloo warehouse has a storage capacity of 170 000 loaves. The site also produces Blue Ribbon Squares and Snowflake cake flour.

“The Waltloo bakery has enabled Premier to meet the growing demand in the Inland market and expand into new distribution areas. The improved quality and efficiencies have provided benefits in cost competitiveness and customer satisfaction,” Simpson concludes.