Focus on QUALITY
This Artisan Baker makes Quality the Top Priority in his Bakery. That’s why he chose an Equipment Supplier that does the same.
When you walk into Pasticceria Bruno on Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, NY you are suddenly transported to a trendy cafe in Italy. Beautifully hand-crafted pastries, cakes, tarts, cookies and breads, line the showcases in the front of the bakery. A selection of fresh panini sandwiches and Bruno’s locally famous pizza are some of the delightful meal options.
Chef and owner, Biagio Settepani has won numerous awards including one of the “Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America” (Pastry Art & Design Magazine). He and his wife Pina, co-owner of Bruno’s, understand that people are looking for quality food. It’s an affordable luxury that people don’t mind paying a little extra for. Biagio’s attention to detail and quality can be seen in every aspect of his business, including his bakery equipment.
“It starts with the equipment, exclaims Biagio. Reliable equipment that’s backed by great service can make all the difference. Reliability and customer service is the number one thing I look for in an equipment supplier. It is much more important to me than price.” Biagio’s bakery is filled with equipment he purchased from Empire Bakery Equipment. “I’ve been working with Empire for more than 17 years and we’ve established a great working relationship”, adds Biagio. “Let’s face it, if you have equipment, something can always go wrong. The real test is what happens when it does and you call your supplier. If there’s ever a problem, I know that I only need to make one call. Empire stands behind everything they supply.”
I asked Biagio about some of his equipment decisions.
Q. The oven is widely considered the most important piece of equipment in a bakery. Why did you choose Empire’s MiniTube?
A. I’ve owned large vapor tube ovens and small modular deck ovens. I needed an oven that would give me the baking qualities of the large ovens in the space of the electric models. My 5 deck MiniTube does just that.
Q. Does the MiniTube live up to the baking quality you were getting from the larger artisan ovens?
A. Absolutely. The texture and taste of my bread is always consistent I was especially excited about trying it out on my new pizzas. Now my pizza is one of the most popular items in the cafe. I am very happy with my decision to purchase the MiniTube.
Q. You told me that you ferment your doughs for hours before dividing and shaping. Why did you purchase the Maturbiga Dough Ferment Chamber?
A. I needed more flexibility in regard to my bread and pizza production. Before, I had to use the dough within 6 hours. Now, by controlling the temperature and the fermentation process, I can leave the dough for 9, 12 hours or even more. This allows the dough to ferment correctly and improve its flavor.
Q. The Colip Refrigerator and Freezer Systems look sophisticated. Are they easy to use?
A. Actually, these systems are extremely easy to operate. They’re designed with the latest technology to preserve the quality of my food. But all I need to do is set them and forget them. Also, because of their design, they have twice the capacity of my other reach-ins and take up much less floor space than my walk-in box. This allows me to store more product in the production area where I can get to it quickly.
Biagio also owns an Empire Spiral Mixer, Rack Oven, Proof Box, Reversible Pastry Sheeter, and many smallwares items that he purchased from Empire. He highly recommends Empire for their quality products and services.
Empire can analyze your production needs and suggest the best equipment for your growing business.
Call Empire Bakery Equipment at 1-800-878-4070 or 516-681-1500 or e-mail: info@empirebake.com. For website, visit www.empirebake.com.