Americans eat seven billion hot dogs during peak season from Memorial Day to Labor Day. When you consider they also eat 50 billion burgers annually, that’s a ton of buns to account for. Bakeries always need to be considering how best to prepare and store inventory and at no time is this more crucial than during the summer grilling season. While people buy baked goods throughout the year, bakeries ramp up their production and start planning for how to store product during the summer as Northern states typically are stuck inside during the winter and there is pent-up demand. Meanwhile, demand from Southern states is more consistent from season to season.
At ORBIS Corporation, our commitment to bakeries and grocery stores extends throughout the year and we help ensure they are ready during summer grilling season and beyond.
An overview of bakery items
Most people don’t think too much about buns but there are different kinds. These include buns in the grocery store that are used for hamburgers and sesame seed buns which are typically stacked two-high. Artisanal buns are single stacked because they tend to be larger. The third type are hot dog or bratwurst buns, which are stacked two-to-a-pack. Tortillas are also considered a bakery item with a big push happening around Cinco de Mayo. Cookies, doughnuts and bagels are not as in demand during the summer months as some of these other items but certainly are high movers throughout the year.
When bakeries ramp up for the summer grilling season and why they freeze product
Volume typically dictates when bakeries ramp up for the summer grilling season. Bakeries examine their output monthly and if they expect a lull during a particular timeframe, will work to bridge that gap for the summer months. Then, excess product that isn’t needed for their stores will be placed in freezers. This extends the shelf life of products and can ensure bakeries meet customer expectations which, not surprisingly, ramp up along with demand.
The benefits of freezing bakery items and using reusable plastic trays
We have found that some bakeries and grocery stores will use corrugated boxes for freezing products, which, while relatively inexpensive, have notable limitations. Unlike corrugated boxes, however, plastic trays are reusable. Customers can get many turns out of these plastic trays, which far exceed corrugated boxes in longevity and pay for themselves. Plastic construction also offers dimensional consistency for seamless integration with automated systems. Further, plastic design reduces the risk of dust or wood contamination along with optional FDA-compliant materials available for improved food safety.
At ORBIS, our bakery trays include design features to help ensure the proper freezing of products. These include a latticework on the grid that allows for proper airflow and openings on the handle walls; combined, these ensure that the bakery items are contacted in every direction by air moving around the freezer. This leads to a steady temperature throughout so the products remain consistently frozen and will be fresh and of high quality once they are thawed.
Given the variances among bakery items mentioned earlier, at ORBIS we offer a full range of plastic bakery trays for all the different sizes that are required by our bakery and grocery store customers to help them efficiently store, move and merchandise products in their supply chain. These include:
- NPL630B – Double-layer buns like hot dog buns or bratwurst buns will fit nicely in the NPL630B tray. This, along with the NPL640B tray, is typically used by independent bakeries.
- NPL640B – This tray can be used for bread, freezing applications or smaller-sized baked goods products.
- NPL660B – A larger sized tray that is used by grocery stores, primarily for bread.
When full, the NPL630B, NPL640B, and NPL660B trays stack securely for easy transport and merchandising. When empty, they cross-stack and nest for back room and truck space savings. They can be integrated with automated systems and offer smooth surfaces and contoured corners to prevent product damage. And all three trays are fully recyclable at the end of service life.
We find customers may need help moving these trays, but they don’t always have the necessary equipment. Our dollies for bakery tray systems speed shipments and merchandising at retail. They feature non-scuff casters that won’t damage plant or retail floors while a contoured profile ensures easy handling from the truck to the bakery aisle.