FLOUR CAKES STREET
Bakery is battered after glitch
EMPLOYEES at Homestyle Bake were snowed under yesterday, after a delivery truck malfunction caused flour to spout across the premises. The depot was transformed into a flurry of activity as workers tried to clear the area. Homestyle Bake director Lindsay Weber said employees’ cars were the only things damaged by the fall-out.
“IT LOOKED as though a bit of snow had fallen after (this week’s) storms, but that just wasn’t the case.” Homestyle Bake director Lindsay Weber said he was taken by surprise when he was called to an incident inside the premises yesterday morning. The company’s silo and loading bay area had been transformed into a winter wonderland - but all was not as it seemed. Mr Weber said it appeared a delivery truck malfunction had caused tonnes of flour to be pumped across the car park, coating employees’ cars and parts of Condamine St with a layer of flour. “It’s not a chemical - it’s baker’s flour milled from some of the finest wheat grown on the Darling Downs,” Mr Weber said. “The biggest concern right now is that some of the flour has been deposited on a couple of our employees’ cars, so we are working with our staff to help them lodge claims.” Mr Weber said there had
never been a similar incident at the premises before.
“This silo here has been operating for 14 years, and we haven’t had an issue,” Mr Weber said.
“It’s hard to tell how much flour has been pumped out, it spreads easily - but we’re guessing one to two tonnes.”
Employees immediately started on the clean-up effort.
Mr Weber said one of the main concerns was the flour coming in contact with water.
“We are working to get it cleaned up, as even a little bit of dew will affect it overnight,” he said.
“We have advised the council and they will be giving us some advice to make sure we minimise any environmental impact.”