Use your loaf for a fresh bread Fix
Abag of bread can be had for less than $2 at any supermarket or dairy, but around the country people are queueing up at their local bakeries to buy their loaves for two or three times the price.
Jason and Arna Wnek started their small bakery, Fix Federation, in Lower Hutt four years ago, and have seen it go from strength to strength. They say there are two reasons people come back – they care about where their food comes from, and the taste.
Head baker Jason says one of the things he loves about operating a community bakery is getting to know people, and he believes his customers think the same.
“You get a ‘hello’ over the counter, and you know where [the food has] come from and who’s made it.”
Arna, who does a lot of the behind the scenes work, says bakery bread has made a comeback because bakeries have returned. People are rediscovering what they have to offer, after years of getting bread from supermarkets.
Jason says he loves the technical side of baking experimenting and tweaking variables to make something delicious. The “passion or heart” small bakeries put into their craft was reflected in the food, he says.
“At the end of the day, it’s just flour and water, but not everyone can do it.”
Besides its bread, Fix Federation has gained a reputation for its extravagant doughnuts. The bakery started by making the sweet snacks one day a week, but their popularity meant they soon became a staple.
Demand for the doughnuts exploded when the bakery made some with Cadbury Caramilk Chocolate. “People were queueing up for them,” Arna says.
The bakery has half a dozen regular flavours, such as cream and jam, and Nutella, but the most popular has been a salted caramel and Oreo one.
People regularly return to check out the new varieties, which have included creme brulee, lolly cake, berry meringue, and cookie dough, she says.
Fix Federation is shop 5/79 High S, Lower Hutt.