With more than 100 years of baking history, MIWE has a reputation of technical excellence and industry knowhow as a manufacturer of bakery ovens, system components and oven solutions. As exclusive distributor of MIWE in UK and Ireland, Jole Reddin and James McConnell, technical sales support executives at EPP, made the trip to the MIWE Live Baking Center (LBC) at Arnstein, Germany, to find out how to better serve EPP customers by learning more about the baking process and get hands-on with MIWE’s full range of technology.
James and Jole were greeted on site by Karl Heinz Hustings, master baker and head of MIWE LBC, who guided the duo throughout the visit. The LBC is an impressive 1,600m2 space designed to inspire knowledge-sharing and showcase MIWE’s technologies, populated with shining stainless-steel technology and kept spotlessly clean. The EPP duo were immediately put to work, brushing up on their kneading skills and preparing doughs to be baked in the upcoming test sessions. Jole and James learned about MIWE’s proving and freezing systems, including the GVA SK and SF models.
“Getting hands on and baking reminded us of the hard work that is involved in making artisan-style bakery products, and the expertise that goes into them” says James McConnell. “It is a fantastic setup at Arnstein, and we were soon helping with day-to-day tasks like keeping the site clean and carrying heavy bags of our flour across the room – we received an authentic experience! Both the baking and technology tips we picked up from Karl Heinz were invaluable and will help us as we speak to our customers in the UK and Ireland, as we work to find out how we can best help them with their own unique requirements.”
The following day’s learning focussed on the extensive collection of baking stations at the LBC, which included MIWE’s smaller ovens such as the aero and gusto models, through to larger ideal, roll-in, thermostatic and deck ovens. The EPP duo baked their proved dough as white rolls in different ovens using different settings controlled via a touch screen user interface – each producing subtle variations in colour, finish and texture. In one test, the team reduced air control using the settings, which led to reduced consistency of the bake.
“To be able to compare such a broad range of different solutions in one space was very educational and has helped me to better understand the needs of our customers, and which solutions suit them best,” says Jole Reddin. “We regularly offer customers the chance to see MIWE products in action – such as at the Puratos centre in the UK – and Karl Heinz gave us some great insights into how best to showcase MIWE technology. I’m now even more confident with my understanding of different advanced settings and how to apply them in different scenarios. The visit showed us that when you are not getting the result you want, a simple adjustment of the settings can provide a solution.”
Other products were baked, including French baguettes, rye breads, and the team was given a demonstration of MIWE’s impressive loading system for larger deck ovens. The duo also had an opportunity view the production facility to see where the ovens are built. “It’s clear to see that no corners are cut,” adds Jole.“When MIWE says its products are ‘Made in Germany,’ they really mean it – everything is made there to extremely high standards. People who know MIWE tend to stick with them. Some of our customers still have them working perfectly after more than 20 years of heavy use, and the visit emphasised why they are so highly regarded. If you look after your MIWE oven, it will look after you.”
EPP is an exclusive distributor of MIWE ovens in the UK and Ireland. If you are interested in MIWE products and/or would like to arrange a visit to see some MIWE equipment in action, please contact sales@eppltd.co.uk.
