Craft to Crumb mini-mag | June Q2 2023 | Mediterra Bakehouse

Page 1

INSIGHTS AND INSPIRATION FOR THE RETAIL BAKING COMMUNITY MEDITERRA BAKEHOUSE WWW.CRAFTTOCRUMB.COM Q2 2023 | INAUGURAL YEAR

AVANT FOOD MEDIA

Paul Lattan President - Principal 816.585.5030

Steve Berne Vice President - Principal 816.605.5037

Joanie Spencer Director of Content - Partner 913.777.8874

CRAFT TO CRUMB

Paul Lattan Publisher paul@avantfoodmedia.com

Steve Berne Director of Media steve@avantfoodmedia.com

Joanie Spencer Editor-in-Chief joanie@avantfoodmedia.com

Mari Rydings Editorial Director mari@avantfoodmedia.com

Jordan Winter Creative Director jordan@avantfoodmedia.com

Olivia Siddall Multimedia Specialist olivia@avantfoodmedia.com

Annie Hollon Managing Editor annie@avantfoodmedia.com

Evan Bail Associate Editor evan@avantfoodmedia.com

Maggie Glisan | Bella Foote Contributors info@crafttocrumb.com

Craft to Crumb is published by Avant Food Media, 1703 Wyandotte St., Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64108. Craft to Crumb considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur. Consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Craft to Crumb is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not liable for errors and omissions. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Avant Food Media nor any of its employees accept any responsibility for their activities. The Craft to Crumb mini-mag is produced in the USA and all rights are reserved. 02
Community Find Us On
Our
www.crafttocrumb.com/subscribe INSIGHTS AND INSPIRATION FOR THE RETAIL BAKING COMMUNITY Subscribe Now The Fine Print
THE OLDEST, MOST SUCCESSFUL, AND ONLY ANNUAL TRADE SHOW FOR THE BAKING INDUSTRY. 15 8 5 100s In association with: Partners: Scan now for 25% off your pass or use promo code CRUMB25 at artisanbakeryexpoeast.com Sessions, Workshops, & Keynotes Live Demonstrations Competition Categories of Vendors & Products to Explore

It all starts, and ends, with a cup!

never looked so good! North American Manufacturer of Premium Baking Cups Scan Here for Catalogue
Baking
25 BAKER PROFILE: Niko Ambeliotis 6 EDITOR’S NOTE 8 TRENDS: Artisan Bread on the Rise FEATURED 14 05 28 PRODUCT SHOWCASE FEATURED BAKERY: Mediterra Bakehouse 33 AD INDEX COVER: Mediterra Bakehouse is an Ambeliotis family affair that spans from production in Pittsburgh to wheat fields in Arizona, the Mexico border ... and more. Cover photo by Michael Ray Photography

THE CALLING

Bakeries have a gravitational pull, whether it’s the patron in search of the perfect loaf or the baker in perpetual pursuit to make it. It has a certain siren song (albeit with a happy ending).

This issue of our mini-mag introduces Mediterra Bakehouse, a family bakery, and one with an atypical lineage. You see, family bakers are usually born into the business … but for Mediterra, the family built the bakery.

It was a calling.

I’ve met a lot of bakers in my career, and usually, they’ve followed their chosen profession. But for the Ambeliotis family, owners of Mediterra in Pittsburgh, the profession chose them. It started with Nick Ambeliotis Sr., who founded the bakery in 2002, and as his family watched him grow the business, they, too, followed the calling.

Some in the family didn’t plan to be bakers. Some even thought Nick’s ambition was crazy. But in the end, the Ambeliotis family has taken this business from the back of a Subaru Outback to the wheat fields of Arizona to the shelves of Whole Foods and even the border of Mexico.

Join us in this classic tale of an American dream, as only a family of bakers can tell it. Welcome to Mediterra Bakehouse.

06
Craft to Crumb A Note From The Editor
With two times the donut mix avors of the nearest competitor*, we’ll help you create more buying opportunities for current customers—and attract new ones. For creating pro ts, we’re your perfect partner. Create more sales with 2X the donut mix flavors. © 2023 Dawn Foods Products, Inc. *Based on comparison of avored cake donut mix varieties listed on Bakemark.com 12/1/22 Discover true partnership by contacting us at 1-800-292-1362 or at dawnfoods.com/donut-variety.

ON THE RISE

Artisan

experiment with unique flavors, local ingredients and ancient grains.

Craft to Crumb Consumer Trends
08
© fahrwasser | Adobe
© gen_A | Adobe
© Aldoshina Ekaterina | Adobe

Enthusiasm for baking sourdough at home may have petered out since its heyday during the stay-at-home days of the pandemic, but interest in artisan bread remains strong among people looking for fresh, crusty, rustic loaves.

“I think the average customer is a lot more educated in terms of what artisan baking is,” said Ellen King, co-owner and director of baking operations at Chicago-based Hewn, a bakery located on the city’s North Shore that specializes in made-from-scratch breads. “The pandemic really helped expose people to sourdough bread, and I think customers have a better understanding of why it’s important to come to an artisan bakery that works with local farmers to source their grains.”

Bary Yogev, co-owner and head baker of Liv Breads in Millburn, NJ, said he thinks consumers have a greater appreciation for sourdough and artisan bread after their own bread baking experiences at home during lockdown.

“People realized the process is not as easy as you think,” he said. “Maybe you had the time to grow a starter of your own … and kill one of your own. When you’ve tried and failed, you understand the value of a good quality sourdough bread from a bakery.”

The global artisanal bakery products market is growing, with a value of $95.13 billion in 2022 and an expected growth rate of 5.7%

between 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research. Macro trends like clean label, holistic health and sustainability all play a factor and are key attributes that make artisan breads appealing to consumers. According to the Life Through the Lens of Bakery 2023 survey from the American Bakers Association, 69% of respondents said a company’s commitment to responsibly sourced ingredients will influence their purchasing decisions.

“Our customers are looking for products that are good for them and good for the planet, and our breads deliver on that,” King said, noting that consumer demand for sustainability is part of what’s making it possible for artisan bakeries to be profitable.

“Our bread isn’t cheap to produce,” she continued. “We’re working directly with farmers rather than getting commodity pricing. It also takes a long time to train our staff on how to make the bread. Customers see the value and are more willing to spend the money on high-quality artisan bread on a weekly basis. They believe in this kind of bread and have made it a part of their lifestyle.”

As a result, artisan bread clubs and subscription programs are also growing in popularity as consumers prioritize fresh, small-batch bread as part of their everyday diet. For example, Liv Breads has a monthly bread club — available for pickup or local delivery — in which members receive a rotating variety of staples,

09
“Customers see the value and are more willing to spend the money on high-quality artisan bread on a weekly basis. They believe in this kind of bread and have made it a part of their lifestyle.”
Ellen King | co-owner, director of baking operations | Hewn

Craft to Crumb

Consumer Trends

seasonal specials and off-menu favorites.

Bread Artisan Bakery in Santa Ana, CA, offers weekly subscriptions for several of its breads, including sourdough, baguettes and cinnamon rolls.

San Francisco sourdough giant Boudin Bakery offers 3-, 6- and 12-month subscriptions featuring its classic loaves , with shipping available across the US.

While some bakers are keeping their focus on more traditional loaves and rolls, others are taking risks with bold flavors and unexpected ingredients. In San Francisco, Azikiwee Anderson of Rize Up Bakery is turning heads with a bright purple ube loaf featuring the buzzy yams from Southeast Asia. Other unique offerings include the “K-Pop” Loaf, made with gochujang, toasted sesame, roasted garlic and scallions, and the Masala Pan Loaf, stuffed with onion, turmeric, cumin, curry leaves, cilantro and chile peppers.

In Miami, Zak the Baker, a nominee for Outstanding Bakery in the 2023 James Beard Awards, is known for its contemporary flavors, which often have a hint of Mediterranean flair. The bakery cafe pushes the envelope with seasonal sourdough offerings such as olive and za’atar, pumpkin seed and turmeric, and roasted heirloom tomato and garlic.

Yogev said that although Liv Breads isn’t quick to jump on passing trends, the bakery will often feature seasonal menu items that include local produce, giving him an avenue for greater flavor experimentation.

“Even though our focus is on making classic breads, we try to leave some room for creativity where we can play with seasonal vegetables and fruits,” he said.

That might mean a summer focaccia piled with fresh corn, cotija cheese, tomato, pickled red onion and Thai basil, or a cranberry and almond cream babka just in time for Thanksgiving.

But as much as the unique flavor profiles may rack up likes on Instagram, Yogev said what people really care about are the basics.

“At the end of the day, our customers just want great bread for making a sandwich or spreading with butter,” he shared.

Flavor isn’t the only way artisan bakers are tinkering with the classics. Consumers are increasingly curious about ancient grains. In a recent survey from Ardent Mills, 63% of respondents said they were either very familiar with ancient grains or had heard of them, while 85% showed interest in the nutritional benefits and 82% said they were interested in the functional benefits. Ancient grains are also of interest to many people with gluten sensitivities as they can often be consumed without difficulties.

Bakers are tapping into that interest and finding a variety of grains to incorporate into their

Bakery
Featured
Craft to Crumb
10
Photo courtesy of Rize Up Bakery Rize Up Bakery is known for its ube loaf, distinguished by its purple hue.

NATURALLY GOOD . RIGHT FROM THE START.

OUR DIFFERENCE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

Farmer Direct Foods produces premium, whole-grain flours that are regeneratively-farmed, milled and sold with intention and integrity. Our flours are exactly what we say they are—traced straight back to our farmers’ ancestral wheat fields and minimally processed to assure we preserve the natural nutrition, deep flavor, and complete character of the grain.

It’s time for a wheat renaissance. Farmer Direct Foods is leading a return to wholesome ingredients that are better for consumers, farmers and the earth.

STONE-GROUND

NO PRESERVATIVES NON-GMO VERIFIED REGENERATIVELY FARMED KOSHER Contact us to request a sample today! FARMERDIRECTFOODS.COM 5641 EAST MARIPOSA ROAD, NEW CAMBRIA, KS 67470 | 785-823-8787
WHOLE WHEAT SUPPORTS AMERICAN FARMERS

recipes, including spelt, kamut and einkorn — all of which have seen an uptick in popularity.

King, who has been sourcing local and ancient grains for Hewn since it opened in 2013, said she is excited consumers are starting to catch on to the benefits. Today, the majority of Hewn’s grains are locally sourced from Illinois and Wisconsin and stone-milled heritage varieties of wheat are used in all their breads.

“I think people finally have an understanding of what heritage wheat and ancient grains are,” King said. “Maybe they’ve read about them or tried them somewhere. There are still some grains that are foreign to people, but now we even have customers that will come in and ask for the specific variety of wheat we’re baking with, like Turkey Red, Red Fife or Marquis. They’re more open to experimentation and trying different varieties.”

Roxana Jullapat, owner of Friends & Family in Los Angeles, is another baker leading the growing ancient grain trend. Her restaurant and bakery tout a deep roster of domestically sourced ancient and heritage grains such as purple barley, buckwheat, sorghum and rye.

Some artisan bakeries such as Pittsburgh bakery Mediterra Bakehouse featured in this issue — are making the move to mill their own flour.

At Independent Bakery Co. in Athens, GA, all the whole grain flour is milled in-house, with half the grain sourced from a nearby farm. And at Gaston’s Bakery & Mill in Boise, ID, bags of milled local grain have become almost as popular as the bakery’s hand-crafted buns, boules and batards.

Yogev said this is an exciting shift but added that in-house milling tends to be best suited for small bakeries, as consistency can be a considerable challenge. He also said that when it comes to ancient grains and niche flours, while it’s fun to talk about, he’s not sure

the consumer demand is there yet. However, Yogev looks forward to more experimentation among bakers, which will hopefully get more consumers to catch on.

Trends may come and go, but Yogev and King both agree that sourdough and artisan breads aren’t going anywhere.

“Overall, it’s a fun time to be a bread baker,” King said. “Consumers are smart, and they’re curious and want the freshest bread they can get. That’s an exciting opportunity for us to be able to expand upon what we do.”

Featured Bakery
to
12
Craft
Crumb
© nito | Adobe
Kamut gives bread a rich, buttery flavor and packs up to 40% more protein than red wheat. Craft to Crumb Consumer Trends

Beekeepers BEES NEED

Beekeepers work hard to make sure honey bees have a diverse diet, a hive free from parasites and plenty of honey to eat.

A healthy hive produces more honey than it needs. Any extra honey is extracted and made available for sale.

Purchasing honey helps support the beekeepers that protect our bees.

Honey helps.

Contact keith@honey.com to learn how your company can support honey bees and beekeepers.

WRITING ON THE WALL

Mediterra Bakehouse brings Old-World style with a modern family twist.

Some people believe in signs. Others simply believe in strategy, execution and dogged determination. Nick Ambeliotis, founder of Mediterra Bakehouse in P ittsburgh, lives by both.

This artisan bakery is a family affair, founded by Nick and owned and operated by his sons: Mike, head of business operations; Anthony, head of production; and Niko, also head of production; with three cafe locations led by his daughter, Nicole Ambeliotis McLean.

Family bakeries can be rather peculiar, often having longevity as deep as their bloodlines. Typically, second-generation bakers are born into the business, but for Mediterra, the opposite was true. It was born into the Ambeliotis family.

Though his career was rooted in food, Nick didn’t set out to be a baker. After helping transform his father’s local grocery store into a high-end food shop, he later experienced opportunities, pivots and chance encounters, including procuring foods from around the world for Euro Foods USA.

But after spending most of the ’90s with some of the top French culinary experts in Paris, his love for fine foods parlayed into a desire to learn the art of breadmaking. It was a unique formula: two parts professional development and elder guidance, and one part quiet nudge. He put them together … and saw a sign.

With an appreciation for good bread and a deep sense of

14
WATCH NOW Get an exclusive look behind the bake at Mediterra. Opening spread: Bottom left photo courtesy of Mediterra Bakehouse; all other photos by Michael Ray Photography

determination, Nick spent six months learning from marquee artisan bakeries around the country, including Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, MI; Sage Bakehouse in Santa Fe, NM; and Acme Bread Company in San Francisco, soaking up as much knowledge as he possibly could.

“I remember visiting a Jewish baker on Coney Island because I loved his rye,” he recalled. “I begged him to teach me how to make it.”

Before long, it was a new millennium … and the dawn of Mediterra Bakehouse.

“I sold my home and used the money to buy equipment,” Nick said. “And I started baking, one loaf at a time.”

Before there were customers, there was Mediterra Bakehouse bread.

Nick started Mediterra with about 15 recipes, including Mt. Athos, a sourdough made with germ-restored wheat; pan au levain; ciabatta; paesano; rustic Italian and an 8-grain loaf before branching out with olive farm, chocolate cherry, cranberry pecan and more.

With a leap of faith, he loaded his bread into the hatch of a Subaru Outback and returned to the contacts, customers and acquaintances he’d made during his career in food. He asked them

LISTEN NOW:

all one simple question: “Will you buy my bread?”

Armed with his premium quality product and relentless sales acumen, Nick eventually picked up accounts for Whole Foods and West Side Market in markets as far as Cleveland and Columbus, OH, while the breads gained local visibility at Pittsburgh farmers markets, where they’re still sold today.

“I’d bake all day, go home in the afternoon, and then at around 10 at night drive to Columbus — for one account,” he said. “I just didn’t want to let my customer down because I knew I had something.”

Mediterra started one loaf at a time, and it grew one customer at a time. Today, products can be found in retailers around the country, including fresh and flashfrozen breads sold in Whole Foods and other retailers as well as foodservice customers through broadline distributors.

But this is more than just a bakery.

In 2015, Nick felt another calling, leading him to acquire a farm in Coolidge, AZ, to grow the bakery’s own heritage grains. A lofty venture but another sign he was committed to follow.

“We all thought he was crazy,” Mike admitted, but after about three years, the wheat fields flourished, and Whole Foods came calling. “They went nuts over it.”

Today, Mediterra enjoys the benefits of vertical integration, with 2023 looking like the best harvest yet.

“We’re a rare bakery that has a farmer on the payroll who’s doing everything down to checking the soil before the wheat is planted,” Mike said of the practice. “This means we can control the process all the way from seed to finished product.”

16
Craft to Crumb Mediterra Bakehouse Mike Ambeliotis, head of business operations, describes how vertical integration through the Mediterra farm has benefitted the business. Photo courtesy of Mediterra Bakehouse
Used by bakers like you to bring baked goods to life. What tools are essential for creating irresistibly tempting treats? Your experience. Your imagination. Your passion. Combined with a hardworking Hobart Legacy+® mixer, it’s a recipe for perfection. hobartcorp.com

The primary crop is 150 acres of heritage Red Fife, what Nick calls the bakery’s “workhorse” grain used for many of Mediterra’s top-selling items. The bakery also grows heritage grains like Sonoran white used to make some signature dinner rolls, as well as a Blue Beard durum for other signature breads.

Wheat harvested in Arizona is cleaned and shipped back to the Pittsburgh bakery, where it’s milled on-site to be used fresh, going through nearly 3,000 lbs. of Red Fife a day. Aside from sourcing King Arthur for its bulk flour, Mediterra’s vertical integration approach has almost completely moved the operation away from commodity flour.

The action in Arizona didn’t stop with the wheat fields. Through a personal relationship with Geronda Ephraim, the late Greek Orthodox elder who founded St. Anthony’s Monastery in Florence, AZ, and a close adviser to Nick, he received another sign.

“[Ephraim] told me, ‘You need to open a bakery in Phoenix,’” Nick recalled. “He said, ‘There are people here who are hungry, and

WATCH NOW

you can feed them.’ So, I left Pittsburgh and started the bakery, and my sons took over the business at home.”

Operationally, the Coolidge bakery is smaller than Pittsburgh, but with proximity to the wheat fields, it has a wealth of resources to meet high demand in the area.

As the bakery flourishes, it also lives up to Ephraim’s prophetic wisdom. The business is solid, with retail sales and foodservice accounts throughout Arizona, and it’s providing needed food for people 200 miles south in the town of Nogales on the Mexico border.

As a man of faith, Nick is always open to divine whispers, but as the owner of a nimble bakery, the word “no” is absent from his vocabulary. That was the case when Mediterra opened and when the Arizona business started. To an extent, it’s still true today.

From those first 15 recipes, the bakery has grown its lineup exponentially and now works up to 40 different doughs on a given day.

18
See how Mediterra’s careful sheeting process creates a variety of pastries.
Photo by Michael Ray Photography
The Process starts with a great idea! and Sottoriva America has many solutions of how you can get there... and with Sottoriva Machines you can grow to these... BURGER BUNS | HOT DOG BUNS | BRIOCHE | FLOUR TORTILLAS | PITA BREAD | KOLACHES | PACZKI DONUTS | EMPANADAS & MORE LYRA-MAX Divider | Rounder with the MINI LINE F3 with LYRA MAX we offer: water meters, water chillers, dough mixers, dough feeders, roll/bun dividers, roll lines, bread dividers, conical rounders, bread proofers, bread moulders, proof boxes, retarders, baking ovens DINAMICA 4|M Divider|Rounder or... www.sottoriva.com Tel: (704) 714-5880 bit.ly/sottorivayoutube West FOOD MAKERS BAKERY EQUIPMENT www.FMBE.com | 626.358.1343 we are: SOTTORIVA SpA Since 1944 Family Owned Bakery Equipment Manufacturer SOTTORIVA AMERICA Since 2010 Sales, Parts & Service for North America

“We could be making three to five different shapes from each of those dough varieties,” Mike said. “For example, if we’re working with our Italian dough, we’ll be making dinner rolls and several different deli loaves from it.”

That much versatility makes it hard to pin down the number of SKUs, but it ranges in the hundreds, especially when factoring in the pastry production that’s also housed in the 36,500-sq.-ft. bakery.

Pastry, which accounts for about 10% of the business (including exclusive production for Mediterra Cafe locations), began around 2009 when Mike’s wife, Aundrea Ambeliotis, stepped in to spearhead the department. With items ranging from cookies and muffins to croissants and cruffins (muffins made with croissant dough), pastry production is led by Shannon Koppes, who has been the production manager for about 12 years.

Overall, Mediterra has found its sweet spot, where it can remain flexible enough to create a wide variety of premium artisan products while having the efficiency to do it at scale.

It’s a marriage of automation with an Old-World style for levain and poolish that still relies on starters over commercial yeast. While a Rheon bread makeup line, Koenig roll line and Rondo dough sheeter allow for the high

WATCH NOW

throughputs needed for wholesale accounts, every Mediterra product still gets formed by human hands, whether it’s a manually formed boule or a hand-pinched croissant.

“We truly feel that if you look at a loaf that’s been touched by human hands compared to something that’s just come off a production line, there’s a significant difference,” Mike said. “And people can pick that out.”

Additionally, a Silos & Silos indoor silo automates the scaling of thousands of pounds of bulk flour each day, saving time and physical demand. Similarly, mixers and bowl lifts from Gemini/KB Systems make handling the dough much less daunting.

Strategies like these can streamline the process and allow the time needed for fermentation and forming, where there’s not room for compromise. The slow, naturally fermented process provides that signature flavor for breads whose hand-forming creates their distinctive look.

Purposeful automation makes the process more efficient in terms of time and staffing, and that has been a key factor in Mediterra’s growth.

20
Craft to Crumb Craft to Crumb Mediterra Bakehouse
How investing in oven technology improved operational efficiency.
“We truly feel that if you look at a loaf that’s been touched by human hands compared to something that’s just come off a production line, there’s a significant difference.”
Mike Ambeliotis | head of business operations | Mediterra Bakehouse Photo by Michael Ray Photography

High-Quality Mixers and Dough Processing Equipment

• Spiral Mixers

• Planetary Mixers

• Fork Mixers

• Double-Arm Mixers

• Volumetric Dough

Dividers

• Dough Divider Rounders

• Fully Automated Artisan Bread and Panettone Lines

Engineered and manufactured by an experienced team in Italy. Sold exclusively through A.A. Bakery in the North American Market.

Professional Energy

Efficient Ovens

• Electric Deck Ovens

• Pizza Ovens

• Deck and Rotary Rack Ovens

• Gas / Oil Fired Rack Ovens

• Steam Tube Deck Ovens

• Hybrid (Gas and Electric) Rack Ovens

Ovens are designed with energy efficiency in mind.

All ovens are designed and manufactured in Italy and sold exclusively through A.A. Bakery in the North American Market.

A.A. Bakery is a supplier of European Bakery Solutions and Equipment and is the Authorized Dealer of MC FORNI and Mfitaly equipment. Please contact A.A. Bakery for your needs. sales@aabakeryservices.com | (732) 575-9740 Contact AA Bakery to Get Started. aabakeryservices.com

“Investing in things like these has helped us go from being the little guy to doing nationwide distribution,” Mike said, noting that each night the bakery produces upwards of 25,000 items for distribution the next day. “With automation, the team can do 2,000 or 3,000 loaves an hour and then move to another line, whereas prior to automation, there may have been 10 people around the table.”

One key investment was for two Kornfeil deck ovens — two of less than 10 operational in the US — to keep up with the increasing throughput.

In addition to time efficiency, the oven’s thermal oil insulation creates a heat conduit that ensures product consistency.

“It’s made scaling up more manageable,” Niko said. “The bread goes in at the same time and comes out at once. It’s baking more evenly, which makes it easier to scale production, and it also allows us to train the bakers more easily.”

Streamlining these factors is critical to avoiding bottlenecks at the oven, which can impact quality.

“When you’re talking about the ovens, it doesn’t matter how much you can mix or shape,” Niko said. “The oven is where capacity is most crucial.”

The deck ovens accompany four Revent rack ovens that bake pan bread loaves, an Empire Bakery Equipment rack oven for pastries, and the original deck oven that Nick had custom-built when he started the bakery.

The whole Mediterra operation — from the bakeries to the farm to the cafes — may be a family affair, but the family is intertwined into a team that also feels just as close.

“We have such an amazing team,” Mike said. “And for them to flourish, we have to let them feel like this is also theirs.”

A stroll through the bakery highlights just how at home the people of Mediterra feel. With a highly diverse workforce, as many as six languages can be heard on any shift. As music plays throughout the bakery, styles can change from Russian to Latino — and anything in between — around every turn.

It’s hard to pinpoint what’s truly the origin of Mediterra Bakehouse. But if you catch Nick in the back of a Mediterra Cafe and share a basket of bread with him, he’ll tell you that his Greek Orthodox elder put the writing on the wall.

“Everybody has to be accountable to someone,” Nick said. “Listening to my elder and his direction to become a baker has blessed me. And that has blessed all those around me.”

Photo by Michael Ray Photography
THE WORLD’S LEADING TRADE FAIR FOR THE BAKING AND CONFECTIONERY INDUSTRY 2023 22.–26.10. endlessly UNIQUE Your world. Your trade fair. GET YOUR TICKET NOW! More information: www.iba.de More

THE CENTRIFUGAL BAKER

Niko Ambeliotis’

It took Nicholas Ambeliotis Jr. — known as Niko at Mediterra Bakehouse — a minute to embrace his opportunity in the family business. When his father, Nicholas Ambeliotis Sr., opened the bakery in 2002, Niko was barely a teenager, with more on his mind than his dad’s entrepreneurial calling to become a baker.

As he grew into a self-proclaimed numbers guy, Niko followed a practical path, studying accounting and working part time in the bakery.

“I didn’t think it was something I wanted to do as a career,” Niko recalled. “I just saw it as a learning experience.”

But there’s a gravitational pull at the center of a family bakery. Niko could have done anything with his accounting degree … but Mediterra was his destiny.

After paying his dues with “grunt” work like driving and packing, Niko got involved in the production side when Mediterra’s frozen business took off with a national account.

“Production was tight, and they needed me there,” he said. “That’s when I started finding my groove and grew this passion for baking.”

love of numbers and passion for dough keep things moving at Mediterra.
25
WATCH NOW
Niko Ambeliotis describes his passion for breadmaking. Photo by Michael Ray Photography

Incorporating his love of numbers into that new-found groove, Niko carved out a niche as Mediterra’s head of production, a role he shares with his brother Anthony.

“Bakery production is all about knowing how many loaves you can run through each oven and at what time throughout a shift,” Niko said. “You have to understand how much product has to be made each day and how that fits into the process. I love numbers and formulas, so figuring out those challenges is a sweet spot for me.”

While he’s responsible for ensuring the bakery cranks out product by the tens of thousands, Niko’s not just crunching numbers. He’s also developing formulas and keeping his hands in the dough.

“I love working with my hands, forming the dough,” he said. “There’s something about taking just a few ingredients and turning them into a beautiful loaf of bread. I’m very passionate about it.”

Things like baker’s percentage — formula based on flour weight as 100% — come naturally to Niko, and his combination of formulaic knowledge and production expertise create a driving force in the bakery.

Although he believes there’s no such thing as a perfect loaf, Niko

FOLLOW ON INSTA @nikothebaker

spends every day on a quest to achieve it. And in that process, he hopes to bring others along.

“With bread, you strive for perfection, knowing you may never reach it,” he said. “Every day, you have to get a little better with the process. In that respect, I try to do things the right way and set the example for everyone else.”

It’s a mentality Niko maintains not only as a baker but also a business owner.

“Every day, you walk in and there’s a different challenge,” he said. “You become a better person by overcoming those challenges and growing from them. It’s what I look forward to every day in the bakery.”

Niko easily could have taken his degree and run the corporate route. But after experiencing what his family was building with Mediterra, he knew his role — and his heart — was in the bakery. Here, he’s becoming a centrifuge.

“I realized at some point that I didn’t want to be a cog in a corporate wheel,” Niko said. “I saw the potential here — the team we had and where we were going — and I knew there were big things in the future for this place. Here, in our family business, I’m part of something bigger.”

Craft to Crumb
26
Niko Ambeliotis
“There’s something about taking just a few ingredients and turning them into a beautiful loaf of bread.”
Niko Ambeliotis | head of production | Mediterra Bakehouse

MULTIMEDIA FIRST IN

When it comes to multimedia in the baking space, we’re the OG. Avant Food Media is the first to deliver innovative multimedia content These Craft to Crumb originals take media to the next level and have become a baking industry favorite.

This is the premier media source for the retail baking industry.

TECHTALKS

TRADESHOW CONTENT

CERTIFIED MASTER BAKER STUDY HALL

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

The versatility of Mediterra Bakehouse’s baked goods lineup makes it hard to say exactly how many SKUs the Pittsburgh bakery produces. It works up to 40 different doughs on any given day. Here’s a look at some of the premium products currently available.

01 02
Craft to Crumb Product Showcase | Mediterra Bakehouse
28

FRENCH COUNTRY SOURDOUGH WITH A HONEYCOMB CRUMB AND DELICATE TANG

BROWNIE BATTER AND WHIPPED CREAM ENCASED IN CROISSANT DOUGH

WHOLE WHEAT SOURDOUGH LOAF MADE WITH HERITAGE GRAIN GROWN AND MILLED BY MEDITERRA

POTATO AND CHIVE

BUTTER CROISSANT DIPPED IN MATCHA WHITE

04 05 03 All
Bakehouse 01 FARM BREAD 02 BROWNIE CRUFFIN 03 RED FIFE BATARD 04 TWICE BAKED POTATO DANISH
photos courtesy of Mediterra
05 MATCHA CROISSANT 29
CHOCOLATE
30
Craft to Crumb
07 06
Product Showcase | Mediterra Bakehouse

WHEAT BREAD INFUSED WITH LOCAL GRAINS AND TOASTED

WITH

WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE AND RASPBERRY PRESERVE

CROISSANT DOUGH WITH PECANS AND CARAMEL

SOURDOUGH BREAD WITH CRANBERRIES AND

10 09 31 06 HEARTLAND GRAIN 07 OLIVE FARM
PEPITAS
FRENCH COUNTRY SOURDOUGH
KALAMATA OLIVES GLAZED DOME TART FILLED
08 HEART TART 09 STICKY BUN CROISSANT
PECANS 10 PECAN CRANBERRY 08

You Are Sorely Missed, Jose

On May 6, AB Mauri North America suffered a great loss, the passing of our Vice President of Technical Sales, Jose Lopez. More importantly, he was our friend, a colleague, a confidant, a baker, a husband, a father, a grandfather and so much more. Let us remember his passion for baking and for life itself.

©2023 AB Mauri Food Inc.
ADVERTISE www.crafttocrumb.com/advertise Paul Lattan paul@avantfoodmedia.com 816.585.5030 Steve Berne steve@avantfoodmedia.com 816.605.5037 GET IN TOUCH TODAY. AD INDEX
OUR MEDIA WEBSITE MINI-MAGS NEWSLETTERS MULTIMEDIA Henry & Sons 22-23 www.dhenryandsons.com info@dhenryandsons.com Tielman Group 4 www.tielman.com ken.wright@tielman.com National Honey Board 13 www.honey.com honey@nhb.org iba 24 www.iba.de/en visitor@iba.de Sottoriva 19 www.sottoriva.com richwall@sottoriva.com Hobart 17 hobartcorp.com/products/food-prep/mixers carolyn.bilger@itwfeg.com AA Bakery Services 21 www.aabakeryservices.com patrick@aabakeryservices.com AB Mauri 32 www.abmna.com customerservice.abmauri@abmauri.com Artisan Bakery Expo East 3 www.artisanbakeryexpoeast.com marketing@artisanbakeryexpo.com Avant Food Media 27 www.avantfoodmedia.com info@avantfoodmedia.com Dawn Foods 7 www.dawnfoods.com questions@dawnfoods.com Farmer Direct Foods 11 www.farmerdirectfoods.com sales@farmerdirectfoods.com
This mini-mag is brought to you by the advertisers listed below. We encourage you to reach out to them using the one-click contact information provided.

LISTEN NOW:

Nick reflects on the meaningful bonds that a bakery team can build together.

34
“I NEVER EXPECTED IT TO BE LIKE THIS. I NEVER EXPECTED IT TO BE THIS BIG, AND IT NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHOUT EVERYONE.
— NICK AMBELIOTIS | FOUNDER | MEDITERRA BAKEHOUSE

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.