Beechworth Bakery is a company owned chain of bakeries located in destination towns in regional Victoria and NSW. Beechworth is located in Northeast Victoria, Australia, 290 kilometres (180 mi) north of Melbourne and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the twin cities of Albury and Wodonga which are situated either side of the Victoria – New South Wales border.
| Industry | Bakery retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | Beechworth, Victoria, Australia (1984) |
| Founder | Tom O'Toole |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 9 bakery shops (2018) Beechworth Echuca Albury Healesville Bendigo Ballarat Bright Yackandandah |
Area served | Victoria / New South Wales / Australia / International shipping |
Key people | Tom O'Toole (Founder) Marty Matassoni (Managing Director) |
| Products | Full ranges of bakery goods. Bakery Meals Hot & Cold Drinks Cake, Slices & Biscuits Large Cakes Coach Group Meal Deals |
| Services | School groups, social events, parties, baking demonstrations |
| Revenue | US$12,000,000 (2010),  5% from 2009 |
| Owner | Tom O'Toole: CEO / Marty Matassoni: Managing Director |
Number of employees | 270+ (2018) |
| Website | beechworthbakery |
Beechworth Bakery was established by Tom O'Toole in 1984 when he bought the Ideal Café and turned it into a bakery.[1] It has since expanded to have outlets in eight other towns in country Victoria and one just over the border in New South Wales – Ballarat, Bendigo, Echuca, Healesville, Albury, Yackandandah and Bright.[2]
Staff training edit
The Beechworth Bakery uses a technique of training for their employees that is a combination of on-the-job training as well as classroom training. The bakery at times will send their staff away to learn in a practical environment without interruptions with the use of outside companies to train staff in specific skills, including customer service, communications, management skills, computers and much more. Beechworth Bakery has been asked about the added cost of training for employees and if in fact it pays in the long run. Their answer is: "A well-trained employee who might leave some day is better than an untrained employee who might stay." Their goal is to have all customers leave with a smile on their face. To maintain this high standard, training for all staff members is provided to meet the Beechworth Bakery Customer Service Standard, which is provided by Productivity Increase Group through their seminars and quality control classes.[3] Beechworth Bakery's vision of customer service and satisfaction is based on three rules. "Rule 1: Take care of the customer. Rule 2: Take care of the customer. Rule 3: Take care of the customer."
Community involvement edit
A collaboration between Beechworth Bakery and the Learning Disabilities/ Dyslexia project run by Dr Everarda Cunningham at Swinburne University's Lilydale campus saw the creation of an award to recognize achievements of individuals with learning disabilities.[4] This project has developed innovative ways of assisting students who are experiencing learning disabilities through teacher programs designed to provide practical support in the classroom.[5]
In 2014, a multi-day bike ride in support of fundraising for the State Emergency Service (SES) was sponsored by the Beechworth Bakery, with most stages starting and finishing at its outlets.[6]
References edit
- ^ Hudson, Sarah (30 April 2014). "Beechworth Bakery creator Tom O'Toole celebrates 30 years and six bakeries". The Weekly Times. News Corp. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "Beechworth Bakery". Find Your Self. Yarra Ranges Tourism. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "Productivity Increase Group - Increasing productivity through people". Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "Higher Education, Lilydale Staff Profiles". Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "Media Releases". Archived from the original on 8 August 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ "Tour de Beechworth 2014". Victorian State Emergency Service. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.