Bakery

At this new bakery, the Tropézienne and kouign-amann are just some of many eclectic regional French specialties that will inspire the kind of where-have-you-been-all-my-life epiphanies as the first time you tore into the Taiwanese squid-ink bread at Irvine's 85°C or sunk your teeth into the Japanese strawberry croissant at Tustin's Cream Pan. Pandor is effectively the open-to-the-public showroom for RTR bakery, the wholesale side of the operation whose facility is located in an anonymous office park somewhere in Irvine. Tiffany and Raffi Sepetjian own both; their team of hired-gun Frenchmen do the baking, craft the dessert pastries, and execute a café menu full of sandwiches and egg dishes. …

The American Institute of Baking once again rated Lucks Food Decorating Company's two manufacturing facilities "Superior" in their food plant sanitation inspection for 2012. The two plants scored a 975 and 985 out of a possible 1,000. "All of Lucks manufactured edible products are made in facilities that operate at the highest level of quality and safety," said Megan Leifson, R&D and Quality Assurance Manager. …

Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, paid premiums totaling CHF 2.8 million (EUR 2.4 million/USD 2.9 million) to 45 cocoa cooperatives and more than 12,000 farmers in Côte d'Ivoire for Rainforest Alliance Certified™ cocoa. …

September is Whole Grains Month and the Boston-based non-profit Oldways and its Whole Grains Council (WGC) are encouraging people everywhere to join the celebration by participating in two special promotions: a Whole Grains Makeover Contest with EatingWell magazine and the Whole Grain Deal of the Day. …

The Weston Bakeries in Regina will be closing, plant manager David Stevenson confirmed Friday. The bakery is expected to close its doors for good this fall, according to Stevenson, who would not offer further comments based on restrictions inside the company. …