A Blank Slate
SCÉAL #11 - What do you do when presented with a blank canvas. Plus we've launched the next round of our new hires.
Hello there,
It’s been a hot second since we last shared an update with you on our new bakery space. As I write this edition we are sitting in the big white box that is our new bakery space. Dreaming of all the delicious moments that lay ahead, planning flow in our heads. The systems and procedures that are needed for everything to run smooth. But mostly just staring out at the beautiful view (yesterday the sun was shining high in the sky)
The past four weeks have been dedicated to finalising our layout, work flow and design on our new home. It’s not an easy task when you’re presented with a completely blank space - a vast, white rectangular box with nothing in it. Where do you start? What is priority number one? What are the building codes and planning regulations for a new building that need careful consideration? It felt overwhelming at the beginning, but fortunately we’ve been guided through the process with our design team, AB Projects, and great friend Shantanu Starick.
We began by creating space for the essentials - our baking equipment. Over twelve months ago, we ordered all our new equipment for our bakery expansion, and it’s been tentatively waiting in a warehouse until our lease was finalised. A brand new deck oven for Shane’s sourdough, a larger sheeter for my croissant production, a rotating convection oven for baking croissants and pastries (I can’t quite believe it’s happening, to be honest), along with a HUGE spiral mixer and other toys to play with. All of these items are very large and require a significant amount of floor space. Ensuring they were incorporated into our design drawings first was crucial, as we can’t operate without them.
Next, we focused on workflow for our staff. The orientation of our new equipment received careful consideration. We created distinct sections - one for sourdough production, another for croissants, coffee service, an area for kitchen porters and dishwashing, and a service counter with display. This setup is similar to what you might imagine in a restaurant kitchen. where you have sections for starters, garde-manger, mains, sides, vegetables and pastries. Baking shifts can be labour- intensive with manual handling of bags of flour, tubs of fermenting sourdough and books of croissants, which can be tiring. We were conscious of minimising the number of steps staff would have to take to navigate the space.
We had endless conversation about flow of service for you, our valued customers. Determining how customers enter the space, how you are greeted, what you see first, the flow of placing an order and the system for collecting a take-away coffee. Let me just say, there were a couple of sleepless nights devoted to ensuring we covered all these essential aspects. Providing excellent customer service is paramount for me at Scéal.
During the height of covid restrictions, packing up online orders became a repetitive and arduous task (who remembers Scéal’s Thursday and Saturday online webshop?). However, one of the beautiful outcomes of this challenging period was that I had the opportunity to get to know many of our customers by name, their kids and gorgeous dogs too. We strive to dedicate as much time as possible to each individual who visited our market stall. It can be a tricky balancing act, especially when, on many occasions, we faced queues with wait times of 45 minutes or more. Finding the fine line between treating everyone with respect and care, acknowledging their patience balance, while also managing the growing line of eager customers behind them is something we take to heart. I’m determined to bring that same level of care and attention to detail to our new bakery space.
Oh we hope we’ve got it right. This week is all about finalising materials and finishes - the touches that will make the space feel like us. It’s surreal to say that builders are on site this week and works can finally kick off. 653 days since the day we first viewed the space and knew we wanted it to be the home for our bakery.
More building updates in the coming weeks.
We are Hiring
This week we are launching the next round of recruitment for expanding our team. We’d like to extend the invitation for you to become a key member of our founding team at Scéal’s new home in Greystones.
Full time and part time positions are available.
We are still accepting CV’s for executive pastry chef, bread bakers, pastry chefs and cafe general manager.
Available Positions
Lead Barista - For the first time we will be launching a coffee menu to pair with our exceptional viennoiserie selection. We are looking for an unabashed coffee lover to join our team at our new space in Greystones. This is a unique
opportunity to work on a new coffee menu and we are looking to recruit an enthusiastic individual to take it by the reins. This is a great role for someone who has already demonstrated a high level of skill and performance in coffee, food and hospitality.
Baristas - We are searching for engaging, courteous baristas who are passionate about food and beverage preparation. Our baristas deal directly with customers and therefore should be positive, friendly, knowledgeable and polite. In addition to greeting and serving customers, they will maintain a clean and well-stocked workspace, and also update displays. We are seeking baristas who are keen to learn and committed to continuously expanding their knowledge.
Front of House Staff - We are seeking a team of waiting staff who are enthusiastic, polite and passionate about food and speciality coffee. Waiting staff deal directly with customers so they will be positive, friendly, knowledgeable and help ensure an excellent customer experience. Ideal candidates will be able to
take their own initiative, anticipating customer needs and proactively manage the front of house space. This might include serving tables, packing orders, clearing tables, general tidying, re-stocking and managing the tills.
Kitchen Porters - We are looking for a motivated kitchen porters to join our team. Kitchen porters are an important member of both the bakery and front of house teams as they are the linchpin connecting the two spaces and the flow
of service. Ideal candidates will be a team player but also self motivated to work independently. There are opportunities for growth and training within the business.
Delivery Drivers - We need a reliable and trustworthy delivery driver for our team. The successful candidate will be responsible for safely transporting our freshly baked produce to different locations. They must hold a full Irish Drivers licence and follow RSA regulations. Drivers will be responsible for correctly routing themselves, ensuring that there is enough fuel in the van at all times for a safe and timely delivery to the destination and the general upkeep and cleanliness of the vehicle.
Delighted to see Shane! All those hopes, dreams and wishes have happened! SCEAL ABU!
Amazing to see! So excited for you guys xx