I got to the ArtcaffeÌ Logistics Centre on a grey, gloomy morning. As I was welcomed inside, I followed the evocative aroma of freshly baked bread and was reminded of being a child on my way to school. We would drive past a small bakery and the lingering smell of fresh bread would feel like a hug before a long day. A perfectly flaky croissant was placed before me as I was introduced to Tommy Mwongela, the Head of Baking, who was going to guide me through the journey that makes ArtcaffeÌ bread so delicious. Tommy spoke to me about his humble beginnings working as a cleaner for a mainstream bread factory in the 90âs. He made his way up the ladder with dedication and the ability to learn through observation.
When he joined ArtcaffeÌ in 2008, it was the beginning of a journey, not just for him, but for all of Kenya to embrace different varieties of craft bread. He spoke about learning new techniques and procedures to create artisanal loaves that were made using the highest standards and matched the quality of international bakers from the Middle East, France, and Germany- a network ArtcaffeÌ still uses to ensure they are keeping up with trends from around the world.
âWe make sure we give our customers the best quality. We only use four ingredients in our bread- flour, water, salt, and yeast. No additives, preservatives, or chemicals. Apart from rye flour, everything is locally sourced because the health of our customers is a priority for us.â
Tommy tells me more about how a typical day looks for the team. At 7.00am dough is mixed and then set aside before portioning into accurately measured balls. There will be 3 more times that the dough gets shaped and rested before being proofed and then finally baked from 8.00pm to 2.00am. The process goes on for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The team operate in 3 shifts to ensure the momentum of this perpetual process. These multiple steps and the patience that goes into resting the dough after each step is what contributes to the long fermentation that gives ArtcaffeÌ bread its iconic primal taste.
The long fermentation process used to bake all breads enables the natural nutrition from the flour to be activated. For sourdough varieties, the starter used is 15 years old, and has been maintained since the time they started operations. Everything must happen following precise procedures, after all, bread making on this scale is not a walk in the park.
âWe get calls from our customers if their favourite loaves are missing, so we have to keep providing all the varieties we introduce. Particularly with specialty loaves like 100% rye, American sourdough, and cereal bread, thereâs always a demand for them.â I am informed as I enquire about the 25 varieties of bread.
I ask to see where the magic happens, and Tommy leads me down a ramp with the most beautiful murals to a sanitising station. We walk into the bakery and Tommy explains to me how everything is organised. I see one section with the most delectable cakes being prepared, across from there croissants are being rolled out, and as we walk further inside, we see a team measuring and rolling out dough for ciabatta, which are carefully placed on slabs.
âAll breads are baked on stone to keep it as traditional as possibleâ, Tommy opens up an oven and lets me glimpse inside at the stone base. I am impressed at the attention to detail that goes into baking 1300 loaves a day, and I ask if it is difficult to maintain these high standards.
âCommunication has helped us establish a good connection as a team. I make sure everyone on the team is happy because thatâs how we ensure that our customers always receive the highest quality from us. Happy people make happy bread!â
As I look at the wonderfully bubbly dough, I am reminded of how ancient this process is. Bread making has been part of humanity for at least ten thousand years. Each civilization had its version of bread, and in todayâs world bread has the potential to unite people across cultures. It is not a surprise that when the pandemic hit and we found ourselves with time during the lockdown, a lot of us turned towards nurturing this source of comfort and hope within our homes by baking our own bread.
The ArtcaffeÌ baking team is also a testament to this. They are a family that pays an extraordinary amount of detail to the work that they do. Tommy shows me around the rest of the kitchens as well and repeatedly tells me about the attention and care that the different departments work with.
âIâve seen ArtcaffeÌ start with one computer, a small office, one oven, one mixer, and a small team. Iâm happy that now we have thousands of people, thousands of computers, and thousands of machines. I see it growing, and Iâm very happy... not just in Kenya, but I can say that we make the best bread in Africa! Not only because of the best equipment and procedures, but most importantly because of passion.â I thought I peep a hint of tears in Tommyâs eyes. He tells me retirement is drawing close for him, and I can tell he genuinely loves what he does and will miss it tremendously. I feel thankful to have been able to share a glimpse into this wonderful world where things are done with a full and happy heart, and I know when I pick my next ArtcaffeÌ loaf, it will not be just quality ingredients I will be tasting, but a whole lot of love.
 
Tommyâs Top Three Loaves:
Â
Whole Wheat Cereal: One of the original creations
American Sourdough: Enjoy the distinct flavour
of the 15-year-old starter used
Challah: Sweet, salty, and a slice of heaven
Â
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