The last time Zebedee Pitterson was on this newscast he issued a challenge to the Supplies Control Office: if their technocrats could demonstrate how his bakery could sell a loaf of bread for the controlled price of $1 and still make a profit of even one cent on the loaf, he would give away 1,000 loaves of bread a day. Well the people at Supplies Control went in to the bakery and did a line item cost analysis of Sunnyside's operation. Not surprisingly, it turns out that Pitterson was right. Te test proved that selling bread at 90 cents per loaf wholesale, his bakery is losing $331.83 a day. If he sells a loaf for $1.10 then he's still absorbing a daily loss of $163.83 on bread.
So while Pitterson proved himself on that challenge, he called us in today for a comparative analysis of the weight of competing loaves of bread. Again, Pitterson won the challenge, but we found out what he's losing as well.
Jules Vasquez Reporting, Email - [jules.Vasquez@gmail.com]
Today Zebedee Pitterson was comparing different loaves of bread and calling names. He challenged that bread produced by his competitors were not the regulation weight 16 ounces as stipulated by law. And sure enough, a randomly selected loaf of Sunnyside bread weighed in at a square 16 ounces, while this one from G. Kee and Sons weighed 15 ounces, while this Kee's Bakery bread, was about 14 ounces. So Pitterson proved his point amply - but really what's the big deal.
Zebedee Pitterson, Baker
"I weigh some of the bread them and they only have 14 ounces. The people could weigh it for themselves, as they usually say: 'check your change and check your weight.'"
Jules Vasquez,
But at some point Mr. Pitterson its like you are splitting hairs, what is the difference between 15 and 16 ounces or 14 ounces for those of us taking home a loaf of bread?
Zebedee Pitterson,
"Well that's a lot because for every 15 and 16 bread, that's a bread you get less; you get one bread less all the time."
And he says that small difference in each loaf allows his competitors to offer retailers one loaf free per every dozen. And while he can't match that offer, truth is he can't even get on the shelves to compete.
Zebedee Pitterson,
"For instance with the shops, you only have about 10 Belizean grocers
and you have about 200 Chinese shops. The Chinese support other Chinese and I don't disagree with them; they support their Chinese 100%. When we go to the Chinese shop to sell our bread, the Chinese grocers say that we buy Chinese bread. I think the Belizeans should tell the Chinese grocers that we buy Belizean bread so the playing field can be leveled because we usually bake for instance 10 to 15 sacks of flour and now we're only doing 7. Every time we make only bread we lose."
Jules Vasquez,
But also at the same time there are some people who like the Chinese style of bread because its very light, its very soft inside, and they say that your bread's consistency is far more firm and some people prefer this soft and manageable type of bread. So perhaps it's a market preference, perhaps they prefer this spongy sort of bread.
Zebedee Pitterson,
"Okay I agree with that but let us put the two bread on the market and let the people choose. If the people choose that then it will be fine with me and if they don't choose it well it is alright because I think they are spending their money and they can choose to buy any bread they want to buy. But sometimes the people want to buy our bread and when they go to the Chinese shop only Chinese made bread they have."
But even as he embraces the freedom of preference, he says there is a difference between consistency and longevity of a loaf.
Zebedee Pitterson,
"Because you bake longer and all that moisture you get out of the bread. The moisture in the other bread stays in there and that's why it has the softness. It affects it because it makes that fungus get into the bread early. For our bread its well baked and that's the tradition. From ever since I've been baking bread that's been our style, our bread have to be baked dry and good."
And while "dry and good" may not be your preference - Pitterson is willing to face the truth - even if it means shutting down shop.
Zebedee Pitterson,
"People say I'm always complaining but when the government does wrong I will tell them they did wrong and when the bakers do wrong to the consumer I will say wrong too and right now I think people need to check the weight of their bread. If you are buying a bread for $1.25 see that you get a pound of bread and that's the position I am on right now. But as for the market, it is up to the people to choose."
Jules Vasquez,
You used to make 16 to 17 sacks of flour and now you're down to 7, do you see a day when they'll force you out of business?
Zebedee Pitterson,
"Well its not them that will force me out, it is the Belizean people who will force me out. Chinese bakers can't force me out because it is the Belizean people who are keeping them up and all our business is kept up by the Belizean people. So if I'm forced out of business, it won't be the Chinese, it will be our own people who will force me out."
Pitterson has been a baker since 1949 and employs a staff of eight.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
