South Africa's Bakers®
Bakers, or officially known as Bakers Limited (not to be confused with the transport and logistics service), is a company that produces some of the South African bestsellers when it comes to cookies. They produce plain, chocolate filled and flavoured biscuits, but they also make savoury treats, so it's a delightful balance for everyone.
Bakers Short History
They started to make a name for themselves as a food manufacturing company from the very beginning in 1851, but it got its founder a few decades later when John Michael Leonard Baumann bought the bakery from his uncle. Now known simply as Bakers, Baumann’s are considered as one of the first biscuit manufacturers in South Africa. In 1895 Baumann first purchased a more advanced machine and commenced manufacture of more 'fancy biscuits' such as Ginger Nuts and Marie.
Today, the company's headquarters is in Johannesburg with additional factories in Durban and Pretoria. They're a part of The AVI Group, which is made of South Africa’s leading brands. As a stated part of their identity, Bakers biscuits are baked with the best ingredients and ‘a touch of Bakers magic’. Sounds wonderful!
The company experienced rocky past but it survived as did the country, including anti-German riots when the bakery is burnt to the ground and supplies shortages during the Great Depression. The beloved Bakers’ mascot makes its first appearance on the packaging in 1923. The grocer in his apron holding a box of biscuits is destined to become a much-loved symbol of quality and service. In the 1950's Bakers Ltd. production increased by 77%, and it was all progress after that. In 2014, Baker's Limited took a step into the breakfast market with Good Morning Breakfast biscuits offering a variety of flavours such as mixed berries, chocolate, or milk and cereals.
Biscuits Range
The sweet list of Bakers’ product line is long and includes biscuits like Tennis which were introduced in 1911, Eet-Sum-Mor (shortbread biscuits made with real butter), Boudoir (a light and crisp finger biscuit coated with a dusting of sugar), Blue Label Marie (first appeared in 1898, original and now additional caramel flavoured), Red Label Lemon Creams, Romany Creams, Strawberry Whirls, Iced Zoo which are kids’ favourite for it comes in various animal shapes, and Topper.
When it comes to the savoury line, the list is no less impressive: Provita, Cream Crackers, Mini Cheddars, Salticrax, Crackerbread, Kips, Wheatsworth, Vitasnacks and Snacktime. Reported in 2014, Bakers remains the leading brand with a value share of 18%, making it about two-thirds of the market.
You can consume these delicious biscuits in more ways than one, and that's why Baker's updated their website to include recipes involving their products. These star ingredients can be used in a hundred different ways for a thousand different occasions, from simple biscuit bases to the most intricate gourmet desserts. That's quite a treat for sweet tooth!