Bakeries are facing ongoing skills shortages, increasing demand for consistency and growing pressure to improve productivity[1]. Norman Lack, Technical Sales Manager at European Process Plant Ltd (EPP), draws on more than 30 years’ experience across bakery operations and pastry equipment specification to explain how sheeting and laminating systems can help bakeries work smarter without losing their craft credentials.
Pastry production has traditionally been one of the more labour-intensive areas of a bakery, with rolling, laminating, cutting, shaping and finishing all requiring skill, time and consistency, particularly when volumes increase or seasonal demand peaks. This challenge is being felt against a wider backdrop of workforce pressure across UK food and drink manufacturing. According to the Food and Drink Federation[2], the sector’s labour vacancy rate reached 5.0% in Q4 2025, remaining above both wider manufacturing and the UK average.
While automation is often associated with large-scale industrial production, today’s pastry systems are far more flexible. Modern sheeters, laminating systems and make-up lines can support bakeries at almost every stage of growth, from artisan producers looking to roll pastry to a consistent thickness, through to fully automated lines designed for high-volume laminated pastry production.
Drawing on over 50 years of industry experience, EPP works with bakeries to identify the right solution for their operation, whether that is a manual or electronic sheeter, a modular make-up line or a complete turnkey system. This modular approach is important because no two bakeries are the same. A business may start with a simple sheeting requirement and build towards semi-automated or fully automated production as its volumes, product range and operational needs develop.
Balancing artisan skill with practical automation
Automation does not have to remove the artisan element from bakery production as the right equipment can support skilled bakers by taking on repetitive, physically demanding tasks, while still allowing products to be hand-finished where this is part of the bakery’s specialism.
A bakery producing hand-finished cinnamon swirls, for example, may not want to automate the full process. However, using a sheeter to achieve a consistent dough thickness can remove one of the most repetitive stages while still leaving the final shaping and finishing to skilled bakers.
More broadly, a sheeter can roll pastry to a precise thickness before products such as croissants, Danish pastries, savouries, puff pastry items, biscuits or cereal bars are finished or processed further.
For many bakeries, automation is now a practical response to several pressures, such as fewer skilled people available on the production floor, rising demand for consistent product quality and the need to reduce repetitive manual tasks. A sheeting or make-up line can improve dough consistency, reduce variation and support yield, while also helping to minimise repetitive cutting, pressing or shaping during high-volume or seasonal production.
When advising a bakery, we always start with the product and current process, for example, we look at what is being made, how it is made, where the bottlenecks are and which stages need to remain hand finished. From there, we can assess whether the best option is an upgraded machine, a modular section that integrates with existing equipment, or a phased investment plan. Factory space, workflow and equipment compatibility all need to also be considered from the outset.
Building flexibility into production
A bakery may invest in new equipment to solve an immediate challenge, such as consistency or labour intensity, but the same line can often create opportunities for new products. Products that were previously too time-consuming, inconsistent or difficult to scale can become more commercially viable with the right sheeting or make-up system.
This is where EPP’s experience can add value, as the customer understands its market and product range, while EPP brings practical knowledge of machinery and process. Trials, demonstrations, drawings, videos and factory visits can all help show how a proposed solution will work in practice before investment is made.
From small bakeries to high-volume lines
The scale of pastry automation can vary significantly, an artisan bakery may need a sheeter for consistent pastry thickness before hand-finishing, while a fully automated laminating line may be capable of producing up to around 300kg of finished puff pastry products in approximately 45 minutes, depending on the product and configuration. For larger manufacturers, the benefits are linked to throughput, uptime and production flow.
Increasingly, these systems are also being designed with energy efficiency and data visibility in mind, with features such as energy-efficient components and remote monitoring that can help bakeries better understand how their lines are operating and where further efficiencies may be found.
Protecting performance after installation
Specification is only part of the process, as once installed, planned maintenance, service contracts and essential spares all help protect performance and reduce disruption. EPP has recently expanded its engineering capability to ensure customers receive the right support, with specialist manufacturer input available where required.
Whether the aim is to improve consistency, reduce repetitive manual tasks, develop new products or invest in high-output production, the starting point should always be to firstly understand the product, understand the process and build the right solution around the bakery.
To discuss how pastry sheeting, laminating or make-up equipment could support your bakery’s production goals, visit www.eppltd.co.uk or contact the EPP team at sales@eppltd.co.uk.
[1] https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/interviews/bakery-leaders-outline-challenges-and-opportunities-for-2025/701352.article
[2] https://www.fdf.org.uk/fdf/resources/publications/state-of-industry-reports/state-of-industry-report-q4-2025/
