As bakeries look to innovate, diversify and reduce risk, Michael Lomas, Technical Sales Manager at European Process Plant Ltd (EPP), explores how more customer-led equipment trials can make investment decisions more practical and informed.

For bakeries, food manufacturers and food-to-go producers, investing in new equipment represents a significant financial commitment. Before making that decision, customers need confidence that a machine will deliver the right results with their own products, ingredients, processes and production demands[1].

Equipment trials provide customers the opportunity to move beyond machine specifications and see how equipment performs in practice, from dough handling, product consistency to throughput, changeover and finished quality.

For EPP, this practical approach means that the recommendation for the equipment supplied should be a consultative process and rooted in real production needs. Looking ahead, the team is keen to offer more opportunities for customers to trial equipment in accessible, commercially relevant ways, including, where practical, bringing selected equipment directly to a bakery.

Reducing risk before investment

A  bakery developing new products, increasing capacity or expanding into new product areas, needs to understand how a new machine will work within their own operations. For example; will it handle a particular dough, can it support the required output, how straightforward is the changeover, will the finished product meet the required quality standards?

Testing equipment with real products and realistic processes helps answer these questions, enabling customers to assess performance more confidently and make better-informed decisions before committing to investment.

Bringing trials closer to the production environment

Traditionally, demonstrations and trials are carried out at supplier facilities, exhibition spaces or dedicated test bakeries. These remain valuable, but they cannot always replicate the specific conditions of a customer’s own production environment. Factors such as space, staffing, workflow, ingredient behaviour and existing production pressures can all influence how equipment performs in practice. For UK bakeries, the additional complexity of transporting ingredients into Europe since Brexit has also made local or on-site trials a more practical and appealing option.

Taking equipment to the customer, where suitable, is one area EPP is developing. An on-site trial provides bakeries the opportunity to test a machine in familiar surroundings, involve their own teams and assess how it may fit into existing processes, from available space and product flow to operator interaction and cleaning requirements.

Supporting product innovation

The ability to trial equipment becomes especially valuable when customers are exploring new product opportunities. Across bakery and food-to-go, there is continued interest in differentiated formats that combine quality, convenience and visual appeal, and each requires careful consideration of handling, baking, filling and presentation.

A recent trial with a large UK bakery customer highlights the value of this approach. The customer needed to replace an ageing bread moulder nearing the end of its working life, but other available solutions were costly and too long in length to fit within the current bakery layout. Working with EPP, the bakery explored an alternative solution using a demonstration bread moulder by BTF, a European specialist in bread making solutions. The trial showed how dough balls could be sheeted and rolled to create a strong, well-structured sourdough product. By testing the equipment against the bakery’s own space, product requirements and production challenges, the customer gained a clearer view of whether the solution could deliver the required quality, structure and repeatability in a more practical format.

This kind of customer-led approach allows EPP to support innovation at an earlier stage, with trials shaped around the product, the site and the commercial opportunity.

Confidence through collaboration

Ultimately, equipment trials are about confidence, helping bakeries understand what is possible, identify any limitations and make investment decisions based on evidence rather than expectation.

As bakeries and food manufacturers adapt to changing consumer demands, the ability to test, refine and validate new ideas is becoming more important. Whether through supplier facilities, test bakeries or carefully planned on-site trials, customers need practical proof that equipment can support their products and ambitions.

For EPP, developing this capability is part of a wider commitment to practical expertise, honest guidance and customer-focused equipment solutions. By bringing trials closer to real production environments, EPP can help customers make confident, informed decisions and turn new ideas into commercially viable bakery products.

To find out more about EPP and their wide range of bakery equipment solutions, please visit www.eppltd.co.uk.

[1] https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/equipment-reports/tried-and-tested-the-important-role-test-kitchens-play-in-bakery/668876.article