DAY IN THE LIFE

Kevin Bingham

At an hour when most of us are tucked up in bed, local baker, Kevin Bingham, leaves his house in Grove Road and wends his way to Jennifer's Bakery in Ashtead High Street. Kevin started his career 18 years ago after working with his Grandad on Saturdays. It looks like the tradition might carry on as his children Chloe and Ross also help Dad. Kevin's wife, Jan, has her own catering business but has worked at the bakery in the past.

"Easter is a busy time with about 10,000 hot cross buns to make over the Easter period," Kevin tells us.

Arriving at around midnight, Kevin takes the previously prepared hot cross bun dough out of the large fridge. It then goes into the Prover, a large steamy cupboard. "It takes about 1½ hours to get the dough to working temperature," says Kevin. The white dough is then started. "There is more white bread bought than brown." At about 3.00am the brown bread is started, together with the orders and more hot cross buns. "We cook the hot cross buns in batches of 240," says Kevin. "It's important to get them in line, so that the crosses can be piped on in the middle." By this time the white bread will be ready and doughnuts can be put in the Prover.

As the clock ticks past 4.00am the fondants and icings are done and soon one of the bakers will whisk the orders away to their destinations. More hot cross buns and those all important speciality breads are done at around 6.00am. The jam gets piped into the doughnuts, more hot cross buns and at a more pleasant hour for most, the shop opens at 7.30am. This isn't the end of Kevin's day. "I carry on preparing for the next day until about 10.00am."

"Some of the more unusual things we have been asked to bake include a giant Chelsea Bun to use as a hat and every year we make a giant ring doughnut for someone's birthday." Kevin is open to any suggestions of things to make, especially old fashioned recipe's - "I will have a go at anything," he says.

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