La Madre bakery

La Madre bakery upholds the traditions of artisan baking, using only the finest ingredients and age-old methods to make their award-winning sourdough breads and sweets. From the natural leavening process that gives the bakery its name - La Madre (Mother) – to the extra time taken to ‘proof’ their breads, it’s a truly organic process.

So it came as quite a shock to Anna and Tez Kemp to discover La Madre’s environmental impact. “The energy used daily to power our ovens is equivalent to 16, four-person households alone, not to mention the impact of delivering our products throughout Victoria”, Anna explained.

Realistically they knew there had to be a trade-off, but they also knew there were a number of ways they could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. “It’s a constant work in progress but we strongly believe it’s our social responsibility.”

Their first step was to have an intensive environmental audit done. A timely decision, as an imminent move to bigger premises has given the Kemps the perfect opportunity to implement much on their sustainable ‘wish list’.

They’ve already switched to 20% GreenPower and done away with plastic bags in their shop. Bread packaging labels use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) accredited paper and degradable plastic bags and recycled flour bags are used for wholesale orders. Post-consumer recycled paper is also used and over half their customers no longer receive paper statements.

Plans for the new premises include installing a heat shifter to harness heat from the ovens to warm the office, packing area and shop. They’re also installing sensor lights, solar hot water and investigating solar panels to power the office. Low-VOC paints will be used and a specialised thermal coating on the roof will deflect heat.

The bakery has also joined the Transition Suburb Bell program, part of the global Transition Towns initiative designed to build resilience in the face of climate change at a community level.

“We’ve had a tremendous response to the changes. We hope to see ROI from lower energy bills and, more importantly, that our wholesale customers (existing and potential) see the benefits of working with a supplier with our green credentials.”