well oiled machine (Cars excluded)

Things are going like a boeing, everything that is but the cars... Alfonso is finding it a lot easier, and less lonely, having a partner to work with.

We could be in for an intersting week, Only 50kg of flour left in the store (about 3 days worth) and now we are having car trouble and have no cars on the farm. Tomorrow I was going to buy 200/250 kg of flour but it looks like we might not have a vehicle by then. At this rate my best plan might be to get a friend of mine, who's coming through with his daughter on wednesday night, to buy flour at a South African supermarket. Not the cheapest option, but do I have any choice? nope... but I hold thumbs our nissan hardbody will be ready for tomorrow (its gone to a mechanic in Nelspruit, South Africa about 400km away).

Tools of the trade; # 2 the 'bread flicker'

Another name I just made up, "the bread flicker". I know it looks just like a plank of wood, but honestly there's more to it than that! This simple tool is used to place the breads into the oven. As you can see from the photo (right) the breads are lined on to the flicker 3 at a time, also at this point they are scored along the top with a sharp knife. The breads are then manouvered into a row and with a slight flicking and tipping action they are slid off onto the oven floor, ready for cooking. Sound simple? well there's a bit more too it, as the bread is at dough stage it is very soft and pliable, if you flick too hard or they fall off they will collapse and lose shape, or worse, stick together leaving a tricky mess to sort out. The Flicker must be dusted down with flour on a regular basis to prevent the uncooked rolls sticking to it.

Once the breads are cooked they are more easily removed by the bread oven shovel.

The new Team!

Just been down to the bakery and the two Al's - Alfonso and Alberto seem to be working well together. Its now 9pm and they've done 20 breads so far and another 20 were in the oven.

Tomorrow we'll have to get down to the gritty business of negotiating Alberto's salary. I think it should come in under Alfonso's pay, as Alberto is to be the 'apprentice'. In the end though I don't think it can be too much lower as it needs to be enough for him to live on. Normally in a business one might expand increase sales then increase capacity to match, now I have more overheads and need to get my sales up so that I can cover my expenses. Easier said than done.

New labour

Not Tony Blair's bunch of expense claim stealing cronies, but the new labour(er) at the bakery. Subsequent to my previous labour woes, when I heard that Alfonso had injured himself I feared the worst. It turns out that in the course of killing a snake that was in his house he injured his right hand rendering it useless. Normally this would mean he didn't come to work and then... no bread. Fortunately he has found 'the apprentice' I have been telling him to keep an eye out for. So I now have a new employee; Alberto! (or Bert as he seems to prefer)

Both Alfonso and Alberto arre working tonight, Alfonso directing and Alberto learning the ropes and performing any physical jobs. I've just been on duty to wash dishes for the farm so I'm keen to head down to the bakery now and see how they're getting on!