The Baguette Factory can produce up to 4,000 baguettes per hour. 

BAREMBACH, FRANCE — Hoping to tap into Africa’s growing bakery market, Mecatherm, a global manufacturer of bakery equipment, has released The Baguette Factory equipment range. Fully automated, the production line can create up to 4,000 baguettes per hour.

In western, central, southern and some eastern areas of Africa, bread is typically produced using manual and labor-intensive methods.


“The industrialization of the breadmaking process makes it possible to achieve high production volumes, optimal hygiene conditions in production and finished products of uniform quality,” said Jean-Yves Bruckert, sales director for Africa, Mecatherm. “However, experience has proven that simply supplying a ready-to-use production line is not always enough to guarantee a project's success.”

The Baguette Factory’s automated line lets bakers scale-up production with the help of a 3-person team. Features include a boiler, compressed air production, water cooler and more.

The Baguette Factory is a turnkey solution specially designed for commercial bakers. 

To offset any difficulties that may occur, dedicated project management, installation and training teams are available to bakers before and after setup. Other services from Mecatherm include a feasibility study, staff recruiting assistance and funding support.

“By working closely with specialist partners and local representatives, we have developed a turnkey solution to support our clients during every stage of their projects and to ensure they can easily overcome any obstacles they may encounter along the way,” Mr. Bruckert said.

The Baguette Factory is supported by a network of partners such as the French public investment bank BPI France, which helps provide finance solutions. According to Mecatherm, investors will see a return on investment in 3 to 5 years, even when taking into account the limitations and economic factors of the region.

“Developing the African market and providing on-site support for our clients are among our key priorities,” said Olivier Sergent, chief executive officer of Mecatherm. “The Baguette Factory embodies our vision for the industry and our expertise in the African market.”