The Good Carbs Amongst Us
It’s early morning in Taupō, and while the town is still waking up, Shivi Kumaria and his team have already been hard at work: making breads, sending supplies to local cafés and restaurants for the day, stocking up the food cabinet, and getting ready to serve the many locals about to stream through the doors of Bakers Delight Taupō.
Shivi’s friendly face may be familiar – and his delicious breads equally as memorable – but delights don’t end there. Because he’s also serving up smiles to the wider community, donating his surplus bread to a different charity every day.
“I never keep my baking to a minimum. We want to be able to serve people all day, right up to 5.30 when we close,” says Shivi. “So, because of that we have a surplus of approximately $1,000 in retail value every day.”
Turn it around
Currently, Shivi provides the daily surplus to people in need through seven different charities, including The Salvation Army, local churches and Māori trusts, who then deliver these breads to people in need – spanning the Taupō district and its sister suburbs.
When Shivi bought the business almost four years ago, slow afternoons would be common, leading to a large amount of wastage every day, however he turned both problems into equal opportunities. Increasing his production meant he could serve bread dawn till dusk, and aim for a surplus to donate at close of day.
Where there’s a will
Believing that a business can be socially conscious and successful, Shivi commits to minimising his wastage, as well as giving back to those who need it most, and he feels pretty lucky to be able to achieve both with the power of his bread.
“I am so glad to have the support from the community. And my wishes have been answered – I asked for more charities and I now have many others wanting to be a part of this work. Knowing that I can now provide to more than one charity a day means so much.”