You Should Think Twice Before Buying Baked Goods At The Grocery Store
It's easy to get tempted by the bakery section at the grocery store, and with a last-minute celebration, sometimes it makes more sense to get a cake that's in the refrigerated section, decorated, and ready to go. Or even if there's no celebration at all, the smell of freshly baked bread is enough to lure you in. The bakeries at grocery store chains produce high volumes of sweets, making them a convenient go-to when a craving hits, or when you're simply strolling along and can't help but grab a tub of the chocolate chip cookies. However, the perks of a local bakery just might surpass the supermarket.
You might have already noticed the difference in taste between a store-bought cake at the grocery store and a cake from your local bakery. The cakes at the grocery store might be a bit lighter with whipped frosting, whereas a cake from a bakery is much more rich and flavorful. There's a reason for this.
Shopping local pays in many ways
According to Jarosch Bakery, the reason cakes from the supermarket taste much different than cakes from a local bakery is that supermarkets make their cakes in bulk with lower-cost ingredients, so that they can produce larger amounts. While these cakes are made in large quantities, they lack skill, details, and more importantly, quality ingredients.
Food Babe compares the difference in ingredients lists in cakes made from large chain grocery stores such as Harris Teeter, Costco, and Fresh Market, and finds that it's all one big science experiment. By that, she means that many of the ingredients are unrecognizable and hard to pronounce, which indicates preservatives and processed ingredients, and can potentially lead to health problems.
Not only are local bakeries more likely to use fresher, quality ingredients, but they typically have more unique goods to choose from due to them not needing to keep up with the masses. They can veer off the beaten path of brownies and chocolate chip cookies, and over into babka, scones, macarons, and more — while throwing unique flavor combinations into the mix (via Bakerycity).
Local bakeries also play a huge part in small communities, and are typically family-owned. When giving your business to large grocery store chains, you're supporting a CEO, compared to a neighbor.