Kidd’s Cakes and Bakery showcases energy efficiency

Kidd’s Cakes and Bakery showcases commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability

This Wednesday at 7am, Martin Meehan’s award winning Kidd's Cakes and Bakery, will open a new $3 million dollar purpose-built bakery and retail outlet that has been designed to be at the forefront of environmental best practice by optimizing the use of energy, water and other valuable resources while minimizing waste.

From humble beginnings in 1986, Martin Meehan, founder of Kidd's Cakes and Bakery, started making cakes in the converted garage of his family home in Severn Street, St Albans. After just one year, Kidd’s Cakes and Bakery was well established and ready for a move to retail premises at 244 Cranford Street, the former Cranford Street Post Office, which the business occupied for the last 27 years.

Martin Meehan said, he started planning for the new building almost 10 years ago but various issues, including the earthquakes, delayed the construction, which was originally planned to start in early 2011.

While ensuring the new building was built to 100% of the code, in line with his commitment to environmentally sustainable business practices, energy efficiency and waste reduction have been significant priorities in the new building. “To achieve this we have integrated a variety of measures to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of the building, while at the same time making significant improvements to increase the overall comfort for our customers and staff,” Martin Meehan said.

Working with ESA Consulting, a specialist energy engineering consultancy, an energy review was conducted of the proposed new building and although Martin Meehan had allowed for energy efficient options in his original plans, ESA Consulting was able to suggest additional recommendations to achieve potential further substantial energy savings.

Martin Meehan said, “an Energyfirst grant from the Christchurch Agency for Energy, CAFÉ allowed him to utilize the advisory services provided by ESA Consulting.”

While the new building has doubled in size from 425 to 850 square metres, it is estimated that the total site energy consumption (per square metre) will have been reduced by 25%.

Measures and technologies integrated for reducing energy consumption and environmental impact include:

1. Solar tubes on roof to flood the production area with natural daylight;

2. Double glazing;

3. Low flow showers and taps;

4. LED display lighting in chilled and ambient cabinets;

5. Eco-friendly liquid glycol powered refrigeration systems that can reduce running cost by up to 25%. Glycol is totally food safe, with no health risks to users and installers with little or no heat emissions into the kitchen - reducing ventilation and air conditioning requirements. Reduced noise levels in the kitchen improving the working environment;

6. Contact switches on refrigerator doors to avoid electricity wastage;

7. The installation of a 'rainwater harvest' system on the roof for the irrigation of on-site landscaping, which reduces the amount of water the council has to supply and also reduces the amount of rain runoff into the storm water system;

8. Air handling unit system to utilise outside air to cool indoor space;

9. New computer controlled Italian Tagliavini oven has an energy saving of 30% compared with previous ovens used in the bakery;

10. All food waste handled by onsite worm farms or sent to pig farms; and

11. All cardboard and plastics recycled.

The new bakery and retail outlet incorporates ground floor retail, a cake decorating area, a 50 seater café, while the second floor is totally dedicated to the bakery and production and is located at 254 Cranford St and is next door to the former Kidd's Cakes and Bakery site.

Martin Meehan said, “when we open the doors tomorrow our award winning cakes, pies and pastries will be ready to eat and proudly delivered from a bakery that I believe we be at the forefront of environmental best practice.

ends

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