Behind the Scenes: A Day at Our Bakery

Good morning! It’s 4:30 AM, and while most of Singapore is still sleeping, our main bakery in Jurong is already bustling with activity. I’m Michelle, the head baker at Andy’s Pie, and today I’m giving you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring fresh, handmade pies to our four locations every single day.

4:30 AM - The Day Begins

The early morning shift arrives while it’s still dark outside. Our first task is checking the prep work from the previous evening. Pie dough that was made yesterday has been resting in the walk-in refrigerator, perfectly chilled and ready to roll. We prepare over 200 pounds of dough daily during peak season!

I review the day’s orders with my team. Today, we have a catering order for 50 individual chicken pot pies, plus our regular stock for all four outlets. Every order is logged in our system, ensuring nothing gets missed.

5:00 AM - Fruit Preparation

While some team members start rolling dough, others are in the prep kitchen washing, peeling, and slicing fruit. Today, we’re working with 100 kilograms of Granny Smith apples for our classic apple pies. Every apple is hand-selected for quality - we reject any that don’t meet our standards.

The smell of fresh cinnamon and sugar fills the air as we prepare the apple filling. Some bakers might use pre-made pie filling, but never at Andy’s Pie. Everything is made fresh daily from real fruit.

6:00 AM - Assembly Line in Action

Now the bakery is in full swing. We work in teams, each specializing in different types of pies:

• Team A focuses on fruit pies - apple, berry, and seasonal varieties
• Team B handles our savory pies - chicken pot pie, beef mushroom, and shepherd’s pie
• Team C works on our specialty and custom orders

Watching our team work is like watching a choreographed dance. Everyone knows their role, and pies move smoothly from one station to the next: crust rolling, filling, top crust, crimping, egg wash, and into the ovens.

7:30 AM - First Batch Out of the Oven

The morning’s first pies emerge from our deck ovens, golden brown and perfectly baked. The aroma is incredible - a mix of buttery crust, cinnamon-spiced apples, and savory herbs. This is why we all love what we do.

Each pie is inspected before it’s approved to go out. We check for:

• Even golden-brown color
• Proper filling consistency (no soggy bottoms!)
• Beautiful crimp and crust appearance
• Correct size and weight

Pies that don’t meet our standards don’t make it to our shops. We’re perfectionists, and our reputation depends on consistent quality.

8:00 AM - Quality Control

Andy himself usually arrives around this time. Yes, even after 15 years, Andy is hands-on, tasting products, checking quality, and talking with the team. He always says, “The day I stop caring about every single pie is the day we should close our doors.”

We conduct daily taste tests. Today’s sample: a new experimental recipe featuring local calamansi lime. Will it make it to our menu? Only if it meets Andy’s exacting standards.

9:00 AM - Delivery Prep

Our delivery drivers start loading temperature-controlled vans with the morning’s production. Each outlet receives their stock based on yesterday’s sales data and today’s reservations. Our technology tracks everything, minimizing waste while ensuring we never run out.

Fresh pies are packaged carefully to maintain quality during transport. Some pies are delivered fully baked and cooled, while others are delivered par-baked to be finished in-store for maximum freshness.

10:00 AM - Second Wave

The bakery doesn’t stop after the morning delivery. We continue producing throughout the day to ensure fresh stock for afternoon and evening customers. This is when we handle special orders and larger catering requests.

Today, we’re also preparing components for tomorrow’s production: making pastry dough, preparing fruit fillings, and pre-cooking savory components. Our “mise en place” philosophy ensures smooth operations.

12:00 PM - Team Lunch

We break for lunch, and naturally, there’s pie! Staff meals often feature experimental recipes or “perfectly imperfect” pies that didn’t meet our aesthetic standards but taste just as good. It’s a fun perk of working here, though many of us joke that we never want to see another pie after work (we’re kidding - mostly).

1:00 PM - Afternoon Production

The afternoon shift takes over, focusing on specialty items and next-day prep. This is also when we do maintenance on equipment, deep cleaning, and inventory management.

Our ingredient orders arrive in the afternoon. We source from multiple suppliers to ensure quality and consistency. Our relationships with suppliers are crucial - they know that at Andy’s Pie, quality is never negotiable.

3:00 PM - Store Restocking

A second delivery run ensures our outlets have fresh stock for the dinner rush. Some locations are busier in the evenings, especially on weekdays when people pick up pies on their way home from work.

5:00 PM - End of Day Prep

As the evening crew prepares tomorrow’s dough, we review the day’s production. How did we do against our targets? Any customer feedback from the stores? Any quality issues that need addressing?

We update our planning board for tomorrow. If there’s a public holiday coming up, we scale up production. Corporate catering order? We allocate special time and resources.

6:00 PM - Clean Up

The bakery is cleaned from top to bottom every evening. Counters are sanitized, floors are mopped, equipment is cleaned and prepared for tomorrow. We maintain strict food safety standards - our five-star hygiene rating isn’t just a badge, it’s a point of pride.

The Numbers

On an average day, Andy’s Pie bakery produces:

• 150-200 whole pies
• 500+ individual pie portions
• 80+ specialty items for wholesale accounts
• Multiple catering orders

During peak seasons (Christmas, Chinese New Year), we can double or even triple these numbers!

What Makes It All Worthwhile

After a 14-hour day on my feet, you might wonder why we do this. The answer is simple: our customers. When someone tells us our pie made their birthday special, or that it reminded them of their grandmother’s baking, or that it brought comfort during a difficult time - that’s what makes every early morning and long day worthwhile.

We’re not just making pies. We’re creating memories, celebrating moments, and bringing a little joy to people’s lives. That’s the real secret ingredient at Andy’s Pie.

Visit Us!

Want to see the magic happen in person? We offer bakery tours on Saturday mornings (by appointment only). It’s a fantastic experience for baking enthusiasts, students, or anyone curious about commercial baking. Visit our Contact page to inquire!

Until next time, this is Michelle signing off. Time to go home, rest up, and do it all again tomorrow - and I wouldn’t have it any other way.