Brutons the Bakers reduced food waste costs with a Bio-Processor

Brutons the Bakers is a family-run bakery business based in Cardiff and established in 1898. Today, its Grangetown bakery supplies seven retail shops across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, producing a wide range of bread, pastries, cakes, and filled goods.

Like any busy bakery, Brutons generates a steady stream of unavoidable food waste, from pasties and sandwiches to fresh cream and custard slices that don’t make it to sale. When Welsh Government recycling requirements changed, Brutons had to separate its food waste from general waste. Managing that waste became a daily challenge.

Today, a PRM Bio-Processor P500 has transformed the way Brutons manages its bakery food waste, reducing the volume of waste, the space required to store it, and the frequency and cost of its collections.

Bakery food waste: the challenge

Before installing the Bio-Processor, Brutons’ shops put their food waste into general waste. When legislation required the business to separate food waste, this changed to 14 individual 120-litre bins, which were filled throughout the week and collected every Friday.

In practice, collections didn’t always keep pace. When collections were missed, Brutons had nowhere to store the additional organic waste, meaning it inevitably ended up back in with the general waste. The bins themselves became a problem of their own. During the summer, the smell was terrible, and wasps were a regular nuisance. The bins needed washing every week too, adding another job to the team’s list.

Finding the right food waste solution

Richard and Lindsey, owners of Brutons, first came across the PRM Bio-Processor at a Bakers and Confectioners Association meeting in Chester. The machine immediately stood out as a potential solution to a problem Brutons had only just run into.

Brutons briefly considered other options, but Richard says the fact that PRM develops its own technology and software in-house helped give the company confidence in its decision.

“The other options we looked at seemed to import their technology from elsewhere. PRM build everything in-house, their own technology and software, and that felt less problematic and more future-proof.” Richard, Owner, Brutons the Bakers

The PRM P500 Bio-Processor can process up to 500 litres of organic waste in 24 hours. It uses an aerobic digestion process to break down food waste. This can reduce waste volume by around 80%, depending on what goes into the machine.

A straightforward installation

Installation caused minimal disruption to the bakery, with the Bio-Processor positioned outside rather than within the main bakery operation.

According to Richard, installation and setup were completed within a day, with the machine taking around four to five hours to set up and calibrate.

There were a couple of minor teething issues during the initial weeks, both related to the auger that moves processed substrate out of the machine.

On both occasions, PRM was able to provide support quickly, with the team attending site the same day when required. Richard was also shown how to make a simple adjustment himself should the issue occur again. It hasn’t caused any problems since.

Simple to use, day to day

For Brutons, another important benefit has been how easily the Bio-Processor fits into the team’s normal working day.

Food waste is collected in caddies and, when they are full or at the end of the day, staff simply tip the contents into the Bio-Processor and start the cycle.

Richard says the process required very little staff training:

“It’s super simple. Black button to open, dump it in, blue button to set it going. Anyone can do it as part of their normal day.” Richard, Owner, Brutons the Bakers

The results: reducing bakery food waste volume and costs

The most noticeable change has been the reduction in the volume of food waste being stored and collected. Richard estimates that the processed material is approximately one quarter of the volume of the food waste that originally went into the machine, an estimated 75% reduction in volume.

While the waste is still charged by weight when disposed of, the reduction in volume has allowed Brutons to significantly change how it manages its waste collections. Richard estimates that the Bio-Processor is saving the business several thousand pounds a year.

The financial saving isn’t the only benefit. 14 bins have become one Bio-Processor, kept in a single, fixed spot rather than scattered and overflowing. The weekly bin-washing job is gone, along with the smell and the wasps that came with it.

The Bio-Processor has also held up well against the everyday practicalities of running a bakery. It’s made no noticeable difference to energy bills, and despite being sited close to residential housing, no one has ever complained about noise or smell (Richard describes the smell as closer to gingerbread than anything unpleasant).

Environmental health benefits

The removal of multiple food waste bins from the yard has also improved the overall cleanliness and hygiene of the site, something Richard says environmental health inspectors have noticed on their visits.

“From an environmental health point of view, as a food manufacturer, it solves a lot of problems. The environmental health officers love it. We’ve had two visits, and both times they thought it was a great thing.” Richard, Owner, Brutons the Bakers

Working with PRM

Brutons has a service and maintenance contract in place with PRM, and Richard says the relationship gives him confidence day to day.

“We’ve only had two small issues since we had it, and the team were out the same day both times. I’ve got everyone’s mobile number, so if anything comes up, I know it’ll get sorted quickly.” Richard, Owner, Brutons the Bakers For businesses relying on equipment as part of their everyday waste management process, responsive aftercare can be just as important as the initial installation.

Looking ahead

Richard wasn’t looking for sustainability credentials when he bought the Bio-Processor. He was looking to solve a practical business problem, bring down costs, and eliminate a smell issue. The environmental benefits were an added advantage rather than the reason for buying.

He’s also already recommended the solution to another bakery. A fellow member of the Bakers and Confectioners Association called him for advice and has since installed a Bio-Processor of his own.

“It’s good if you’ve got food waste coming back. It reduces the volume, the space you need to store it, the frequency of collections, price of collections, and if you’ve found a farmer or someone who will take it, even better.” Richard, Owner, Brutons the Bakers

Could a Bio-Processor work for your business?

If your business generates significant quantities of unavoidable food waste, conventional waste collections aren’t the only option.

The PRM Bio-Processor provides an on-site solution for processing food and organic waste, helping businesses reduce waste volume, collection requirements and associated costs.

For food manufacturers, bakeries, hospitality businesses and other organisations dealing with high volumes of food waste, it can also help improve site hygiene by reducing the need for multiple food waste bins.

Find out more about the PRM Bio-Processor or contact our team to discuss your food waste management requirements.