Stop & Shop announced that it has teamed up with the Wilkinson Baking Company to install The Mini Bakery, also known as “The Breadbot,” at its Milford, Massachusetts store. Stop & Shop is the only grocer on the East Coast with The Mini Bakery, offering sandwich-style bread that is fresh-from-the-oven, delicious and affordable. The Mini Bakery mixes, forms, proofs, bakes and cools ten loaves of artisan bread per hour. The breads come in a variety of flavors like white, wheat, whole wheat, nine grain, sourdough and honey oat, although availability will vary based on demand. The bread is made and sold the same day, so there is no need for the artificial preservatives commonly found in on-shelf bread.

“We know that our customers want fresh, tasty and healthy food that’s good for them and for their families,” said Michael Vachon, category manager, Stop & Shop. “With The Mini Bakery, shoppers can see exactly what goes into their bread and feel confident that it’s made with wholesome ingredients.”

“Making the bread locally, right in the store with The Mini Bakery, has a very positive environmental effect,” says Randall Wilkinson, CEO of Wilkinson Baking Company. “The fleets of delivery trucks and the fuel they use are reduced, since only dry ingredients need to be shipped. And, because The Mini Bakery keeps track of its production, it’s able to predict how much bread it should bake in order to meet demand. Everything it bakes sells within hours. Nothing goes to waste.”

The Mini Bakery inside the Milford, Massachusetts, store is located in the Bakery Department. Each loaf retails for $3.99, and following this pilot, Stop & Shop plans to install additional The Mini Bakery machines at other stores across the region.