As the smell of warm bread fills the air, the crust is firm and crispy to the touch. No, this isn't a boulangerie but but a baguette vending machine.

It is now possible to buy fresh baguettes in Luxembourg with the simple press of a button. Avenue François Clément in Mondorf-les-Bains is where the grey bread kiosk is located, a service provided by Scherrer bakery.

It's a service that was regularly demanded by residents for evenings and weekends. "Many customers stop off quickly on the way home after work to pick up a baguette in the machine," says Bernard Scherrer, the brains behind the initiative.

The master baker built the first and only "Baguettes Kiosk" in Mondorf-les-Bains in front of his bakery that unfortunately "had to close," Scherrer stated without giving any explanation as to why.

French flour

The idea of a baguette vending machine is not new as they have been in existence in France for the past two years proving to be a great success. The one in Mondorf-les-Bains however is a first for Luxembourg, although Scherrer runs several bakeries and a dozen machines over the border.

"Sometimes French mayors come to see me requesting I build a baguette vending machine in their village," mused Scherrer.

For him, it is clear there is a great demand, for several reasons. "We prepare our baguettes according to a traditional recipe using only French flour," explained the baker. "In many villages, there are no real bakers or pastry chefs, but people appreciate fresh and quality products. Not everyone wants to buy bread or baguettes at a service station."

Homemade

Baguettes are prepared and briefly pre-cooked at the bakery before being placed in the machine. "Everything is done by hand," Scherrer said.

Integrated in the machine is a kind of refrigerator, to keep the baguettes fresh. Only when a customer presses the button is the baguette removed automatically from the fridge and placed in an oven.

One machine contains 120 baguettes. It is replenished two to three times a day depending on demand. The baker is notified via an automatic email when stocks are almost exhausted.

A baguette costs €1.10 but the machines do not earn Scherrer enough money to be the baker’s only activity. "We see this more as an extra service for our customers. As long as they are satisfied, so are we," he stated.

Special permit

The baguette kiosk in Mondorf was installed on Bernard Scherrer’s property, but he still had to apply for a permit from ‘Ponts et Chaussées’ (Highway maintenance service) and the commune of Mondorf.

"If you want to build a machine along a national road in Luxembourg, you have to apply for a permit," said Ralf Di Marco from Ponts et Chaussées. If the machine is approved by the administration, the operator must pay a small rent for the placement because this device is considered a kind of business.

"We accepted the machine because Boulangerie Scherrer was, a few years ago, still an important part of Mondorf businesses", explained Claude Mathieu, in charge of building authorisations in the commune.

Scherrer is extremely pleased to have finally achieved his project in Mondorf, and hopes that his customers are too.

(Wort staff)