Arson yesterday destroyed Benjamin’s Homemade Bakery which had been a fixture in the Buxton community for almost 26 years.
At around 12.30 am yesterday, neighbours noticed flames consuming the building and raised an alarm.
One neighbour, who did not wish to be identified, told Stabroek News that her grandmother first noticed the fire and called her. Her scream of fire roused the neighbourhood; a bucket brigade was formed and the fire service contacted. Though two fire engines responded promptly, they were unable to save the building.
Speaking with Stabroek News, owner of the bakery Adrian Benjamin explained that he learnt about the fire through the same neighbour.
“I was at our Berbice branch and received a call that the bakery was on fire. I rushed here only to meet this [shell of the burnt building],” Benjamin said. He later told Stabroek News that the fire service had confirmed that the blaze which began in the office of the building was a result of arson.
He would not speculate as to who would want to destroy his business, but noted that he has been engaged in a land dispute since opening in 1991.
In 1991, Benjamin entered a 10-year lease agreement with Adina ‘Baby’ Jervis for the space which was once the Jervis Bakeshop. Since that time, his occupation has been challenged by a Mr Francis, who claimed to have bought the property from another Jervis.
“The case has been thrown out several times but he keeps refilling and appealing, so it is still in court now, even as I am buying the land,” Benjamin explained.
At the time of the fire, Benjamin was in the process of expanding his business to cater to customers in Linden, Georgetown and West Demerara. He was also working to open a café at the Buxton branch.
“I’ve already spent almost $11 million in the expansion and we were moving really fast. Looking at opening at the end of March but this is going to set us back at least two months,” he explained noting that he is open to any assistance persons are willing to offer.
“As soon as the Fire Service clear the place we are going to start clearing and rebuilding. I’m not asking, but if any one offers any help, even if it’s just helping to clear the space, I won’t say no,” he added.
Benjamin is determined to be back to work as soon as possible so that his 38 employees and 40 distributors are not severely disadvantaged.
“I have about 38 employees at this branch and 40 distributors. On a weekly basis, we use about 240 bags of flour that’s 9,000 to 10,000 bags of bread alone with our largest distributor being Zion’s Gate at the front [public road],” he said, adding that in the short term he will be attempting to fill orders from his Berbice branch and will offer a day’s pay to those workers who show up to help in rebuilding.
The bakery utilized a number of state-of-the-art machines, imported from the United States, some of which, like the industrial mixers, were damaged. However, the ovens were undamaged by the blaze.
Along with bread, Benjamin’s also produces tennis roll, salara, cheese roll, coconut roll, pine slice, patties (beef and chicken), cheese straw, pine tart, butter flap, cassava pone, sponge cake, black cake, vegetable pinwheel, and pizza. The bakery offers catering services for weddings, parties and other events and supplies products for several school feeding programmes in the village.
A 2014 profile of the bakery in the Buxton-Friendship Express noted that in his effort to encourage agricultural production and business development in the village, Benjamin purchases 180 pounds of cassava each week from local farmers, buys coconuts from villagers, and takes beef from a local butcher. Forty per cent of the bakery’s staff reside in the village and work its two shifts. The occupations are Bakers, Mixers, Table Hands, Assistant Cake Makers, Salesclerks and Labourers, while internship training is offered during the August holidays for Buxton Secondary School students.
Additionally Benjamin offers an annual bursary award to students who excel at the National Grade Six Assessment.
