It may be of no surprise that the history of grocery stores offering an in-store bakery can be traced back to the early 20th century. Traditionally, services like bakeries and butcher shops were separate operations from the general grocery stores, albeit conveniently close-by ones. Then, when Kroger opened the first on-premises bakery in 1901, a trend began for competitors to offer the same service for their patrons. Today, even some of the most cost-effective grocery stores like Walmart feature a showcase of well-priced, premade items, as well as customizable baked goods. Seeing as Aldi has earned the title of America’s most affordable grocer, it raises the question of whether the chain offers that same service for its customers.
To answer the question, the popular grocery store did at one time. In 2018, Aldi experimented with rolling out in-store Bake Shops at select locations. While official information on the locations may be scarce, a Reddit thread compiled an unofficial list of every Aldi location that included an on-site bakery. At the time, there were 18 Aldi stores with a dedicated bakery across Illinois, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Maryland. Unfortunately, there isn’t any sign that they’re still in operation. However, the supermarket’s patrons can still find many of the same bakery items offered at any grocery store.
What bakery items can shoppers find at Aldi?
While it’s true that none of Aldi’s locations currently include an on-site bakery, the supermarket chain does feature an impressive Bakery section. Shoppers can take advantage of an array of premade items like sliced bread, rolls, and desserts. The chain also offers specialty baked goods like oven-ready Italian bread and tasty sourdough rounds. If the hungry baker can’t find anything to satiate their confectionary cravings while perusing the store, they can stock up on the essential baking ingredients worth buying at Aldi to create a masterpiece of their own at home.
After all, just because Aldi is affordable doesn’t mean that its baking products aren’t of good quality. While Aldi’s many in-house brands might not be immediately recognizable, there’s a chance that many national brand names are actually behind the grocery chain’s products. The rumor mill suggests that ADM Milling Company makes Aldi’s Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour, while Old Dutch Foods is likely behind Clancy-brand chips and snacks. While those may be unofficial, a recall in 1998 and another in 2015 did reveal the major companies behind two of Aldi’s in-house labels. Post-owned Malt-O-Meal is behind Aldi’s Millville cereals and national baking brand Bimbo Bakeries is the producer of the store’s Fit & Active bread.
