John Williams, Treasures of Nhill & District Facebook page, Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times

Bread has historically been intrinsically woven and responsible for large parts of how civilisations and cultures have grown and is relied on as a fundamental foodstuff.

So, you don’t mess with bread. However, in Nhill during the amalgamation of two bakeries in 1967, there seemed to be a crisis that could have led to Nhillites “eating cake”.

The saga began in May when Otto’s Bakery in Macpherson Street and Whiting’s Lowan Bakery in Victoria Street were taken over by Kimpton’s and Noske’s Flour Mills.

Otto’s had been baking bread in Nhill for 35 years and the Lowan Bakery had been operated by Whiting’s for 14 years and previously by Longhursts.

Under the amalgamation, Whiting’s staff would join the bakery at Otto’s in Macpherson Street with bread retailed from Otto’s shop in Victoria Street.

At the time, it was said advantages of the joint operation were that all bread would be baked at night, and Otto’s had room for expansion.

It wasn’t long before problems and complaints began to emerge over the quality of the bread under the new regime.

So why wasn’t the bread “Tip Top”…!

It was reported that previously bread from Otto’s was delivered in polythene bags which seemed to keep it fresh, but now it came in paper bags.

The Lowan Council stuck its nose in and said the sandwich loaf was terrible and the quality of Nhill bread had gone backwards.

A Health inspector was called in and ruled that the quality of the bread was still the same.

Councillor Wheaton countered that the inspector had done his job, BUT he didn’t have to eat it.

Inspector H.G. Tonkin said it was hard to define taste, and he needed to have a specific crook loaf to have a look at.

Councillor Meek said it was puzzling because the same bakers were baking it.

Councillor Westerndorf suggested that housewives complaining might have been just having a bad day.

One of the issues was mouldy bread which could be blamed on the way fresh bread was stored.

The health inspector once again said…the matter was closed until he was given some dodgy dough.

It was pointed out that Otto’s had used plastic bags as a no-charge extra service so bread could be delivered fresher, particularly out on farms.

But it was not put in the bags until cool otherwise, this would have caused sweating and mould.

The amalgamated bakers went against the grain and didn’t offer plastic bags because of the cost.

Writing in the Nhill Free Press, Terry Dahlenburg said the housewife had the utmost right to complain when, in her eyes, the bread was not up to standard, but that housewife should take it up with the baker directly so he can rectify the problem. He said he witnessed the initial mayhem during the launch of the West Wimmera Bakery and was surprised Nhill housewives received any bread at all in the first few days.

“Yes, there were teething problems. Just give a bloke a go when things are difficult.”

But crumbs, there was more to come. Ten years later, Bernie’s Hot Bread Shop in Victoria Street was fined $10 for selling milk bread without the necessary milk content.

Shop assistant Valda Zerbst found herself sandwiched between a denial and a misunderstanding.

The bread shop had never sold milk bread, but Valda had been told that all bread contained some milk and unwittingly sold a loaf as “milk bread” to a health inspector.

It contained just .74% of non-fat milk solids instead of the required minimum of 4%. Gotcha! The Hot Bread Shop was toast.

In the heart of the wheat-growing district Nhill should be producing the best bread in the world. But these days, much of the daily bread is the not so fresh trucked in corporate loaf full of hidden secrets. For many years, a popular “home remedy” for wounds was to use mouldy bread as a bandage.

This article appeared in the Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times, 22 March 2023.