Vincenta Mikučionienė: "Grandmother's" bread invited my grandchildren to me

Dough making operator Vincenta Mikučionienė has been working at the Panevėžys bakery for 15 years. She started with packaging, learned new things and has now been responsible for the preparation of dough for ten years. This year, Vincenta was awarded as an ambassador of the Value of Openness.

He is a person who is able to work in several different lines and cooperates well with colleagues, accepts innovations and rushes to help in case of trouble.

We talked to Vincentas about her path and work at Vilnius Bread.

Vincenta, how did you end up at Vilniaus Duona?

I once started with a packer. We were sent by the labour exchange for temporary work. A group of a dozen women came, we worked as much as we could, and then five of them were offered to stay, and I was among them. So I stayed working as a packer and worked for about five years. I was motivated by the salary, that it was always on time, a good team. I was learning new things, I would substitute my colleagues here and there, and then they offered to work with dough.

What kind of bread is born thanks to your hands?

I mix such breads as "Močiutė", "Urtės", "Whole grain bread", "Beata virtuvė" bread. There are probably 14 recipes in total. By the way, it's an interesting coincidence: when I started mixing "Grandma's" bread dough, I became a grandmother in my life – I had a grandchild. Now I have two, only both abroad.

We have a lot of products: "Grandmothers" light, dark, with sunflowers, "Agota", "Rugelis", etc. Rugelis' recipe is pure, simple, unchanged for many years.

Which ones do you like the most for yourself or your family?

I try them all. But anyway, I like light breads, "Lietuvaitė", "Agota" bread, baguette. I eat bread with everything: with herring, meat, and soup. My sister tells me, "Your grandmother's bread is very tasty."

So you don't run out of bread at home when you work at Vilniaus Duona?

Otherwise, every day after a shift at the watchman's desk, each employee can take home bread and two pastries. That's enough bread, unless you're sick and sitting at home, then you have to buy. And baguettes have to be bought, because my husband is a big lover of them!

It was from the baguettes that I started mixing the doughs. And now I've been preparing dough for 10 years.

What qualities do you need to work in a bakery and prepare bread dough?

You need to work responsibly, to see exactly what to put in place. A lot of manual work. For example, for "Grandma's" bread: first we knead for 5 hours, then stir and ferment for 2 hours. So the dough is only at 7 a.m. with me. Then shape and bake, and after baking, we mature for 17 hours.

You need endurance, attention, it is important not to mix what's where, because there are a lot of recipes.

Humidity, temperature, acidity must be carefully measured. But everything can be learned, I learned everything here, I came without paying. Once I was trained, now I teach new colleagues when they come.

And do you bake bread at home?

Oh no, I wouldn't bake bread at home and there is no such thing, we can bring home bread every day.

You work for a long time, 15 years – is it a non-monotonous job?

There is no time to get bored, you have to rotate all the time, because the work is fast, everything has to be on time, nothing has to stop.

A good team motivates. I like that we have health insurance, if you need any rehabilitation, medication or preventive check-ups.

How did you tame night work?

I'm used to it and I'm fine, I work two days during the day, two days at night, and then four days off.

What do you do during your holidays, how do you rest?

I have a homestead, I rotate there. In winter time, I knit something for my grandchildren and for myself.

I see, you are sitting without jewelry – you have to take them off when you go to the bakery, is it missing?

There is no shortage, I am already so used to it that I don't even put them on automatically when I go to work. If a colleague forgets and comes with jewelry, then the others immediately tap in a friendly way: and where is the lady so bloated!

We talk, and you smile a lot and communicate warmly. Is that why you were elected as an Ambassador of Openness?

I'm all kinds of people at work. But anyway, I was pleasantly surprised, I didn't expect it. The team is friendly, we talk during breaks, we help each other when needed. We have a more female team at the doughs.

Meaningful work – I don't know how to work casually on doughs. My parents taught me so much that you need to do everything responsibly.

So will we still be able to buy your baked bread?

I'll bake if everything goes well, maybe I'll bake bread until retirement!

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Every year, Vilniaus Duona awards ambassadors of three of our values: openness, drive, and an all-encompassing approach. With these interviews, we want to honor our colleagues who live by these values.