As we arrived, the smell of sugar, spices and fruits penetrated the nostrils. You could almost taste the buns even before they were baked.

Yahneake Sterling and Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporters

Excitement filled the air as the Lifestyle team travelled through the winding mountain road of Junction, St. Mary heading to AML Bakery in Port Maria. It was a rainy day and despite thebumpy ride, the cool air and the smell of the rain-kissed earth calmed our spirits as we journeyed on.

Delectable buns

The purpose of the trip was to observe how the winner of last year's Gleaner Food section Easter bun competition, AML Bakery, create their delectable buns. As we drove slowly through the congested town, everything seemed to go in slow motion. There was no sign on the bakery so it was difficult to find; but a bakery that popular needs no sign.

As we arrived, the smell of sugar, spices and fruits penetrated the nostrils. You could almost taste the buns even before they were baked.

The machines for mixing and refining the dough seemed so ancient that we secretly wondered whether they really worked? "They have been in existence from about World War I," Mrs. Audrey Lecky owner of AML explained as we raised our brows in amazement.

"All we do is service and maintain them," she continued. Evidence that the machines were in perfect working order came to light when Chante Loupe, the man who refines the dough in the 'dough breaker' got the machine going.

Over and under the dough went; with each spin, the consistency became smoother. Chante was sure enjoying himself as his muscular arms went up, down, sideways as a scene from a martial arts demonstration as he folded the dough. When he added sugar, the brown grains flew into the air, falling as gold dust.

As we watched in amazement, Mrs. Lecky noted that not everyone could do what Chante was doing, that with experience and a special technique. "You have to know when to stop in order to get the bun to come out right," she explained.

Interesting characters

Left: The AML Bakery in Port Maria, St. Mary, has been providing scrumptious baked goodies in this over-100-year-old bakery. Right: Mr. Alman Flash, scaler at AML Bakery cracks a smile as he weighs the bun mixture. In the back Mr.Chante Loupe, dough breaker operator, transfers the dough to the table so that Mr. Flash can do his thing. - photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

The bakery had many interesting characters, and Alman Flash is one of them. So called by the other workers, for his speed when he weighs the dough to be baked. Flash the 'scaler' notes that he has been at the bakery since 1991 when Mrs. Lecky bought the factory. He said he started out cleaning tin sheets and worked his way up to scaler.

"I did not come here with any experience but I learnt on the job, you see," he said as he folded his arms.

Flash was a construction worker before joining the bakery. He was unemployed at the time when his brother, a salesman, asked him to accompany him to the bakery, imploring him to try his luck there. His brother told him that if he wanted the job, he had to go down and see the foreman on a Friday at 5:30 p.m. He did just that, landed the job, and has been working there ever since.

As Flash weighed the bread, he told Lifestyle that he enjoyed what he did. "Mi no ramp up, yuh nuh," he said with a smile. "Many times there are four men at the table tinning (placing dough in the tins) and they are all sweating to keep up with me," he continued.

Roy Nugent, 66 years old, is another interesting character. In Flash's words, "He is a nice old man." Mr. Nugent, from Scotts Hall, in St. Mary, has been in the bakery business for around 50 years, but has been working at AML since 1999. "Is long time I in this business man. I don't know no other work," he told Lifestyle, his gold teeth shining as he laughed. "From I was 15, I left school and my mother wanted me to go back to another school, but my mother was poor, and I didn't think she could finance it, so I decided to go and look some work," he explained.

Went to try his luck

Mr. Roy Nugent, head mixer at the bakery, explains the mixing process.

Mr. Nugent is the eldest of six children. News that help was needed at Ms. Carmen's bakery in Friendship Gap reached him, and escorted by a family friend, he went to try his luck. It turned out that his luck was good and he got the job. "I started out cleaning tin sheets and gradually mi start step up inna di business because I have a quick head yuh nuh," he said, switching to Patois.

In no time, Mr. Nugent moved up to baker and then foreman at the bakery. He worked there for 10 years before moving on. "When I bake anything and I see it come out good, I really love it. I'm in it (baking) so long I don't know nuttin more to do but it. I really enjoy it," Mr. Nugent confessed.

"I enjoy it so much, that even when I am on leave, I'm praying for mi leave to up so I can come back to work."