Bakery tries to attract customers using Twitter

A BAKERY is trying to attract customers by using Twitter to send messages when fresh bread and cakes are ready.

The Albion in Shoreditch has installed a system that lets staff update the website as goods are taken from the oven.

Local businesses and workers are being encouraged to sign up to the webpage. "We loved the idea, but we were really unsure if it would work," said Peter Prescott, one of the owners of the café/bakery. "We tested it by telling people we had fresh scones, and five minutes later we had sold out."

The system, named Baker Tweet, uses a control panel next to the oven. As bakers remove hot food, they turn a dial to select the product and press a switch. A twitter update - or "tweet" -is sent.

Londoners can follow what is happening via the Twitter name albionsoven, and more than 300 people have signed up already. "We've been amazed by the response. It has made a big difference to sales," said Mr Prescott. "We generally update once a day as we don't want to overwhelm people, but we're now thinking of offering updates at unusual times - for instance, as we're in Shoreditch, offering fresh bread later at night - or running special offers."

The service was developed by Andrew Zolty at marketing firm Poke. He said: "Our office is opposite the bakery, and the idea started as an office joke - we thought it would be great to get food as soon as it comes out of the oven."

The gadget uses a programmable circuitboard called an Arduino, which sends tweets via a wireless internet connection to a computer, where they can be edited and sent to the Net. Poke is now in talks with other bakeries about the service. Mr Zolty said he hoped it would change people's perceptions of Twitter: "We wanted to show it can be used for more serious applications, and hope to develop more of these services."

Twitter is already being put to practical uses. A gadget called a Botanicall enables plants to send an update when they need water; catflaps can let owners know when a pet has entered or left; and a "vest" has been developed that monitors a mother-to-be's stomach for kicks, and updates when the baby is active.

The Albion's Twitter posts ...

About 2 hours ago: Lovely loaves just out of the oven. Hurry.

About 6 hours ago: Cup cakes flying out the oven, like hot cakes.

12.o2am: Eat our croissants fresher than the French. Being brought to the counter right now ...

12:02am: Lovely, layered bloomers, french baguettes, sourdough, traditional bridge, and many more breads, still steaming

1.19am 5 April: Rocks of buttery, raisiny joy, freshly risen scones to slather with cream and jam just being set out now