Seven Years Ago He "Bottom-Fished" the Baking Industry's "Godfather" and Created a Brand New Blue Ocean Market Through Cross-Border Innovation

Cover News Reporter Liu Kesheng Luo Xuan

By mid-March, Zhang Tao was noticeably busier! As a candidate for Sichuan Province’s Top Ten Youth Entrepreneurs and Chairman of Sichuan Normal University Food Technology Co., Ltd., he has been tirelessly traveling to Leshan to research the market and lay the groundwork for building a large market in southern Sichuan. “We want the people of southern Sichuan to rediscover the ‘Normal University Bread’ from their childhood memories!”

“I graduated from Sichuan University of Light Chemical Industry, and I have a deep emotional connection to the local delicacy ‘Normal University Bread,’ which accompanied me through four years of college. I hope to revitalize this historic brand that carries the memories of generations in southern Sichuan in the new era through our efforts.”

He said that Zigong Salt Block Cuisine is famous worldwide, and Zigong people’s culinary passion and aesthetic are truly “unparalleled,” which is why there are popular online snacks like cold rabbit and stir-fried series, and salt block restaurants worldwide. “Rooted in Zigong’s culinary DNA, ‘Normal University Bread’ has transformed from a nearly bankrupt old brand into a pioneer in the new blue ocean market of medicinal and edible products, and in the future, we will even venture into space, creating ‘Aerospace’ cuisine as a new pillar industry!”

Visionary Insight: He “Bargain Buys” to Acquire the Baking Industry’s “Master”

“Bread, bread! Normal University Bread!” Today, on the streets of Zigong, you can still see the “carrying grandma” walking around with a basket of Normal University Bread. This shout has echoed in Zigong for 40 years.

“Our company currently has over 30 carrying staff, walking an average of 26,000 steps daily to deliver fresh Normal University Bread to the city’s streets and alleys. After 40 years of carrying, demand still exceeds supply,” Zhang Tao said. This is a true reflection of the broad grassroots support for Normal University Bread. “This brand and this intangible cultural heritage are deeply loved by the people.”

Normal University Bread Production Team

In 2019, Zigong Normal University Bread was on the brink of collapse, and the once-famous traditional old brand faced a low point in its history. Zhang Tao, who had been influenced from a young age and was always fond of “Normal University Bread,” heard the news and immediately approached to negotiate.

With multiple entrepreneurial ventures under his belt, Zhang Tao keenly realized that this nearly 70-year-old brand, with a solid mass base and complete preservation of 260 steps of traditional dough pressing techniques, was not “failing,” but lacked experience in product development, market expansion, and modern management in the current baking industry. “It needs a ‘blood transfusion,’ technological innovation, to revive!”

After decisively acquiring “Normal University Bread,” Zhang Tao invested over 16 million yuan to upgrade the production line, apprenticed from scratch to learn baking techniques, and adhered to the brand’s intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship, ensuring the classic flavor of Normal University Bread endures. By May 2025, he led the team to take over the nearly bankrupt Leshan Normal University’s carrying Normal University Bread, rekindling this cross-city baking memory. The story of Leshan’s carrying Normal University Bread began in 1940. That year, Sichuan Provincial Leshan Normal School was officially established, and the prototype of bread and pastries quietly emerged, resonating with the school through storms and stresses. At that time, during the tumult of the Anti-Japanese War, Wuhan University relocated to Leshan, bringing advanced educational ideas and planting seeds of diverse culinary culture. On this land of cultural exchange, carrying Normal University Bread absorbed nutrients and grew quietly.

Honored as a Sichuan Old Brand

The bread baked in humble workshops was not only a warm meal for teachers and students but also a vessel of comfort and hope during turbulent times. It carried youthful memories and witnessed the perseverance of knowledge. In 1978, with the revival of education, the school was upgraded to Leshan Normal University, and carrying Normal University Bread gained new development opportunities, evolving from a small campus bakery to a beloved Leshan culinary brand among teachers and residents.

“‘Normal University Bread,’ born in Zigong Normal University cafeteria, was once the ‘master’ of Sichuan’s baking scene. Since its birth in 1956, the 1986 ‘Cafeteria Revolution’ further boosted its fame,” Zhang Tao said. Later, the introduction of French bread techniques and Hong Kong-style production lines made flagship products like scallion oil bread, orange sesame cakes, and cold rabbit mooncakes rank among the top three in sales across the province for seven consecutive years, becoming a classic example of university research成果转化. “It has a glorious past, and I want to give it a brighter future!”

Research & Innovation: Cross-Industry Fusion Opens New Blue Ocean Markets

There are 12 baking brands of various sizes in southern Sichuan, each with its advantages, but the market has long fallen into a homogeneous, red ocean competition. How can the lagging “Normal University Bread” catch up?

Since resuming production, this has been a persistent question in Zhang Tao’s mind. “How to catch up? I believe only through innovation, strong product capabilities, and ‘bending the curve’ to enter markets that mature brands haven’t touched can we expand our优势.”

Facing the current state of the baking industry, Zhang Tao innovatively developed a “production, learning, research, and medical” integrated development model, which became the key to breaking the deadlock after market disruption. “It was actually a coincidence. My father has diabetes and needs to control his diet. One day, I suddenly thought—what if we combine baking techniques with the pharmaceutical industry to develop a series of new baked goods and open up a new blue ocean market?”

2025 Sichuan Medicinal Diet Competition Award Medal

He acted swiftly! Zhang Tao quickly partnered with Sichuan University of Light Chemical Industry and Zigong Fourth People’s Hospital to establish a研发中心, tackling key technologies like active ingredient extraction from Chinese medicinal herbs. They developed five系列药食同源功能性烘焙产品 that assist in lowering blood sugar, strengthening the spleen, and nourishing the stomach, making “Normal University Bread” one of the first functional baked goods developers in Sichuan and Chongqing. Starting in 2024, Normal University Food has also been OEM manufacturing medicinal and edible baked products for many top-tier hospitals nationwide, with innovative products like medicinal mooncakes and medicinal zongzi achieving good sales.

Normal University Food’s Co-Developed Medicinal & Edible Baked Goods with Tertiary Hospitals

After years of development, these products now占据80% of the southern Sichuan market share, with a repurchase rate of up to 73%. They are tailored for postoperative recovery, chronic disease management, and school groups, with “three reductions” foods—reducing sugar, salt, and fat—achieving precise, functional product layouts, opening a huge market and gaining a first-mover advantage.

While maintaining traditional craftsmanship, Zhang Tao promotes modernization of processes, building intelligent production lines that increase efficiency by 60% and standardization rate to 95%. He has established a “20-store retail network + hospitals + schools + communities + carrying vendors + e-commerce,” creating a comprehensive sales channel. Today, “Normal University Bread” ranks as Zigong’s top local bakery brand, earning titles such as Sichuan Old Brand, Zigong Leading Enterprise, Sichuan Medicinal & Edible Source Southwest Launch Economy, and multiple intangible cultural heritage honors, becoming a benchmark in southern Sichuan’s baking industry.

Top-Level Planning: Elevating Baking to “Aerospace”

In Zhang Tao’s vision, the future of “Normal University Bread” is a new journey toward “big health baking,” moving from southern Sichuan to a nationwide brand. His core goal is to create a “Leading Brand of China’s Big Health Baking Food,” continuously innovating and exploring the blue ocean of the baking industry.

“On the product side, ‘Normal University Bread’ will develop more targeted functional baked goods for different groups such as diabetics, seniors, and children, deepening the medicinal and edible product layout,” he said. He also plans to collaborate with four local universities, seven top-tier hospitals, and industry associations to制定《药食同源功能性烘焙行业标准》, filling industry gaps.

In terms of categories, “Normal University Bread” will work with Sichuan Salt Industry School to develop aerospace nutrition bread, cold series pastries, and other seven innovative categories, broadening product boundaries. “The recently concluded National Two Sessions listed ‘Aerospace’ as one of six emerging pillar industries. Aerospace food will be a future battleground in the catering industry, and we must seize this opportunity now.”

In strategic layout, “Normal University Bread” plans to invest millions to build a second factory, establish a Leshan branch, and deepen the southern Sichuan market. The brand will expand from campuses and hospitals to nationwide coverage, reaching more people, creating more differentiated advantages, and building a特色烘焙版图.

Additionally, Zhang Tao plans to apply for the “China Time-Honored Brand” status from the Ministry of Commerce in 2026, further exploring the cultural heritage of “Normal University Bread,” integrating the “carrying vendor” cultural symbol into brand building, and elevating the brand’s cultural memory and influence. Through standardization, branding, and scaling, he aims to promote the transformation and upgrading of the traditional baking industry.

Fulfilling Social Responsibilities: Industry Empowerment for Shared Development

From the warmth of a single carrying pole to the entire产业链 of social responsibility, “Normal University Bread,” under Zhang Tao’s leadership, has always integrated business value with social value, actively practicing corporate responsibility.

In employment empowerment, “Normal University Bread” inherits and upgrades the traditional “carrying bread,” creating over 1,500 jobs across the产业链, including 30% for laid-off workers and 20% for college graduates. Over the years, the company has been recognized as “Zigong Disabled Assistance Employment Base,” “Zigong College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Demonstration Base,” and “Zigong Industry-Education Integration Second Batch Training Base,” providing employment and创业平台 for various groups. Titles such as “Industry Professor at Sichuan Health Rehabilitation College,” “Industry Instructor at Zigong Special Education School,” and “Leader of Food Industry at Sichuan University of Light Chemical Industry National University Science Park” affirm Zhang Tao’s achievements.

Supporting Inclusive Development in Zigong’s Special Education

In rural revitalization, Zhang Tao has promoted a full产业链 of “farmer planting (breeding) – processing – sales,” signing targeted采购协议 with over 50 farmers, helping them increase annual income by 20,000 yuan, and driving 13 towns to develop订单农业, making the baking industry a booster for rural振兴. By 2025, Normal University Food will be recognized as a “Key Agricultural Enterprise” in Zigong, establishing joint研发中心,预制食品产业学院, and产教融合示范基地 with Sichuan University of Light Chemical Industry, Sichuan Salt Industry School, Sichuan Health Rehabilitation College, and Zigong Special Education School, creating a “no-walls baking university” that combines classroom learning with workshop实践, training over 500 baking inheritors and professionals, injecting fresh vitality into the industry.

Normal University Food and Sichuan Salt Industry School Establish “Baking Pre-made Food Industry College”

Even more commendable, “Normal University Bread” has maintained a 70-year record of zero food safety accidents, strictly controlling quality to protect consumers’安全. It also customizes “three reduction” healthy baked goods for many primary and secondary schools, participates in special education school辅助就业项目, and extends warmth to more groups. From supporting employment and rural振兴 to产教融合 and民生保障, Zhang Tao’s “Normal University Bread” not only preserves the cultural roots of the old brand but also becomes a pillar for industry transformation, local economic empowerment, and social responsibility.

As a young entrepreneur of the new era, Zhang Tao’s passion for old brands, dedication to innovation, and sense of social responsibility have continuously renewed and upgraded “Normal University Bread” through the years. His entrepreneurial story has become a vivid example of youth entrepreneurship in Sichuan—only through坚持创新, can traditional brands remain vibrant; only through践行责任, can the entrepreneurial path be steady and far-reaching.