find quite affordable commercial rent rates
in the Burg (compared to neighbouring
areas!).
3. How/Where did you learn to bake?
I would like to preface this by saying that I
will be forever a student of baking. I believe
that I am a good baker, but also one that has
only really seen the tip of the iceberg, so to
speak! I learn primarily by doing. I try, I fail,
I try again, I improve, I try again, and things
get incrementally better. I learned some
superb foundational knowledge from the
Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver,
which is where I discovered that I had absolutely found my calling. That place reinforced
everything I suspected about baking, and
taught me that I had potential to be great.
My journey continued in Vancouver at
Beyond Bread bakery, where I spent a brief
two months before returning home to Ottawa.
Beyond Bread taught me what good bread
was. It showed me what I would later strive to
be, and what a respectful and open
work/learning environment could/should
be. When I moved back to Ottawa, I was
solo in my learning efforts, and it came
down to dedication, reading, and stubborn
persistence. Baking taught me how to view
failure as a stepping stone to success, and to
embrace it as part of my daily life. I continue
to strive and learn by constantly trying to do
more, and new things, and constantly jump
way beyond my comfort zone. You have to
learn how to reduce your ego to next to
nothing in order to be a successful student
of baking, and I think I’m there.
4. Do you have hopes to expand to more
locations?
I know I will disappoint some folks by saying
this, but as of now, this is a hard NO. The
past two years have taught me that while I
think I have the qualities to run a successful
72
WWW.EATINEATOUT.CA
business, I am first and foremost a baker, and
secondarily an entrepreneur. I absolutely
adore my profession, to the point where it
could bring tears to my eyes on a given day,
but I loathe many of the responsibilities and
expectations of a small business owner.
Sadly, the more Bread by Us grows, the less
I bake, and I am just not willing to give that
up any more than I have. I am still a baker
five days a week (down from six from the first
year), and oversee/manage the bakery on
the off days, and I like it this way! Oh, and if
you love our bread and products the way
they are, then you’l [