photo credit www.jerrywillows.ca
Andrea and I had the pleasure of meeting with Jenny Breckon, the owner and baker of The Sweet Tooth Cakery, which specializes in gluten free wedding and birthday cakes (we just love Hayden's first birthday cake pictured on the left). Jenny’s gluten free product line also includes cupcakes, cookies, and sweet breads, as well as the ‘best biscotti ever’. it was a great opportunity for us to not only meet Jenny in person and ask her a million questions, but to also hear about the drive, passion and inspiration behind her gluten free business.
Jenny’s venture into the world of baking began at her sister's wedding in 2005, when Jenny bravely agreed to make the wedding cake! at the time, Jenny was unaware of her gluten intolerance, and was still baking with gluten-containing flours. she does recall, however, that the day after the wedding her mom was extremely ill. in fact her and her mom had been dealing with health issues for some time, but it wasn’t until a year later that her mom was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. everything became clear to Jenny and her mom—they both have celiac disease, and they both had been suffering for a very long time.
Jenny took a break from baking, and actually wasn’t sure she would ever go back to it, especially without the knowledge of how to bake gluten free. slowly that started to change, and Jenny found herself testing and experimenting with gluten free cookbooks, particularly those by Bette Hagman, and eventually formed The Sweet Tooth Cakery. her mom’s name is Robin, and the logo behind the Sweet Tooth Cakery, a robin bird, is a dedication to her. in fact, Jenny’s entire business is dedicated to her mom “I bake for my mom” says Jenny, “I want her to be able to eat all the same desserts and treats like everyone else”.
currently The Sweet Tooth Cakery operates out of a shared bakery space called The Spelt Bakery on east hastings street. while this is a wheat free bakery, it is not a dedicated gluten free bakery. we spoke with Jenny about the measures taken to ensure that cross contamination is managed in a responsible manner. the bakery is not only immaculate, but Jenny does not share any of her equipment with the other bakers, and it is kept covered when she is not there. the only shared items are the wash-up sinks and the ovens, but since she bakes alone on dedicated days, she is the only one using the ovens on those specific days, and she uses her own trays. she gave us the peace of mind that only a fellow celiac can, and we happily enjoyed Jenny’s offerings.
we had the pleasure of sampling Jenny’s carrot cake with butter cream icing, chocolate chip cookies (she adds gf rice crispies), dark chocolate mint cookies, and coconut almond pecan pleasure cookies with quinoa flakes…yum! actually she recommends the coconut almond pecan pleasure cookie for anyone who is diabetic, as she sweetens this cookie with honey. they are very addictive! we also brought one of her sweet breads to a birthday party, the chocolate chip banana loaf, and it was a huge hit! the main ingredients that Jenny uses are: sorghum flour, rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthum gum, almond milk, organic evaporated cane juice, and of course butter.
Jenny bakes on request, and needs about a week for a birthday cake order. orders for wedding cakes depend on the cake design, which we think Jenny has a natural talent for, as you can see from the cake portfolio on her website. other baked items, such as cookies and sweet breads, can be special ordered. Jenny can also create dairy-free and vegan cakes on request.
where to find The Sweet Tooth Cakery you ask? starting this month look for Jenny at the Lonsdale Farmer’s Market starting Saturday, May 29th. subsequent dates include June 12th, August 14th, August 28th, September 11th, September 25th, October 2nd, and October 9th. The Sweet Tooth Cakery also has dates at the Ambleside Market in West Vancouver on Sunday, July 4th, and at the West End Farmer's Market on July 24th and October 23rd.
like all bakers, Jenny’s dream is to someday own her own bakery where she can spend her days baking and creating, and we think she’s not far off!
stay tuned for another gluten free vancouver giveaway courtesy of The Sweet Tooth Cakery! Robyn.
***update: Jenny has had to cancel her market for Saturday May 29th, please email her if you would like to purchase any of her baking this weekend, see her website for contact info. she will resume on June 12th as scheduled.
***update: Jenny has had to cancel her market for Saturday May 29th, please email her if you would like to purchase any of her baking this weekend, see her website for contact info. she will resume on June 12th as scheduled.
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6 comments:
Jenny made our wedding cake and it was beyond delicious. I'm the on person who requires GF but everyone, even non sweet eaters, loved the cake.
And those choc mint cookies? To die for :)
Have you heard of Edible Flours, a vegan bakery in Vancouver? My friend sent me their website - edibleflours.ca
Hi Cally, yes we know about Edible Flours! We have been waiting to post on their new business, but they asked that we wait until their website is up and running, which we were notified about yesterday. Look for a post on them soon, including two other custom gluten free bakery businesses! Let us know if you try anything from Edible Flours and what you think! Thanks for the tip!
The Spelt Bakery closed down so Jenny isn't working out of there anymore. If you contact her by email she is still taking orders. She made my birthday cake last year and it was amazing. I think she soaks the cake in syrup before putting it together with all the icing layers. It is super moist and not a bit dry even a few days later.
yes, Jenny is no longer working out of the Spelt Bakery and she is actually opening her new storefront this fall at 2055 Old Dollarton Road in North Vancouver. congratulations Jenny!
Noticed a new bakery on Cambie St., entirely gluten free, Lemonade Bakery
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