Sarah Black sadly passed away on February 15, 2024.  To commemorate this kind and thoughtful baker and teacher, we are re-publishing Mark's chat with Sarah from Episode 153.  Recorded in October, 2021

Sarah's family announced her passing via Sarah's Instagram page.

Helpful Links

Support the Podcast Here

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

The podcast hits a major milestone by going back to the beginning. 

In this special 200th episode, Mark is joined by Daisy Chow of Breadboard Bakery in Arlington, Mass. and Nate Houge of Brake Bread in St. Paul, Minnesota for a wide ranging conversation about everything that's changed since they first met back at Wheatstalk in Rhode Island in 2018, when the podcast was an idea but not yet a real thing.

Recorded on the Monday before US Thanksgiving, with Nate preparing for a night of baking and Daisy rolling out pie dough on camera, the three friends talk about staffing, about product lineups, and about making the difficult changes to make their bakeries sustainable for the long term. 

Helpful Links

Learn more about the Bakery Leadership Circle workshop!

Daisy on Instagram

Nate on Instagram

Support the Podcast Here!

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Claudia Fimbres and her husband Brad named their store and restaurant Mamacita after Claudia's mother, but these days, it's Claudia who is mother and aunty to an entire community of Latin food lovers in her new home of Pearl Harbour, Newfoundland.

In this episode, Mark catches up with his old friend and learns of her life in cooking, from growing up in Mexico, coming to Canada and deciding to move from Regina, Saskatchewan to 'the Rock.'  They also discuss the unique challenges running a fresh food emporium on the far side of a remote island in the North Atlantic Ocean and the involuntary urge to have the flavours of home even when you live and work in another land.

There is also a special announcement of a new workshop Mark is launching in 2024 in collaboration with the Bread Bakers Guild of America, the Bakery Leadership Circle.

Helpful Links

Mamacita Mexican Kitchen

@mamacitanl on Instagram

Support the Podcast Here!

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Working with a coach or consultant can be a leap too far for many small business owners, especially owner-operator independent bakeries.  Lisa Arnold set out to bridge the gap in her town of Springfield, Tennessee, with Small Town Startup, a marketing agency, startup incubator, coaching practice and meeting space. Lisa is bringing the skills and best practices usually reserved for large corporations to small businesses in an accessible, affordable, sustainable way.

In this episode, Lisa shares her story of moving to a small town and nurturing the energy and excitement of the entrepreneur community there.  Mark and Lisa discuss how she lowers the barrier to entry for her services by offering small classes and meetups, how being flexible to each business' needs has helped her grow, and how every small town needs a sparkplug to keep the small business community connected and thriving.

Helpful Links

Small Town Startup

@smalltownstartup on Instagram

Support the Podcast Here!

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

After working as a baker on both coasts, Amy Corliss returned to her home state twelve years ago to open her own place in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado.  She recently moved down the road to a new space and is focused on building community, growing her team and feeding the people in a converted 1905 heritage house.

In this episode, Mark and Amy talk about her pastry school experience in Vancouver, the benefits of fair but firm teachers, the evolution of good food in the centre of North America, and seeking out "partners in leadership" when building her team.

Helpful Links

Little Bird Bakeshop

@the_little_bird_bakeshop on Instagram

Support the Podcast Here!

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Ed and Natasha Tatton have been building an outstanding, 100% plant based bakery in Whistler, BC for several years, and have just launched a stellar cookbook from the bakery.  The book is both approachable and very detailed, explaining the intricacies and advantages of vegan baking while bringing Ed's incredible flavour combinations to each recipe. 

In this Episode, Mark talks with Natasha and Ed to learn about what's been happening at Ed's Bred since Ed was on the show in 2021, the challenges of writing a book and testing recipes while keeping the business running, and why plant based baking is no longer just a fringe 'alternative' option.

Helpful Links

Register for the BAC Webinar: Telling the story of your bakery on Nov. 14, 2023

Ed's Bred website

Learn more about Bred: The Cookbook

@eds_bred on Instagram

Support the Podcast Here!

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Martha Barber began her baking career by taking cookies into the office at Christmas time.  Now she's shipping her delicious shortbread all over Vancouver Island and onto the mainland too.

In this episode, Mark and Martha discuss the steady growth of her bakery, how strategic partnerships have helped the business grow, finding predictable, repeatable wholesale contracts and why she still thrives on the personal, human touch at her bakery.

Helpful Links

Martha's Delectables

@marthasdelectables on Instagram

Support the Podcast Here!

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin

Okotoks, Alberta is a small community south of Calgary that boasts an old-fashioned main street, beautiful views of the Rocky Mountain foothills and, for the past few years, a top notch bakery and cafe. 

In this episode, Mark talks to Brad Labrenz and Marie-Luce Denis, owners of French50 Bakery, who are attracting hungry folk from well beyond the town limits.  They talk about how they've grown from a market bakery to renting a kitchen to recently opening their own place in an old house just off main street.  It's a conversation about family, community and bringing French tastes to Alberta.

Helpful Links

French50 Bakery

@french50bakery on Instagram

Support the Podcast Here!

Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website

The Bakers4Bakers Community

Mark's Blog, with the Bakernomics series

Mark on Instagram

Credits:

Produced and hosted by Mark Dyck

Theme song and music by Robyn Dyck

Orange Boot Human logo by Fred Reibin