The Rise Up! Podcast is a celebration of bakers, the bakeries they created and the people they serve. Join Mark Dyck as he talks with bakers and bakery owners from across North America and around the world. Hear about their struggles and triumphs and learn about the satisfaction that feeding a community can provide.
…
continue reading
Holly Showalter was a pastry chef in Virginia when the big skies of Montana came calling to her. After several years working different jobs and settling into the local community, Holly opened Wild Oats Baking. Now she's feeding the people and the people are fully embracing her and her food. In this episode, Mark and Holly talk a little about tiny h…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #207 - Karen Bornarth and Martin Barnett
1:24:49
1:24:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:24:49
Today Mark is joined by Karen Bornarth of the Bread Bakers Guild of America and Martin Barnett of the Baking Association of Canada to talk about the state of the baking industry in North America. They reflect on the success of two recent national meetings, discuss the range of benefits that nationwide education and advocacy can provide, ponder the …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #206 - Lyndsey Bell and Jay Valeri
59:58
59:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
59:58
Once Lyndsey Bell realized that the corporate life was not for her, she and her partner Jay Valeri dove into the world of donuts and coffee. Since they found their sweet spot and opened Bigfoot Donuts seven years ago they have gone from strength to strength. In this episode, Mark, Lyndsey and Jay talk all things donuts and coffee, being able to tak…
…
continue reading
When we get tired and frustrated as bakery owners, we often fall into the trap of thinking of our employees as expenses and not assets and partners. Luckily, there are resources like the Good Jobs Strategy to help us reset our thinking and put our employees at the forefront of our business success. In this episode, Mark talks with Sandhya Mahadevan…
…
continue reading
Ian Herrington turned the turmoil of Covid into the catalyst to make the leap into bakery ownership. Now Leavened, his elegant bakery / cafe in Cleveland is making a name for itself within the neighbourhood and for miles around. In this episode, Mark and Ian talk about the quiet rhythms of a bake team working around the bench, the joy of working wi…
…
continue reading
Tom Moore loves starting new projects. And the best thing is, they work. His new bakery cafe, Tombo Eats on Yates Street in Victoria launched to huge buzz this year and is already one of the must visit spots downtown. In this episode, Mark and Tom discuss the wild and crazy food journey Tom's been on since dropping out of school to apprentice as a …
…
continue reading
Carlos Ruiz was a litigation lawyer and quickly found that the daily grind of destroying the opposition was killing him inside. Baking and especially feeding his community was the antidote. In this episode, Mark and Carlos talk about making the switch from law to the bakery life, making connections with teachers and mentors, the stresses of support…
…
continue reading
Jessica Rivers is co-owner and connection engine of the amazing bakery Working Culture Bread in Victoria BC. In the three years since Mark talked to her husband Adam in Episode #128, the bakery has grown and their family has too. Through it all, Jess and the Working Culture team have built even stronger ties within the community, through fundraisin…
…
continue reading
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 Bakers4B…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #200 - A Conversation with Daisy Chow and Nate Houge
1:51:35
1:51:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:51:35
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, …
…
continue reading
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 u…
…
continue reading
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 bes…
…
continue reading
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 tal…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #196 - Natasha and Ed Tatton
1:07:01
1:07:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:07:01
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. …
…
continue reading
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, repeatabl…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #194 - Marie-Luce Denis and Brad Labrenz
1:08:36
1:08:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:08:36
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 to…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #193 - Anastasia French of BC's Living Wage for Families Campaign
54:13
54:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:13
With the cost of living continuing to rise, bakers and other food service workers are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. The Living Wage for Families Campaign is focused on identifying the real costs of living in Canadian cities and works with businesses to move toward paying employees a real living wage. In this episode, Mark talks wi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #192 - Tabitha Langel and Ryan Stoesz
1:29:20
1:29:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:29:20
Tabitha Langel wanted to serve her community in Winnipeg first and foremost. After much prayer and deliberation, she decided that baking was the way to do it. Now, over 35 years later, Tall Grass Prairie Bakery is at the heart of two core neighbourhoods in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In this episode, Tabitha and Ryan Stoesz talk about the origins of Tall G…
…
continue reading
Black Market Bakers is taking off like a rocket ship in Annapolis, Maryland. Steve O'Leary, his dad and his brother have grown the business from a home kitchen (with Steve's mom selling the loaves door to door) to a food truck, to a full bakery/cafe to recently launching a second location. But through it all, the business has had a singular focus o…
…
continue reading
Stefan Spicknell knows who his bakery is for. All he has to do is look out his door on Great Western Road in Glasgow and look at the flats, the schools and the people walking by. And his deep focus those people, and his craft, is what keeps Cottonrake Bakery grounded in his community. In this episode, Mark and Stefan talk about Stefan's journey to …
…
continue reading
Maurizio Leo has been writing the excellent Perfect Loaf blog for a decade now, teaching thousands and thousands of people to bake amazing sourdough bread. His writing and teaching style, paired with top-notch photography, makes his site one of the most important resources in the baking community and his new book is helping him reach an even larger…
…
continue reading
Ron Bokenfohr is looking for a new (old) way to grow grain and feed the soil at the same time. His farming and milling operation north of Edmonton, Alberta is focused on regenerative agriculture: farming with a focus on building a complex, healthy soil. In this episode, Mark and Ron talk about the process of shifting to a regenerative farming model…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #187 - Hilde and Charlie Muller
1:21:21
1:21:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:21:21
Charlie and Hilde Muller were bakers before they moved to the middle of the forest in western Michigan and began carving a home, a bakery and a life from the woods. Laughing Tree Bakery has been going strong for the past 14 years, feeding the people via the Muskegon Farmers Market and several stores and cafes in the region. In this episode, Mark, H…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #186 - Sage Dilts and Nathan Hodges
1:06:49
1:06:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:06:49
Moving to an island in the Pacific Northwest is not easy. Moving intentionally, with a view of contributing to the community is even more difficult. But Sage Dilts and Nathan Hodges have done just that with their farm and bakery on Lopez Island, Washington. In this episode, Mark learns how Sage and Nathan met in grad school in the Bay Area, where S…
…
continue reading
Tom Giancola caught the bread bug watching Netflix seven years ago, and his friends and neighbours have never been happier. His generous spirit feeds an ever larger group of people in Annapolis, Maryland, through his exceptional basement bakery, Makeathe. In this episode, Mark and Tom talk about the intricacies of building a professional bakery und…
…
continue reading
Fry's Bakery has been a stalwart of Craigflower Road in Victoria for a decade, a shining as an example of how a baker with an old mixer and a brick oven can feed a neighbourhood. In this episode, Mark and Byron sit down at the bakery (well, directly above it) to talk about how the world needs a bakery in every neighbourhood, about starting business…
…
continue reading
All it took was a well made hollandaise sauce for Daniel Saez to switch from life as a lawyer to a life in food. Starting as a culinary chef in his native Venezuela, Daniel eventually made his way to Canada and shifted from culinary to pastry and finally to bread. Now his bakery, Noctua Bread Project in the Junction in Toronto is focused on serving…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #182 - Haley Landa and Curtis Helm
52:29
52:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:29
Haley Landa and Curtis Helm met in pastry school and have been steadily building their skills and experiences in hotels and restaurants in Canada and beyond. All this work has culminated in opening Goodside Pastry House in Victoria last month, opening to huge lineups and extremely happy customers. In this episode, Mark takes a trip to the bakery to…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #181 - David Aplin and Camelia Proulx
1:28:50
1:28:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:28:50
David Aplin was a rock guitarist who apprenticed as a baker at Loblaws. Camelia Proulx was building a career in the food industry front-of-house. Together, they spent the past 12 years rocking the baking world in Scarborough, Ontario at their bakery Cliffside Hearth. In this episode, Mark, David and Camelia sit down to talk bread, wood fired ovens …
…
continue reading
Anna Gordon started selling her amazing cookies at the Brooklyn Flea in 2010 and has since created a delicious destination bakery in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. In this episode, we kick off 2023 with a vibrant conversation about Anna's love of creating layers of flavours and textures, visualizing the perfect day of a bakery owner, and what it's like to…
…
continue reading
Karen Bornarth has been an active part of the American bread scene for over two decades. This past July, she was named Executive Director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America and is fully engaged moving the baking profession forward. In this episode, Karen shares her baking story, from late nights at Amy's Breads to her baking and education work at…
…
continue reading
When Kitty Tait was 14, she went through a very rough time, and baking bread was key to her recovery. She baked, and baked, and baked some more, until her friends and neighbours were well fed, and she kept on baking. Soon Kitty and her dad Alex were baking by subscription, then at a retail shop and are now running The Orange Bakery in Watlington, U…
…
continue reading
When Josh Houston started teaching cooking at his local high school, the incumbent chef put him in charge of the baking program. It didn't take long before Josh was baking so much bread and pastries in order to 'crack the code' of yeast and gluten that he needed to start selling his extras. Stark Raving Bread was born. In this episode, Mark and Jos…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #176 - Teisha Huff: from bakery to high-end restaurant
1:15:26
1:15:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:15:26
Teisha Huff is back! She and Mark catch up on her new project as head pastry chef at the new, chic, contemporary Latin-fusion restaurant Fortuna's Row in downtown Calgary, Alberta. After ten years honing her craft as a bread and pastry baker around Saskatchewan, what's it like to create composed desserts? How do Mom and Dad like having their daught…
…
continue reading
Nels Leader is the second-generation CEO of the iconic Bread Alone Bakery in Boiceville, New York and is continuing to move their vision to Feed The World forward. In this episode, Mark and Nels talk about how you're never "done", even as the business expands, how Bread Alone shifted to being a carbon-neutral bakery and what the future holds for th…
…
continue reading
Asking why a communion wafer might make her friend sick started Elizabeth DeRuff on twenty year journey of farming, baking and teaching. As the President of Honore Farm and Mill in Marin County, California, Elizabeth both teaches city folk where their bread comes from and how to bake with flavour and health in the forefront. Recently, the farm has …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Second Rise: Tracey Muzzolini of Christies Mayfair Bakery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
50:56
50:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
50:56
Let's end this summer season of Second Rise episodes with a bang. It's time for the OG, my friend and mentor, Tracey Muzzolini, from the very first conversation on Rise Up! in 2018. (Rise Up! #2) Tracey is the co-owner of Christies Mayfair Bakery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It's a full on artisan bread and pastry shop, with classic italian specialt…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Second Rise: Randy George of Red Hen Baking Company
1:07:58
1:07:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:07:58
Randy George was one of my mentors when we had Orange Boot Bakery, although we never spoke 1:1 until this talk in September 2018. (Rise Up! #24) When I was planning the podcast, Randy was one of the people at the top of my list of folks to talk to, because he was really focussed on putting his employees front and centre in the bakery. He was the gu…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Second Rise: Chris Young of the Real Bread Campaign
51:12
51:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:12
Cindy and I are travelling in England and Scotland this summer. I expect to be heading to a lot of bakeries on this trip, eating the good stuff and learning more about the #realbread scene there. #realbread is a proper movement in the UK and Chris Young is the guy who keeps the energy high and the momentum growing. So it's only fitting that we brin…
…
continue reading
We're getting some Orange Boot Bakery nostalgia this week. Because for this Second Rise episode, I'm sharing the talk I had with Teisha Huff in March, 2019. (Rise Up! #48) Teisha was a big part of the Golden Years at Orange Boot. She was our first ever student intern. Our Head Baker for three years. And after she left us for greener pastures, she k…
…
continue reading
When I talked with Josey Baker back in 2019 (Rise Up! #55) I wasn't sure what to expect. He was already super famous, with a best selling book, talks at Google, and his irrepressible grin all over YouTube and Instagram. In my mind, he was one of the early wave of 'bread celebrities.' The Josey I spoke to was one of most thoughtful men I've ever met…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Second Rise: Charlie Emers of Patchwork Farm and Bakery
1:02:55
1:02:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:02:55
Charlie Emers is an old friend of mine, although only via email, until we got together for a conversation back in early 2021. (Rise Up! #118) Since he was on the show, we've struck up a fun correspondence, with Charlie writing me long emails from his front porch. I imagine him hitting send and then either heading to the bake shop or sneaking out th…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Second Rise: Nate Houge of Brake Bread in St. Paul, Minnesota
1:03:54
1:03:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:03:54
While Mark and Cindy head out on a summer adventure, we're taking a second look at some of Mark's favourite conversations from the podcast archives. In this episode, we travel back to a conversation with Nate Houge of Brake Bread in St. Paul, Minnesota. It's a peek into the start of a budding friendship that thrives to this day. (This conversation …
…
continue reading
Sometimes you just see a need and feel compelled to fill it. After working together in the corporate world and being underwhelmed by the quality of their box lunches, Joan Kanner and Michelle Bond decided to bring the great bagels of their native New Jersey to Baltimore. Starting with pop-ups and market bakes in 2015, by 2020 they opened Bottoms Up…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #172 - Don't Farm on Rented Land
36:04
36:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:04
In this episode, Mark riffs on the challenges faced with building your bakery, or running your marketing, on platforms that you don't own. Plus, listener questions and more! Helpful Links Atomic Habits and The Power of Habit on Goodreads Support the Podcast Here! Ask a question or listen to past episodes on Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Ba…
…
continue reading
There are a hundred moving parts at the bakery, even for solo bakers. Ingredients coming in, food going out, and all the processes in between. Without well defined, repeatable, teachable systems, a day at the bakery can feel like chaos. Get your team on the same page, however, and you can make more product, and feed more people than you ever imagin…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #170 - Laura (elbe) Brannan
1:23:25
1:23:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:23:25
Laura Brannan, aka elbe, has been baking her cannabutter based cookies and cakes since the days when they were allowed as medicine only (and even then it was deeply in the 'grey zone.) Now, Elbe's Edibles are available through cannabis stores throughout Oregon. In this episode, Mark and elbe discuss the significant roadblocks to opening a cannabis …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Rise Up! #169 - Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham
53:01
53:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
53:01
Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham are co-owners of Cake & Loaf in Hamilton, Ontario and are also co-authors of a brand new cookbook called, you guessed it, Cake & Loaf! In this episode, Nickey and Josie share the story of their bakery, their continued commitment to paying a living wage for their employees, even through the pandemic, and the love an…
…
continue reading
Sophie Williams is the founder and baker at Raven Breads in Bellingham, Washington, right across the water from Mark in Victoria. Sophie has been baking for her community from a shared restaurant kitchen for the more than eight years now. In this episode, Mark and Sophie talk about her path to baking, the importance of place to living a fulfilling …
…
continue reading
Hazim Tuğun left a successful career in Environmental Engineering to cook for people in the Bay Area, in Cyprus and in Michigan. Now a Bread Manager at Zingerman's Bakehouse, Hazim is up to his elbows in fresh milled flour every day and is having the time of his life. In this episode, Mark and Hazim talk about getting his start in baking, the tensi…
…
continue reading