WINDSOR, N.S. — It’s a balmy morning in July. Nothing’s open yet on Gerrish Street in Windsor, but people are already lining up in anticipation.
They’re hungry for fresh, homemade goodies that tempt their taste buds — and Bedard Bakery is ready to please.
Unlike big box stores, the owners behind Bedard Bakery want to offer visitors a taste of authentic, from scratch, goodness.
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The smell of bread wafting out of a hot oven greets people as they finally enter the business at 8 a.m.
“The demand has just been high and people are really loving the products and the place,” said bread maker Noah Bedard, one of three owners.
The raspberry sweet cream croissants usually sell out within an hour. The almond croissants and chocolate croissants are not far behind.
“I just feel like we really kind of found a home here. I think we embedded ourselves in the community of Windsor and the greater West Hants area. It's just very nice to be welcomed so warmly in the community,” Bedard said.
Along with his wife, Thea Greisman, who is the pastry chef, and front of house/general manager Kelly Bingham, the trio have discovered the formula for a sweet success.
“We knew we were filling a gap in the community, not just at a bakery level, but like, for sourdoughs... no one's really producing at the level, the quality, and the process that Noah is baking at,” said Bingham.
“So, the gap has been filled but it has exceeded, I think, all of our expectations. We’re very grateful to the community and the support we’ve received.”
Where it all began
Bedard and Greisman relocated from Toronto during the pandemic. Both have worked extensively in the food industry — in fact, they met at a bakery.
When they moved to Windsor, Bedard began working at Schoolhouse Brewery to help flesh out their menu.
“I went to a classical French culinary school so I did cooking as well for a while but I worked in bakeries all through high school, so that was always kind of my passion,” said Greisman.
Prior to launching their new business, she was working as a massage therapist and longing to return to her roots.
“I took a sidestep but I always knew I would come back to pastries,” Greisman said.
Chef Noah Bedard, one of three owners of the recently opened Bedard’s Bakery in Windsor, usually starts baking at 1 a.m. to offer customers fresh bread and baguettes when the business opens at 8 a.m. pic.twitter.com/osisBfecQU
— Carole Morris-Underhill (@CMUnderhill) August 2, 2022
In the fall of 2021, she decided to test the waters by creating specialty pastry boxes and selling them at farmers’ markets and pop-up events. The response was phenomenal.
It was through these decadent boxes of goodies that the couple met Bingham.
“I have driven upwards of an hour and a half for good bread, croissants and pastries in this province. I’m a lover of fine things,” said Bingham.
He stumbled upon the talented Bedard and Greisman when he relocated to Windsor.
“Kelly was kind of the spark that just took the idea that was existing for our bakery and catapulted us to this next level,” said Bedard.
Bingham had moved from Vancouver to Nova Scotia about 15 years ago. He settled along Highway 215 on the Bay of Fundy and operated a group of accommodation properties as well as a restaurant for eight years.
At the time he met Bedard and Greisman, Bingham was doing a lot of freelance consulting, primarily for the restaurant industry.
“I helped get Gerrish and Gray open, which brought me sort of down into this area a little bit more and opened my eyes to it,” said Bingham, referring to a popular coffee shop that’s located a few doors down from the bakery. “And so I was excited about the possibility of a bakery — selfishly — existing in this town for myself and also the community at large.”
In February, the trio began actively talking about launching a bakery. By March, they had secured the location. By July, they were open.
“It happened very fast, very, very fast,” said Bingham.
“In less than a year, from farmers’ market to pop-ups to a full-fledged storefront,” Bingham added.
Bedard said the equal partnership is a win-win for them and the customers.
“Together, we have a really good, strong set of skills; we each bring different things to the table. I think that is a very good recipe for success in this industry.”
While Bedard and Greisman are the masterminds behind the bakery’s creations, Bingham serves as the front of house, engaging with customers and handling the business side of the operations.
Selling out quickly
Ever since the doors first opened to the public, the bakery has sold out of its products. Oftentimes, they’re sold-out before lunchtime.
The owners say they’ve been asked multiple times why they can’t just make more. It’s not that simple.
“We want to keep the quality very high and consistent,” said Bedard.
“Most of our breads take two days to produce, the same with the croissants. It’s just a labour of love,” Bedard said. “We really like this kind of work. So, it's very enjoyable for us to do, especially doing it together.”
And on days the bakery is open, the couple is arriving at 1 a.m. to fire up the ovens and ensure the freshest products are available for customers.
In order to allow more people to enjoy their products, they’ve instituted a six-item limit per customer.
“I think as the excitement wanes, we will just kind of become part of everyday life. People know that we're here,” said Bedard.
On a sunny Thursday morning, shortly after 7:30 a.m., Stefan Palios was the first person in line, patiently waiting for the bakery to open.
Palios, who owns the Geldert House bed and breakfast nearby with his partner, was there to pick up croissants for their guests. He said they would then add fresh fruit, yogurt and beverages for the breakfast.
He said having a bakery on Gerrish Street was not only convenient but a welcomed addition to the community.
“It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s great for locals like us, great for guests that we have in the house,” he said, noting he makes it a habit of visiting the bakery.
“It’s amazing to see small businesses coming back to small main streets so that we don’t all end up living either right in the downtown of the city or a suburb,” Palios added.
And that is what the Bedard Bakery owners like to hear.
Bedard said they hope for “longevity and growth” and to become a staple in the community.
“It’s really nice to see people coming back on a regular basis and coming back with their kids,” added Greisman, “and it's become a little bit of everyday life for them and that's really nice to see.”
Raspberry sweet cream croissants — baked fresh daily — are usually the first to sell out at Bedard’s Bakery, doing so within the first two hours. pic.twitter.com/U7Uols7FNv
— Carole Morris-Underhill (@CMUnderhill) August 2, 2022
Bingham said if they didn’t own their bakery, they’d be lined up like their customers to enjoy similar products.
“It's kind of a really interesting culture to be building in Windsor where we have people that come every day and get a croissant for their breakfast and a baguette for their dinner and then just live a very European lifestyle,” said Bedard. “It's just great to watch. People enjoy it and I don't blame them; I would enjoy it.”
Bedard said they had hoped to one day run their own bakery. Now, in Windsor, that dream has become a reality.
“It's emotional to have achieved that. I think that the three of us all clearly enjoy coming to work.”
Need to know
- What: Bedard Bakery
- Where: 110 Gerrish St., Windsor
- When: Thursdays to Sundays, 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. (or until sold out)
- What: Handmade specialty breads, baguettes and pastries
- Owners: Noah Bedard, Thea Greisman, and Kelly Bingham
- Fun fact: The bakers go through about 500 kilograms of flour each week.
- Online: bedardbakery on Facebook
