Kim Vanden Broek and Julena Schipper are the owners of Homestead Bakeshop in Fort Macleod. Photo by George Webber.
Kim Vanden Broek and Julena Schipper are the owners of Homestead Bakeshop in Fort Macleod. Photo by George Webber.
The day starts early at Homestead Bakeshop on Fort Macleod’s historic Main Street.
The staff is in the stylish brick building early in the morning, preparing the day’s bread, buns and other treats for a growing clientele.
For Homestead Bakeshop owners Kim Vanden Broek and Julena Schipper, the early mornings have been a labour of love since the bakery opened on Feb. 10, 2017.
“We opened Homestead because we saw the need for a bakery in Fort Macleod and it provided us with an opportunity to open a business doing what we loved,” Kim and Julena explained.
The two owners have a background in the bakery business, having completed the Baking and Pastry Arts course at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary.
They worked in the industry for several years before opening the bakery in Fort Macleod.
Fort Macleod was an attractive setting for the new bakery.
“We love the atmosphere of our town as it fits with what we wanted for our bakery,” Kim and Julena said. “The small town vibe allows us to connect with our customers and get to know them, which also creates a loyal atmosphere that is great for small business.”
The menu at Homestead Bakeshop includes artisan breads, sourdough and sandwich loaves and buns.
Customers can also satiate their sweet tooth with pies, tarts, Danishes, croissants, cinnamon buns, muffins, cookies, vanilla slices, cake slices and cheesecake.
Homestead Bakeshop also handles special orders, such as cakes for birthday celebrations or other events.
“We believe in baking from scratch and always using great ingredients,” Kim and Julena said. “We have a commitment to showcasing artisan baking methods in both bread and pastries, and ensuring that flavour and quality are always top priorities.”
The owners of Homestead Bakeshop take pride in being part of the community and giving back where they can. Every month the staff chooses a charity and one or two bakery items to highlight, with 10 per cent of the sales from those highlighted items going to the chosen charity.
Homestead Bakeshop is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 228 24th St.
Phone 403-553-4328 or e-mail info@homesteadbakeshop.ca.
You can follow Homestead Bakeshop on Facebook and Instagram.
