I am not just a cookie monster…I am a dessert Godzilla. I like baking, actually let me correct myself, I love it when people bake so I can devour the baked goods. Thanks to Klara Johnson, now I have the perfect bakery to stomp around in Cambridge till my sweet tooth is satisfied.
The Bake Shop on Main (literally!) opened December of 2013. It took me a whole month to finally walk in through the doors. As I stepped away from the -20 temperature into the little shop with canary yellow walls, I was given a warm welcome by two happy faces in red aprons. I could feel that this relationship was going to last a while (at least till I am done my masters thesis). I won’t lie, I probably stared for a good fifteen minutes. It was getting awkward. I knew I should have said something but I was too nervous, I really didn’t know which ones to choose! Sandra and Becky waited for me patiently. I think they might be used to this sort of reaction.
I finally chose ‘Sharps and Flats,’ and then the espresso tarts, some lime scones and…actually I might have stopped there. I needed to exercise some self-control or else I might have also grabbed some cheese tea biscuits. Unfortunately I am allergic to nuts. Therefore, I could not have everything in the bakery. But I have decided to carry my allergy meds with me next time I go there so I can try the ‘untouchables’.
As I took the first bite of the baked ‘deliciousness’ I knew that these were made by some experienced hands. Klara and Martha are the two bakers who will be responsible for ruining your new year’s resolution of eating less sweet.
As Klara needs to divide her time between Cambridge and teaching at George Brown College, her friend Sandra and Aunt Becky help around the bakery. Of course her husband (Gord) and daughter (Steph) are essential elements in bringing the place together with their input in décor. I must add here that Steph is good at predicting what type of tea you would prefer. Oh, did I tell you they serve Red Teapot tea and coffee all day too? And freshly baked bread? Basically, it’s almost the quintessential little family bakery each town must have.
But that’s not all. They are a huge supporter of local farmers and are also thinking of collaborating with the other local vendors, like Monigram, to come up with some festivities this Spring. They seem to like surprising me with a new item nearly every time I walk in there. Maybe my friends can ‘surprise’ me with a custom birthday cake this year (hint, hint…I like red velvet).
So do you want to try some fresh baked goods? Or are you a dessert-monster like me? Or do just want to stop somewhere warm and sweet because it is too cold outside? Or do you want to surprise your friends or one of the professors? Whatever the reason might be… I might see you there.
31 Main Street, Cambridge, ON
thebakeshoponmain.com
519.620.8585
Prianka Smita is a graduate student at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. She grew up in the military environment of the east in which she was expected to serve her country. Currently in the second year of her masters studies, she is developing her thesis entitled Render Authenticity which enables her to engage in a dialogue between her passion for artistry and devotion to the progress of her native country. This pursuit brought her to return to Bangladesh in the summer of 2014 to conduct research. She says of her daily working methods, “I doodle when I want to organize my most obscure thoughts, listen to music when I want to be inspired, and write when I want to have a conversation with myself.”
