GrainsWest Summer 2018

The Food Issue 2018 grainswest.com 27 BY IAN DOIG • LEAD PHOTO BY JULIE VAN ROSENDAAL Sourdough and healthy-eating trends see consumers buying and baking UTSIDE CANMORE’S JK BAKERY CAFE ON A bright and pine-scented day, the snow-capped slate-blue Rockies circle the alpine town. Inside, the oven-warm waft of fresh-baked bread and the comforting buzz of café conversation completes the undeniable draw of this artisanal bakery. The soup-and-sandwich combo prepared with fresh bread is a bestseller, and customers sitting for coffee and pastry walk away with loaves of German rye, Danish sourdough rye or ciabatta buns, all appealingly basketed behind the main counter. With one more location in downtown Canmore and another in Banff, the bakery has a deep connection with these communities that’s based on the hard work and long hours it takes to produce bread on a daily basis. In the back room, an assistant baker places cookie dough on baking sheets as co-owner and baker Angie Keller checks on the oven-load of Danish sourdough rye loaves producing that glorious aroma. Keller and her partners purchased the business from the previous owner—her former employer—in 2010. They expanded the coffee-shop facet of the business, selling bread and pastries at each location as well as filling regular orders for commercial clients such as hotels. While business has been good, Keller said the wholesale side is unpredictable and there’s no competing with the big bread companies on price. As well, it’s been a struggle to find baking staff, in part due to the early hours and physical demands. Perhaps surprisingly, the gluten-free trend of recent years has not been among the challenges the bakery has faced and it even offers gluten-free loaves once a week. “You have to respect the trend, but hope that trend doesn’t take over,” she said. “That’s what bakers were worrying about in the beginning, and it didn’t.” She suggested that moderation in eating is the real trend responsible for weight loss and better health in those embracing gluten-free eating as a lifestyle choice. Though she was hesitant to predict the artisanal bakery sector will see major growth, she was confident that bread’s deliciousness, cheapness and practicality will see it forever O “ Bakers are using local grains … reinventing what good bread means. ” — NewYork-based Specialty Food Association