Part 1

David: Lynda, how are you today?

Lynda: Fine, thank you.

David: What is the name of this bakery that we're in right now? Lynda: It's the 56th Street Bakery and Cafe in Tsawwassen. David: How long have you been working in this cafe?

Lynda: Three months now.

David: Where were you before you came to Tsawwassen, and have you always been in the baking and cafe industry?

Lynda: Yes to the last question; and before, we used to live in Tsawwassen like twelve years ago, but we moved up the valley and we've got a restaurant in the valley as well. David: Everyone loves bakeries, I guess, the smell of bakeries. Now one question: Somebody once postulated that bakeries send out the scents, the smells of the beautiful things being cooked to bring people in. They're walking down the street having no intention of buying cookies, and they smell the cookies and they walk in. Do bakeries generally do that?

Lynda: I believe they do, yes! [laughter] You should be here, I should be like this big [laughter]

David: Is this something you do, or is this something you know that bakeries do?

Lynda: Oh, yeah - no, I mean, you know, when I walk by a different bakery and I can smell it, all the bread baking, it's a wonderful aroma. Yeah.

David: What is the most popular thing that you create for people here in this cafe and bakery?

Lynda: That's a very good question. We've got quite a range, and we sell just about everything, from the sweet tooth to the savory tooth. So I wouldn't say anything was particularly popular, it's an overall - because most of our product is homemade, so, yeah, it makes a difference. So it all depends on what we will decide to create, because we'll cook different things, like I'm the scone and the coconut tarts and things like that. And soups, and that was last week. This week it's Brad's turn to do the soups. Yeah, it's, you know, a little bit of everything. David: When you hire someone, do you hire them because they have a specialty? Are there certain people who have, like, very good at cooking the sweets, making the sweets, other ones making more pastries and such. Are there certain fortes that people have in your industry?

Lynda: Yes, absolutely. I mean, I love doing pastries, whereas my husband, he's not pastry. He's more of a chef, you know, so he does the more, like, um, hot foods and different things like that. Whereas, me, I just love to do pastries.

David: Is there a busy time around bakeries? I think of ice cream shops often not doing too particularly well in the wintertime, and in the summertime, they're booming. Do bakeries have a seasonal time when they're hot? Lynda: We haven't really noticed - not been here long enough to really know that. But no, I think overall the whole year, you sort of get - I mean obviously, it's really busy Christmas and Easter and things like that, you know, because they're more of a specialized type of things that we do, with the shortbread, and the mince tarts, sausage rolls, and that. And it's a seasonal-type thing like that, but basically, overall, it's an even-type. You know, we get our highs, and then we just get our level-type sales.

David: You mentioned that everything here is homemade, or much of what you make is homemade.

Lynda: About ninety-five percent.

David: That's great, because saying that - do other bakeries, that bring in food from grocery stores and such? Lynda: Well, there are special suppliers they get a lot of their stuff from, you know. I mean, a lot of bakeries actually buy their cakes in, whereas we don't. We create all our own cakes, and we do them to special order.

David: What's the most sophisticated thing that you guys construct? Lynda: Ooh, that's a good one. We do several croquembouche at Christmas, and that is like petit four rolls in a tall pyramid, and then garnished with caramel. Yeah, it's quite the thing, and each of the petit four rolls is filled with Bavarian and fresh whipping cream. Yeah, that's quite the specialty. We do quite a few of those at Christmas for special occasions.

David: What about weddings, wedding cakes. Do you create wedding cakes?

Lynda: We do. We haven't got any on show at the moment, but yes, we do. That'll obviously range from all different sorts, depending on what people want.