Monday, August 3, 2015

Bakery In Review: Kelly's Bake Shoppe


We interrupt this irregularly scheduled blog post to bring you a breaking NEWSFLASH.

I'M NOT VEGAN OR GLUTEN-FREE. I am most certainly not nut-free either- at least not in the food sense of the word.

Yeah, yeah. I know. For those of you that are regular readers of my high in fibre, low in calorie blog (as if), this is hardly an admission or newsflash. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you're not wincing at your computer screen right now wondering what the hell I'm on about.


Let's start over.

Hi. My name is Jenny and I love sugar and butter and flour and eggs. However, just because I love these ingredients more than I love quinoa and kale, doesn't mean I can't or don't enjoy the latter.

You with me?

Being healthy is important. We all know this. "You are what you eat." "Good health = better life." "Food is fuel." "Everything in moderation." You've heard it all before. This certainly isn't rocket science; it's more like third grade biology. However, to a self-confessed sugar junkie like myself, when it comes to dessert, there's a fine line between good and good for you - and it's one I don't often cross. I mean, if you're gonna eat a cupcake, EAT A CUPCAKE, amiright?

This was an unwritten credo of mine until a few months ago when I met my match.

A vegan brownie.


A vegan, gluten-free, peanut-free brownie to be exact.

I only tried it because a girlfriend of mine came around my house with one claiming, "OHMIGOSH, Jenny! You've gotta try this!" I took her enthusiasm as a cruel joke she was about to play on my taste buds. My first reaction? "Yeah, this is gonna taste like a bitter piece of cocoa cardboard, isn't it?"

You see, I don't do vegan. I don't do gluten-free. I don't even do fat-free. 

Well friends, the only thing bitter I ate that day were my words. And a badly made cup of coffee, but that's besides the point.

Holy. Crap. Did I just actually eat a vegan brownie and moan?

I sure did, folks. It was decadent. It was chocolatey. It was indulgent. It was also at that moment a vegan and allergin-free bakery made me a believer that healthy treats can actually taste really delicious.

Said bakery? Kelly's Bake Shoppe. Kelly's Bake Shoppe is a gorgeous, whimsical storefront bakery located downtown in my current hometown of beautiful Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by mother/daughter duo, Kelly Childs and Erinn Weatherbie, it isn't the bog standard run-of-the-mill bakery. What makes their bake shoppe quite unique is the fact that it is the first bakery of its kind in Canada to be completely free of gluten, dairy, egg, butter, casein, and peanuts - all the things I'm most known for.

In saying this, you'd never know they were from looks alone.


Renowned for their indulgent cupcakes with sky high frosting, Kelly's also offers up a variety of baked goods that are available in most standard bakeries, but without the aforementioned ingredients. Their bakery uses only pure, wholesome, organic, and fair-trade items, including natural colours sourced from flower petals.

I believe it's a saving grace to those that can't, or choose not to, include these ingredients to their diets due to intolerance, allergies, or lifestyle, but still wish to indulge in some sweet goodness.

Don't take my word for it alone.

Buzzfeed Community recently name Kelly's Bake Shoppe as one of the 25 cutest cupcake shops around the world to eat at before you die. To share in this experience - and to see what the fuss was all about, I've included my blogger girls in this taste testing venture. Christina was having a stellar pizza party and dessert is always a must at any get together, so it only made delicious sense.

The verdict?


NAME: BRITTANY
STAR SIGN: SAGITTARIUS
FAVOURITE DESSERT: CRÈME BRULEE
FAVOURITE KELLY’S TREAT: MILE HIGH BROWNIE AND 
WORLD PEACE COOKIE


NAME: CHRISTINA
STAR SIGN: SAGITTARIUS
FAVOURITE DESSERT: TRIFLE
FAVOURITE KELLY’S DESSERT: HOSTESS CUPCAKE 
AND WORLD PEACE COOKIE


NAME: HEATHER
STAR SIGN: CANCER
FAVOURITE DESSERT: STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING
FAVOURITE KELLY’S TREAT: HOSTESS CUPCAKE


NAME: LOU
BLOG: LIVING LOU
STAR SIGN: ARIES
FAVOURITE DESSERT: SUPER RICH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE
FAVOURITE KELLY’S TREAT: MILE HIGH BROWNIE, SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE,
AND BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP LOAF


NAME: MEG
STAR SIGN: LIBRA
FAVOURITE DESSERT: CHEESECAKE
FAVOURITE KELLY’S TREAT: CHOCOLATE COCONUT CUPCAKE, 
SKINNY COOKIE, AND MILE HIGH BROWNIE


NAME: ROBYN
STAR SIGN: LIBRA
FAVOURITE DESSERT: WARM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
FAVOURITE KELLY’S TREAT: MILE HIGH BROWNIE


Success.

In conclusion, did I love everything I tried? Let me put it this way. Just like any bakery I've visited, there are treats I would purchase time and time again and there are treats I'm glad I tried, but will save for others that enjoyed them more than I did. 

Would I go back? Yes, I would.

Should you go? Yes, you should.


DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Kelly's Bake Shoppe. Any or all opinions are completely my own and I will always be as honest as possible. I would never endorse something I didn't feel strongly about or use myself. 

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8 Comments »

8 Responses to “Bakery In Review: Kelly's Bake Shoppe”

  1. I also enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners.....

    Thanks for including us in your taste testing Jenny! Even though I'm not vegan, GF, NF, I would totally pick up these treats if I was having one of my vegan friends over.

    If any of your fans would like to know, my nail polish is Essie "In the Cabana" ;)

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  2. OMGEE I wish I could get some Kelly's baked goods in my life! they look phenom! (I am oftentimes surprised by hoooow delicious vegan, gf, etc etc treats can be--especially chocolate ones!)

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  3. Fantastic post! I'm not vegan or even vegetarian, but thought about trying it out for a month to see the difference. It's so amazing to know there is a bakery that is committed to helping out others along the way.

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  4. I'm from Newmarket, Ontario and I've heard so much about this place! I'm not V, GF, DF, but after reading this post, it made me seriously reconsider the trip to their bakery.

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  5. Your photos are mouthwatering! Do you know if they ship outside Canada to the US? I would love to try their treats!

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  6. I'm like you. I don't like anything vegan or gluten free and find it too weird in texture and taste. My sister is a vegetarian and has been trying to get me to change for several years now. I'm now completely curious about these. I live just outside Cleveland and wonder if it's worth the road trip with her?

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  7. I've been a reader of your blog for about a year now (and I love it!) and I have to say that this post is probably the most realistic approach to plant-based desserts I've read so far. I'm not holistic, but recent health issues are steering me that way. I've never explored the GF or vegan options before this and it's nice to know there's somewhere I can get my sweet fix, especially since most desserts I've tried that are do taste like cardboard. LOL.

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  8. I went to Kelly's after reading your post. I was afraid because I'm not vegan or anything of the sort and I don't want to waste money on items I wouldn't otherwise eat. That said, I got the mile high brownie and loved it! Thanks for the recommendation!

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