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Laurel Ferster and Zinovia Hardy run Calico Baking Company in Edmonton, Alberta. They make a variety of artisan sourdough bread, croissants of all kinds, and other inspired fine pastries.
You can find Calico Baking Company products at many Edmonton area farmers’ markets, or order from them directly. To learn more about Calico Baking Company and where to find their goods, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
How Calico Baking Company began:
Laurel has a degree in printmaking and, after completing her studies, she worked as an artisan bread maker apprentice under Nancy Rubulika at Treestone Bakery. While Laurel has learned many of her skills from Nancy, she has also spent time in San Francisco studying bread making with master bakers. Laurel and Zinovia met during Laurel’s seven years at Treestone Bakery when Zinovia came to be Laurel’s apprentice.
Zinovia’s background is in history and classics; her love of tradition found a new home in bread making. When she applied to become Laurel’s apprentice at Treestone, one of her main concerns was whether the job would satisfy her artistic needs. Laurel, having found a satisfaction in bread making that was similar to what she experienced in her printmaking work, knew that she had found a like-minded collaborator.
In July of 2014, ten years after they began thinking about running their own business together, Laurel and Zinovia secured their current location, purchased their baking oven, and hoped to begin selling their products for Thanksgiving that fall. This goal was usurped by a litany of obstacles, which included broken ovens, electrical limitations and delivery delays. By the time it was all said and done, they began selling their products at farmers’ markets in early 2015.
How they’re doing it differently:
Laurel and Zinovia are not hobby bakers. Together they have years of experience and training in artisan bread and fine pastry. Their baking style is steeped in European tradition and history and the products they make are local versions of products that have been produced for hundreds of years. Their background in the craft of bread making sets their product apart in its quality and presentation.
In addition to this, all Calico Baking Company’s products are organic and locally sourced.
Their connection to the community:
Laurel is an Edmontonian through and through. Over a hundred years of her family history is rooted in the Edmonton area. That connection to the region has fuelled their desire to source their ingredients as locally as possible. They recognize the value in local, home-grown products and the quality those ingredients bring to their process.
Their commitment to local stretches beyond their business as well. Both Zinovia and Laurel prioritize shopping local and focus on local supply chains because they understand that supporting local business in general builds up an economy where small local businesses, like their own, can flourish.
Many of their locally sourced ingredients are connected to other farmers’ market vendors with whom they have built relationships.
The future of Calico Baking Company:
While they’re looking forward to adding more café orders to their weekly baking roster, they plan to keep a farmers’ market aspect to their business. Farmers’ markets allow them a space to be creative and flexible with their products as well as keeping a solid connection to the community. They also hope to continue to be at Edmonton Folk Festival and will seek to be a food vendor at other festivals in the area.
“We are so staunchly local because agriculture has been here for a long time. Eating is basic and we have the landscape that can sustain that.” – Laurel Ferster
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