Best Breads in Greater Vancouver

[Vancouver]

I checked European Bread out finally and got their Euro Flax (http://europeanbreads.com/breads/flax.html), Roman Spelt (http://europeanbreads.com/breads/spelt.html) and Baltic (http://europeanbreads.com/breads/baltic.html). I must say I really enjoyed the loaves! The Baltic in particular has a nice caraway overtone that to me is a signature of a good rye based bread. The flax bread has a nice nuttiness to it. The crusts all were well formed and the inside of the bread was fluffy. Many of their breads do not use yeast. I'm not sure how they rise exactly without the yeast - but they do. The breads are really typical of the type you find in parts of Eastern Europe. A good find!

I also finally tried out Swiss Bakery (http://swissbakery.ca/) Their raizelnut whole grain (http://swissbakery.ca/Wheatbase.html) had a generous amount of hazelnuts and raisins throughout the loaf. The crust was crunchy and the inside dense. A good loaf as well.

Cheers!

Edited January 18, 2006 by Vancouver (log)

[Ornivea]

Here's a question I'm trying to find an answer for, and some help would be appreciated: Who makes the BEST baguette in town?

Speaking of baguettes, I am very impresed by European Bread's Georgian baguette. Though not a baguette in the classical sense (e.g. shape; contains milk), it's flavour is quite unique.

O.

[fud]

Here's a question I'm trying to find an answer for, and some help would be appreciated: Who makes the BEST baguette in town?

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YOU! Baguettes are pretty easy to make (flour, water, yeast, sugar). And let me tell ya...fresh bread from the oven...it's pretty hard to beat

Otherwise I really like the french bakery at Granville Island.

[CanadianBakin']

Cobs has munched their way into Richmond (Blundell Centre). 

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They've also just opened here in Mission and in Abbotsford. What's going on?

[sanrensho]

Cobs has munched their way into Richmond (Blundell Centre). 

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They've also just opened here in Mission and in Abbotsford. What's going on?

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Let me guess: Are they located adjacent to a Safeway?

[CanadianBakin']

Cobs has munched their way into Richmond (Blundell Centre).  

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They've also just opened here in Mission and in Abbotsford. What's going on?

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Let me guess: Are they located adjacent to a Safeway?

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They are. Are they an affiliate?

[sanrensho]

They are. Are they an affiliate?

Not that I know of. Our Cobbs here in Deep Cove also moved in next to a Safeway, another one NV is adjacent to a SuperValu. Of course, most of Safeway's bread is crap and never fresh, so our local Cobbs is doing a screaming business by providing fresher bread that is a cut above Safeway (not a major feat, I know).

The bread at Save-On is better and has more variety, so Cobbs seems to be targetting the lowest guy on the totem pole.

[eatrustic]

Cobbs is going Trans Canada. They will be opening a location in Edmonton in part of the former Urban Fare space along with a couple of other businesses -one being a higher end burger place.

In this case there is no Safeway or Starbucks to feed off of.

Edmontonians, grab your children and run and whatever you do don't look back!!

[~cayenne~]

Cobs has munched their way into Richmond (Blundell Centre).  

←

They've also just opened here in Mission and in Abbotsford. What's going on?

←

Let me guess: Are they located adjacent to a Safeway?

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In the Richmond complex (Blundell Centre), there is a Safeway store. Will they close the bakery in Safeway too (since Cobbs will be open seven days per week)?

[Ornivea]

I hear that Cobs is getting ready to open its first Toronto store.

O.

[Ornivea]

Here is what the Georgia Straight readers had to say about the best bread in town:

1. Cobs Bread

Various locations

2. Terra Breads

2380 West 4th Avenue, 604-736-1838; Granville Island Public Market, 604-685-3102

3. Uprising Breads Bakery

1697 Venables Street, 604-254-5635

4. (tie) Transilvania Peasant Bread

3474 West Broadway, 604-319-5623

4. Aran Foods

1692 Venables Street, 604-258-2726

Any coments?

[eatrustic]

The masses (or the ballot box stuffers) have spoken.

[Ornivea]

The masses (or the ballot box stuffers) have spoken.

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The masses have, indeed, spoken. (Next time I should remember to cast my ballot.)

Terra Breads has lost its traditional first place faster than anyone could have anticipated. And what happened to Ecco il Pane?

It is refreshing though to see that some of the smaller players are getting some recognition as well. As someone who lately buys bread exclusively from Transilvania, I would have like to see them in first place, but fourth is still OK for now. It is hard to understand how someone who bakes two or three dozen loaves a day can still get enough votes to compete with the "giants".

[~cayenne~]

Cobs has munched their way into Richmond (Blundell Centre). 

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and..................

Opening soon in Richmond Centre, west side by Old Navy sign on the outside wall of mall.

Looks like it might be in the general area of the former Zellers's cafeteria.

[kontemporary]

I'm gonna make a chime-in for Uprising Breads, who I think makes an excellent selection of baked goods and pastries. (especially the tarts) Their salads/wraps, on the other hand, are just decent imo.

[Florin]

My name is Florin Moldovan and I am the owner of Transilvania Peasant Bread on West Broadway. I have just recently discovered and joined the eGullet Society. To my surprise I discovered there is a topic dedicated to the Transilvania bakery. I am very honoured to see that the feedback is mostly positive (probably due to the whole Dracula mystique).

However, this is not why I am writing here. I am writing because, for a while now I was considering starting some sort of forum where one can discuss (artisan) bread with a particular emphasis on our own city: Vancouver, BC. The only problem is, I don’t have a web site and I don’t have a lot of time on my hands (being a baker and all). I am happy to see that there already is a quite lively discussion topic on bread in Vancouver and I would like to become a part of it if there are no objections. I’d like to try to share some of my passion for bread and even some of my knowledge whenever I will have some spare time. Maybe in time others in the bakers’ community would like to join this forum. Artisan baking is only just starting to take off here and it needs all the support it can get.

That being said, here’s my first posting: A little something is bothering me ever since I started reading the postings on this site. There are some who are trying to make Cobs look like pure evil. In my opinion, someone or something dedicated to making bread cannot be essentially bad. There has to be something positive one can say about Cobs. And no, I don’t work for Cobs, but they are after all my colleagues.

Florin

[barolo]

Welcome Florin.

I haven't been to your bakery yet but I have plans to rectify that situation in the near future. I look forward to your participation.

Edited April 28, 2006 by barolo (log)

[3WholeCardamoms]

There are some who are trying to make Cobs look like pure evil. In my opinion, someone or something dedicated to making bread cannot be essentially bad. There has to be something positive one can say about Cobs. And no, I don’t work for Cobs, but they are after all my colleagues.

Florin

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Hi Florin,

I've been perusing the Bread Bakers Guild of America website and it's stated goals have been in my head these last 48hours. They are:

Communication: To promote interaction and the exchange of information between craftsman artisan bakers, their suppliers, and specialists in the science of baking and baking ingredients.

Education: To encourage the education and training of young people interested in careers as bread baking professionals.

Professionalism: To raise the professional standards of artisan bread bakers, and to help them receive the recognition which they have earned.

Promotion: To bring together individuals involved in the production of high quality, artisan bread products, and to represent their common interests.

Now I know that Cobs do not proclaim, at least as far as i am aware, to be Artisan (notice the capital 'A') bakers per se, a term which I find increasingly abused and heading toward complete disassociation from an 'original' meaning. However, let's just leave that argument alone for now.

Looking at the last two points (professionalism and promotion) i don't see these being remotely of concern to Cobs. In fact, both their product and approach, and market shaping or flattening for that matter, seem to be in direct oposition to the guild's stated goals. So while we struggle to obtain the guild's goals through our own businesses, why should we support a company that could give a rat's ass, simply because the folks in the white hats (no, not the kkk) are our colleagues?

I have worked in coffee for two years and have seen similar bashing of Starbucks et al. I have never felt strongly to join the chorus or defend the giant, simply because i pay it as little attention as possible. I cannot escape it or it's influence, and i'll give starbucks that nod, but i leave it at that. Their goals are simply not mine , nor mine theirs, so i leave it alone.

Cobs bashing is boring. But I've never felt akin to the bakers in their employ other than a wistful (and perhaps patronizing, older brotherly) desire that they, as individuals, might someday concern themselves with quality. I think that the bakers's guild's goals are important because our livelihoods depend on them of course, but also, and most importantly, they both proclaim and enable our desire to share good bread with good people.

Oh i could go on and on, sorry for the hastily drawn up answer. welcome.

[3WholeCardamoms]

ok, good bread with bad people too. but they gotta just buy it and take it home. we don't have to get all friendly...

[tangaloor]

my opinion, someone or something dedicated to making bread cannot be essentially bad. There has to be something positive one can say about Cobs. And no, I don’t work for Cobs, but they are after all my colleagues.

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Welcome Florin! One thing I do think is positive about Cobs is that they are getting many people used to the idea of purchasing one's bread from a bakery, rather than a supermarket. This is still a radical concept in many parts of North America. While I don't find Cobs' bread to my taste, hopefully the realisation that bread can be better if purchased outside the supermarket will generalise to other bakeries and lead to an increased interest in bakeries as individual sources of bread.

Who knows, this might even help nudge people to wondering whether meats might be better purchased from a butcher, vegetables from a greengrocer...

[Albondigas]

Desperately seeking good croissant

It’s what I want

Tried some

Ho Hum

Tried Lebeau

Inconsistent, sometimes so-so

Patisserie Bordeaux?

Don’t know.

Some think tank in Geneva ranks us in the top three Cities in the world for quality of life. A proper coffee, and great croissant, and a good morning paper obviously weren't part of the criteria.

[canucklehead]

My choices: Thomas Haas (North Shore or Senses) and Le Pic Nic (West Van).

[Ling]

The twice-baked almond ones at Sen5es are great. The pain au chocolat are not so great (bready and dry texture, mediocre chocolate).

Edited May 3, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Daddy-A]

Desperately seeking good croissant

It’s what I want

Tried some

Ho Hum

Tried Lebeau

Inconsistent, sometimes so-so

Patisserie Bordeaux?

Don’t know.

Some think tank in Geneva ranks us in the top three Cities in the world for quality of life. A proper coffee, and great croissant, and a good morning paper obviously weren't part of the criteria.

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Aparently neither was the quality of our poets.

The croissants at La Baguette on GI used to be really good ... although I haven't had them in a long time. I've been lucky with LeBeau ... always good for me.

Time to do some research.

A.

[Florin]

I've been perusing the Bread Bakers Guild of America website and it's stated goals have been  in my head these last 48hours.  They are:

Communication: To promote interaction and the exchange of information between craftsman artisan bakers, their suppliers, and specialists in the science of baking and baking ingredients.

Education: To encourage the education and training of young people interested in careers as bread baking professionals.

Professionalism: To raise the professional standards of artisan bread bakers, and to help them receive the recognition which they have earned.

Promotion: To bring together individuals involved in the production of high quality, artisan bread products, and to represent their common interests.

←

The Bread Bakers Guild's goals are a very good starting point and make a lot of sense. And the Guild is doing a hell of a job trying to achieve those goals. The people who run the Guild and those who participate in it's activities are some of the most enthusiastic and selfless bakers, teachers and mentors I've ever seen.

I've been a member of the Guild for a number of years now and I'm making a point of participating in at least one event every year. The most accessible such event for Vancouver folks is the Summer Loaf that takes place in Portland every August. Last September I had the privilege of being one of 215 (one of six Canadian) bakers to participate in Camp Bread, a three day baking orgy that took place in San Francisco. I learned a lot, I made a lot of friends and I met some of the Gods of bread baking. Here's the news: Artisan Baking is alive and kicking; and some of it is starting to happen here in Vancouver too.

For those interested in learning more about Camp Bread, I can e-mail a PDF (rather large; 8.5 MB) of the Guild's newsletter dedicated to this event.

Florin