Our Story/Mission

Only rarely in a lifetime can we follow our heart, putting aside the responsibilities of family, the fear of the unknown and the chorus of doubters. A Bread Affair is a love of baking, a love of fabulous taste, of organic and natural ingredients, and of methods that have stood the test of time.

Our master baker, Tanya Belanger has a passion that thrives on consistently producing the most perfect bread in British Columbia. Every loaf is hand crafted in small batches, by artisan bakers personally trained by her.

She started with tasting breads in many bakeries in Canada, the U.S.A., and Europe. After making her initial samplings, she focused on a select few bakeries creating phenomenal artisan breads. Almost immediately, Tanya identified several key elements as consistent to her list of select bakeries: care and attention to every detail, individual responsibility for each mix of bread and selection of only the finest ingredients.

Studying under 4 generation master American baker Keith Guisto, Tanya worked to perfect her craft in the San Francisco area of California. During her studies with Keith, she continued to visit the many artisan bakeries in Northern California, small and large, synthesizing each contribution they make to the profession. Upon returning to British Columbia, Tanya re-committed herself to her bakery project. A Bread Affair was becoming a reality.

After more than a year of searching out the best equipment for the job, building the bakery, and developing relationships with organic suppliers. She felt it time to ask her teacher to offer his suggestions to further improve her bakery. When Keith arrived in October of 2006, he worked with the hand picked team assembled by Tanya, reviewed in detail each of the recipes for the bread that was to be baked, tested the stone hearth oven and by the end of the second week told Tanya to open the bakery.

With the approval of her mentor, Tanya opened A Bread Affair in November of 2006. You, as our customers and supporters, have shared in the rest of the story. With your encouragement, we have selected to use the best local British Columbia farmed products when we are able. As a result we have developed relationships with organic orchards in the Fraser Valley, the Fraser Canyon, and the Okanogan. You have encouraged us to expand our café menu, to add unique pastries like our fruit dream squares (Tanya's favourite is the plum dream with plums from Lytton, B.C.)

Your voice has always been part of the A Bread Affair story. We want to use your ideas to help develop our bakery in the way that you want to support.

Please share your thoughts with us: