Bakery Showcase booths sold out: Registration open for bakery owners, operators and their teams!

Toronto – Bakery Showcase, the annual baking industry trade show and conference presented by the Baking Association of Canada, has sold out its exhibitor booths.

Bakery owners, operators, managers and their teams are invited to register for this exciting educational and networking event. This is a great opportunity to refresh your bakery business, whether it be a large commercial operation or a small bakery-cafe. Walk the aisles to experience 260 10×10 booths represented by 155 companies presenting baking-specific ingredients, equipment, supplies and services.

Here is a look at what you’ll find at the educational program:

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE BAKERS’ CLASSROOM
Baking Association of Canada Annual General Meeting and Meet-and-Greet
Find out what the hardworking BAC has been up to on your behalf and meet board members over morning coffee!

Update on BAC Food Policy and Sustainability Committee
The Baking Association of Canada’s Food Policy and Sustainability Committee will provide an information-packed update on their advocacy activities on behalf of the BAC members in the baking industry.

Culture Talk: Celebrating Diversity with Up-and-Comers in Canadian Baking, sponsored by FCC
Chef Tammy Maki of Raven Rising Global Indigenous Chocolates in Sudbury, Ont., and Maria Janchenko of Janchenko’s Bakery in Toronto, are among panellists who will share cultural insights, values, and community experiences shaping their baking businesses. We’ll hear about moments and decisions that helped launch signature products, and how they contribute to the expanding consumer appetite, palate and tastes. Join us as we explore a definition of success that goes beyond a healthy bottom line.

Taking a Successful Community-Based Bakery into the Future: Q-and-A with Tall Grass Prairie Bakery
Get ready for an in-depth conversation with Tabitha Langel and Ryan Stoesz of Tall Grass Prairie Bakery in Winnipeg and discover their unique history, community relationships and path to making the transition of ownership of this beloved and constantly evolving bakery business.

Panel: Strategies for Facing Adversity
Change is inevitable in any industry. Many factors affecting your bakery’s operation and future are out of your control. Successful bakery owners will share their experiences of overcoming adversity and continuing to thrive. Gain insights on how to control what you CAN change, plan ahead, and make your business, your team and yourself resilient. Panellists will be Dufflet Rosenberg, Dufflet Pastries; Joseph Montinaro, Dolcini by Joseph and West Finch Bakery; and Tom Mattes, Del’s Pastry.

The Most Surprising Opportunity for Your Bakery in Robotic Automation, sponsored by Delkor Systems
Rick Gessler, vice-president of engineering for Delkor Systems, will offer bakeries of all sizes real-world tools to guide them through their next automation project and reveal what has become the most surprising financial opportunity in robotic automation. (Hint: It is not labour savings.)

Panel: Careers in Baking Panel and Networking
We delve into unique careers in baking whether it be through an artisan bakery, a large industrial bakery or an unconventional career path! Students and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the baking industry will have a chance to ask questions and talk with bakery owners, managers and other professionals. Joining us will be celebrity chef and renowned cookbook author Anna Olson, Rodney Alleguede and Bianca Mazza of Gouter by RA bakery and patisserie, Rosalyn Hyslop, co-owner and co-CEO of Mrs. Dunster’s, Matthew Duffy a.k.a. @sourdoughduffy of Centennial College Dina Hamed of Nestle Canada Inc. and instructor at George Brown College.

Panel: Artisan Baking Into the Future
A diverse group of bakers dedicated to the preservation of artisan baking techniques and the cultivation of high-quality ingredients will explore the future of artisan baking. Panellists will be Karen Bornarth, Executive Director, Bread Bakers Guild of America (moderator); Simon Blackwell, Owner, Blackbird Bakery, Toronto; Issa Niemeijer-Brown, Owner and Founder, Gebroeders Niemeijer, Amsterdam; and Dawn Woodward, Co-Owner, Evelyn’s Crackers, Toronto.

The Science and Nutritional Benefits for Your Customers of High-Fibre Amylose Flour, sponsored by Bay State Milling
As the only company in North America offering refined flour made from high-amylose wheat, Bay State Milling’s Colleen Zammer, vice-president of Varietal Solutions Growth and Innovation, will speak to the science behind this innovative flour and how it can seamlessly integrate into existing products or power new offerings to reduce the fibre deficit without sacrificing enjoyment.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE DEMONSTRATION AREA

Kneading, Folding and Shaping: The Development of Flavour
Issa Niemeijer-Brown, founder of Gebroeders Niemeijer, Amsterdam, will present a lively demonstration.

Innovation in Pizza: Turkish Pide and Dessert
Chef Ali Isitmezoglu of Pizza Boat of Burlington, Ont., placed third at the Canadian Pizza Chef of the Year Competition with a Turkish/Mediterranean style pizza crust (pide). Watch Chef Ali and owner Yesim Erkus prepare this unique boat-shaped crust and enjoy samples!

The Art of the Seasonal Fruit Tart with Pastry Chef Joanne Yolles
Seasonal fruit tarts are Joanne Yolles’ favourite things to make and eat! Follow along with this creative, groundbreaking pastry chef as she demonstrates techniques for making the components of a seasonal fruit tart and shows you how to put it all together with a flourish!

Patisserie Creations Featuring Puratos chocolate and Fruit Fillings sponsored by Puratos

Dawn Foods ‘My Canada’ Student Cake Competition
Organized in collaboration with the Baking Association of Canada, and sponsored by Dawn Foods, college-level baking and pastry students will show what Canada means to them by presenting a themed, tiered cake and plated dessert to be finished a la minute! Students will highlight Canadian regional foods, ingredients and culture!

Viennoisseries Times Two! with Chef Romain Dufour, head chef at the Chicago Chocolate Academy, sponsored by Barry Callebaut

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE TRADE SHOW FLOOR

International Visitors Meet-and-Greet
From 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., international attendees are invited to join members of the Baking Association of Canada in the Visitors Lounge for networking opportunities and a tour of the show.

Meet the Celebrity Authors!
Visit the BAC booth to meet celebrity chefs Anna Olson and Issa Niemeijer-Brown and get your copy of their latest books signed while talking baking!

Anna Olson is an accomplished sweet and savoury chef and one of Canada’s most recognizable TV chefs. Anna has appeared for two decades on The Marilyn Denis Show and Food Network Canada shows. Her Oh Yum YouTube channel features classic content, livestreams and “Food Travel Diaries” series. Anna’s newest cookbook, Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom: The Complete Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Make You a Better Baker became a bestseller upon release in 2023, and her previous book, “Baking Day,” received a gold medal at the Taste Canada cookbook awards.

Issa Niemeijer-Brown, cofounder and owner of Gebroeders Niemeijer bakery in Amsterdam has just published A Book About Bread: A Baker’s Manual in English! Be one of the first to snag a copy of this winner of a Gourmand Award Gourmand World Cookbook Award in the Bakery Pro category that’s been called exceptional, surprising, accessible and clear.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE EVENING
The BAC’s very active Ontario Chapter is planning an entertaining and relaxing Murder Mystery Dinner and social event giving attendees a chance to connect and spark lasting relationships.

Dedicated sponsors of the event are BakeMark, AB Mauri, Ardent Mills, Bay State Milling, Barry Callebaut, Delkor Systems, FCC, Puratos and Dawn Foods! For more updates about sessions and demos, visit bakeryshowcasecanada.ca!