Blake Street Bakery
If you’re in downtown Goderich searching for Blake Street Bakery, don’t worry, it’s not hard to find - just as long as you don’t go looking for it on Blake St!
When proprietor Sydney Pollock first got her business up and running 3 years ago, she was baking out of her home on Blake St. Her initial offerings included cookies, bagels, pies, cupcakes, pretzels, and donuts - an impressive selection, but relatively modest compared to the wide variety of products available at her bakery today. Customers could find her treats at the Goderich Farmers Market, or place pick-up orders via phone or email. It was a perfect pandemic-era business model, and her fresh-baked goods were a hit with her rapidly expanding customer base.
Back then, baking was a relatively new interest of Pollock’s - she’d only really started to develop her skills during lockdown. It didn’t take long to see she had a real knack for it, and her grandparents began to encourage her to pursue this newfound passion. And so Blake Street Bakery was born, with financial and educational assistance coming from the Summer Company Program - a Huron County initiative aimed at helping young entrepreneurs gain valuable life skills.
The initial positive response from the public inspired Pollock to experiment with flavours and techniques. Whether it be English muffins or Jalapeño cheddar bagels, people snapped them up. She started attending more markets and holding pop-up events, all while giving back to the community whenever she could, whether it be by using local suppliers or selling muffins to support the Goderich Kinsmen. What had started out as a hobby was turning into a full time job!
By the spring of 2022, Pollock was ready to take Blake Street to the next level by opening her first full service bakery/cafe on Hamilton St. That meant taking the Blake St out of Blake Street Bakery, but she decided it was best to stick with the original name.
The Hamilton St iteration of the bakery offered Pollock enough room to start serving coffee and tea. There was also space to sell products made by local creators, from jam to soup. She also needed to hire more bakers and staff to meet the ever-growing demand. Shortly after she opened, the busy entrepreneur expanded the bakery’s hours after receiving multiple requests from customers. Business was booming!
The extra space on Hamilton was great, but soon it wasn’t enough - another move was in order. At the beginning of 2023, Blake Street on Hamilton shut down for the month of January, reopening in February at 31 West St, their current location. The Blake Street Bakery on West St boasts a vast variety of baked goods as well as a well-curated collection of grocery items, frozen meat, and dry goods. Their creative coffee offerings are uniformly excellent - in cold weather, the Blake Street Latte hits the spot, and their peach ice tea is a perfect summer thirst quencher. Upgrading your drink with a little bit of flavoured cold foam is never a bad idea, either.
Pollock doesn’t have any plans for another move anytime soon - the bright, airy space is finally big enough to contain all her dreams for the bakery’s future - for the next few years, at least.
To check out Huron County’s latest and tastiest example of homegrown success, head on over to Blake Street Bakery in Goderich. Just remember not to head on over to the actual Blake St when you do! 31 West St., Goderich