Cakes, macarons, tarts and more, Duchess Bake Shop celebrating 15 years
A sweet Edmonton staple is celebrating 15 years in business and one can only imagine how intricate the birthday cake is.
Duchess Bake Shop has been feeding Edmonton's sweet tooth from Westmount since 2009.
"When we opened up and we were just a really tiny little shop, the community around us was absolutely phenomenal, they came out of the woodwork to support us day one without even knowing who we were," said Garner Beggs, a co-founder and co-owner of Duchess.
"It's never really changed, and that's one of the things that I'm always, eternally grateful for about Edmonton."
Treats from Duchess Bake Shop on Friday Oct. 18, 2024. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton)
The popular bakery is known for its cakes, tart, pies and, perhaps most of all, its macarons.
There are baking classes held at the shop and even two Duchess cookbooks.
Duchess also received international attention when they were picked to compete in the French reality baking show Le Meilleur Pâtissier: Les Professionnels (The Best Pastry Chef: The Professionals) in 2018.
The Duchess team was the only one from North America competing that season and they placed third overall.
Duchess co-founder and competitor Giselle Corteau said in 2018 that going up against French professionals made the team feel good about their skills.
"It's not until we leave our little box that we can measure ourselves against other people and we were really proud of what we did and what we put out," Corteau told CTV News Edmonton after the show.
Now, Duchess is getting ready for some "big plans" in the new year, including some expansion plans, according to Beggs.
"We've got a lot of new products in the pipeline … the cooks in the kitchen are always busy, we're experimenting with new things, trying new flavors, trying to source better ingredients," Beggs said.
When the shop opened, they had four employees, now, the staff sits around 70.
"None of us really had any business background, it was very much a passion project, over the years we've had to learn through the school of hard knocks how to run a business properly and how to manage people," Beggs said.
"I'm proud of where we've gotten the business to today and I know we've got a lot of room to develop and grow, and I'm looking forward to getting that to happen."
A second location, Little Duchess Bake Shop opened in the Ritchie Market in 2019.
Duchess celebrated the milestone with a free birthday cake macaron for anyone who comes by, no purchase necessary, while supplies last.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
5 rescued after avalanche triggered north of Whistler, B.C. RCMP say
Emergency crews and heli-skiing staff helped rescue five people who were caught up in a backcountry avalanche north of Whistler, B.C., on Monday morning.
Quebec fugitive killed in Mexican resort town, RCMP say
RCMP are confirming that a fugitive, Mathieu Belanger, wanted by Quebec provincial police has died in Mexico, in what local media are calling a murder.
Bill Clinton hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says
Former President Bill Clinton was admitted Monday to Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington after developing a fever.
Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal
First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland. The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he's picking fights even before taking office.
UN investigative team says Syria's new authorities 'very receptive' to probe of Assad war crimes
The U.N. organization assisting in investigating the most serious crimes in Syria said Monday the country’s new authorities were “very receptive” to its request for cooperation during a just-concluded visit to Damascus, and it is preparing to deploy.
Pioneering Métis human rights advocate Muriel Stanley Venne dies at 87
Muriel Stanley Venne, a trail-blazing Métis woman known for her Indigenous rights advocacy, has died at 87.
King Charles ends royal warrants for Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever and Cadbury chocolatiers
King Charles III has ended royal warrants for Cadbury and Unilever, which owns brands including Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s, in a blow to the household names.
Man faces murder charges in death of woman who was lit on fire in New York City subway
A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said Monday.
Canada regulator sues Rogers for alleged misleading claims about data offering
Canada's antitrust regulator said on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc, for allegedly misleading consumers about offering unlimited data under some phone plans.