Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck
The Rise Up! Podcast celebrates bakers, the bakeries they create, and the communities they serve. Host Mark Dyck talks with bakers and bakery owners from across North America and around the world. Guests share their struggles and triumphs, along with the satisfaction that comes from feeding a community. It is a conversational show about craft baking, business, and the people behind the bread.
Episodes
Rise Up! #225 - Extra Time: Nate and Mark discuss all the things
After many months away from the mic, Mark is finally publishing a 'lost episode' where he talks with his old buddy Nate Houge of Brake Bread in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nate wanted to hear the entire 'Mark the Baker' story in one go, and share that story in one place. Ever the contrarian, Mark got Nate talking about his life in Minnesota too. In this episode, two old friends catch up, discuss aging, f
Rise Up! #224 - The Final Whistle
After more than seven years and 220 episodes, it's time to draw a line under the Rise Up! Podcast. In this episode, Mark shares his reasons for stopping the show, discusses what is next for the podcast, Bakers4Bakers and his other baking passions, and reflects on the high points of over 200 hours worth of whole-hearted conversations. Helpful Links Support the Podcast Here! Rise Up! The Baker P
Rise Up! #223 - Mark Gavigan and Kristin Ryall
There are times when family is bigger than career and you need to figure things out. And often, bread and baking becomes the way forward. That's what happened to Mark Gavigan and Kristin Ryall, who gave up careers in the wine trade to relocate to Palm Springs to be closer to their family, and Mark fell into baking in a big way. In this episode, Mark, Kristin and your host Mark talk about the exp
Rise Up! #222 - Arlo Brandl
Arlo Brandl returns to Rise Up! after seven years, still in Tecumseh, Michigan but in a new location on the main street and with a brand new book! In this episode, Mark and Arlo talk about the big move to the main street, why baking alone still works best for him and his family, and they dig into Early Riser, Arlo's new memoir and recipe book. Just like his bakery, Arlo's book is a labour of lo
Rise Up! #221 - Laura Fessenden
Laura Fessenden dreamed of being a record executive, but food nosed ahead of music at Moxie Bread Co. in Boulder, Colorado. Starting as a barista, Laura took on more and more responsibility until her mentor and bakery founder Andy Clark died in 2022. Now the overall Director of Operations, Laura and her team are continuing Andy's legacy while building a business that works for everyone, well int
Rise Up! #220 - Kevin Masse
Kevin Masse started a small bakery in a small state, but he didn't stay small for long. These days, Small State Provisions has two locations in the Greater Hartford, CT area, is open seven days per week and is continuing to expand hours and flavours. In this episode, Kevin shares his journey from food writing to food making, the value of having a vision and a plan, and how it's impossible to shak
Rise Up! #219 - Scott France
Scott France travelled extensively before settling down in Seattle, starting in the food business and joining Macrina in 2016. Now he spends his days leading a team of over 200 employees and serving customers via six cafes and multiple wholesale accounts. In this episode, Mark and Scott talk about the value of world travel, especially for North Americans, how Macrina navigated the Covid pandemic
Rise Up! #218 - Travis Gerjets
Travis Gerjets is back on the podcast and holy dinah, he's got a five year old bakery now! A coffee shop, cafe and airstream trailer full of awesomeness too. On this episode, Mark and Travis dig deep into the prairie baking mythos, talk about Prairie Sky Breads and the Minot food scene, about building a bakery that doesn't kill the baker, and embrace their shared love of amazing baking teams. Th
Rise Up! #217 - Nic and Lisa Romano
Lisa and Nic Romano had careers in food and hospitality, and got into market baking so Nic could stay home with his young family. But when business took off and they had a chance for a Big Leap, they both dove in, taking over The Breadery in 2023. Now they are delivering wholesale bread around the state, running a full retail bakery (complete with olive oil tasting!) and are still attending four
Rise Up! #216 - Tim Kastner
Tim Kastner loves bread and he loves the solitude of bread baking. He also loves working at the Bread Lab, a wholesale bread bakery in St. Paul, Minnesota. In this episode, Tim shares the origins of the Bread Lab, springing up as part of Patisserie46, a fine pastry shop founded by master patissier John Kraus, and how his passion for baking makes the night shift a feature of the job, rather than
Rise Up! #215 - Chris DiPiazza
When Chris DiPiazza needed a break from his IT business, he took a cooking class with a bread baker. That class opened up a portal that changed his life and career. From small beginnings, Chris slowly built up his wholesale business until opening Mighty Bread Co. in a small corner of a larger building in 2017. These days, his bakery is the main player in the building, as Chris and his team go f
Rise Up! #214 - Erica Leahy
Erica Leahy was working in an office job when she realized she had missed her calling. So she gave up her stock options and health plan, left the office and set off for the life of a pastry chef. After unpaid internships, several stints baking for fine restaurants, finding her feet in a commissary kitchen and starting a family, she opened Three Daughters Baking Co. in 2018. In this episode, Mark
Rise Up! #213 - Gillian Lundgren
Gillian Lundgren was lured to the Bay Area by her favourite aunt and has never left. Through a long and varied career as a baker in San Francisco, from bakeries to pop ups, she founded Black Jet Baking Co. right down the block from where she got her start. She's putting down deep roots and making sure the people in her neighbourhood are well fed. In this episode, Mark and Gillian talk about both
Rise Up! #212 - Carly Rossmeissl
Carly Rossmeissl wants to experience everything baking has to offer. Since graduating from baking school she's travelled from New York to Austin to Wisconsin, working with bread, cakes, desserts and even stuffed pretzels. But her work keeps coming back to two things: solving problems and building strong, happy teams. In this episode we talk about Carly's long and winding journey in baking, with
Rise Up! #211 - Jessie Frost
There's something special about small town bakeries. And when your bakery is on the main street of a small town in the heart of Sonoma, California and you're baking stellar bread from a massive brick oven, well, now you really have something special. Jessie Frost has all that and more. A native of the Sonoma area, she baked around the Bay Area before eventually taking over Nightingale Breads. I
Rise Up! #210 - Mark Hart & Luis Cabral
When Mark Hart decided to go out on his own, he built a commercial baking space, but not for his own production baking. Instead, he and his partner Luis Cabral started Rise Baking Lab, a teaching and event space where they can share their love of baking with professional and amatuer bakers alike. In this episode, Mark and Luis share their vision for their new bread lab, the joys to teaching, and
Rise Up! #209 - Jonathan Stevens
Jonathan Stevens new book, The Hungry Ghost Bread Book, is a throwback to the first wave of books on artisan baking in the 1990's. And for good reason, because Jonathan has been part of the North American bread scene from the very beginning. In this episode, Mark and Jonathan take a trip back to the early days in Northern California, figuring it out with Alan Scott, opening an opinionated bakery
Rise Up! #208 - Holly Showalter
Holly Showalter was a pastry chef in Virginia when the big skies of Montana came calling to her. After several years working different jobs and settling into the local community, Holly opened Wild Oats Baking. Now she's feeding the people and the people are fully embracing her and her food. In this episode, Mark and Holly talk a little about tiny houses, more about hiring from within a small tow
Rise Up! #207 - Karen Bornarth and Martin Barnett
Today Mark is joined by Karen Bornarth of the Bread Bakers Guild of America and Martin Barnett of the Baking Association of Canada to talk about the state of the baking industry in North America. They reflect on the success of two recent national meetings, discuss the range of benefits that nationwide education and advocacy can provide, ponder the implications of a $10 loaf of bread, and more. H
Rise Up! #206 - Lyndsey Bell and Jay Valeri
Once Lyndsey Bell realized that the corporate life was not for her, she and her partner Jay Valeri dove into the world of donuts and coffee. Since they found their sweet spot and opened Bigfoot Donuts seven years ago they have gone from strength to strength. In this episode, Mark, Lyndsey and Jay talk all things donuts and coffee, being able to take advantage of opportunities when they are presen
Rise Up! #205 - Sandhya Mahadevan
When we get tired and frustrated as bakery owners, we often fall into the trap of thinking of our employees as expenses and not assets and partners. Luckily, there are resources like the Good Jobs Strategy to help us reset our thinking and put our employees at the forefront of our business success. In this episode, Mark talks with Sandhya Mahadevan of Good Jobs Institute about their work with lar
Rise Up! #204 - Ian Herrington
Ian Herrington turned the turmoil of Covid into the catalyst to make the leap into bakery ownership. Now Leavened, his elegant bakery / cafe in Cleveland is making a name for itself within the neighbourhood and for miles around. In this episode, Mark and Ian talk about the quiet rhythms of a bake team working around the bench, the joy of working with great partners and the thrill of welcoming Ian
Rise Up! #203 - Tom Moore
Tom Moore loves starting new projects. And the best thing is, they work. His new bakery cafe, Tombo Eats on Yates Street in Victoria launched to huge buzz this year and is already one of the must visit spots downtown. In this episode, Mark and Tom discuss the wild and crazy food journey Tom's been on since dropping out of school to apprentice as a chef, opening restaurants in his native Australi
Rise Up! #202 - Carlos Ruiz
Carlos Ruiz was a litigation lawyer and quickly found that the daily grind of destroying the opposition was killing him inside. Baking and especially feeding his community was the antidote. In this episode, Mark and Carlos talk about making the switch from law to the bakery life, making connections with teachers and mentors, the stresses of supporting your family through baking and what El Horno
Rise Up! #201 - Jessica Rivers
Jessica Rivers is co-owner and connection engine of the amazing bakery Working Culture Bread in Victoria BC. In the three years since Mark talked to her husband Adam in Episode #128, the bakery has grown and their family has too. Through it all, Jess and the Working Culture team have built even stronger ties within the community, through fundraising, advocacy and lots of listening. In this episo
Remembering Sarah Black
Sarah Black sadly passed away on February 15, 2024. To commemorate this kind and thoughtful baker and teacher, we are re-publishing Mark's chat with Sarah from Episode 153. Recorded in October, 2021 Sarah's family announced her passing via Sarah's Instagram page. Helpful Links Support the Podcast Here Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark on Instagram Credits: Prod
Rise Up! #200 - A Conversation with Daisy Chow and Nate Houge
The podcast hits a major milestone by going back to the beginning. In this special 200th episode, Mark is joined by Daisy Chow of Breadboard Bakery in Arlington, Mass. and Nate Houge of Brake Bread in St. Paul, Minnesota for a wide ranging conversation about everything that's changed since they first met back at Wheatstalk in Rhode Island in 2018, when the podcast was an idea but not yet a real t
Rise Up! #199 - Claudia Fimbres
Claudia Fimbres and her husband Brad named their store and restaurant Mamacita after Claudia's mother, but these days, it's Claudia who is mother and aunty to an entire community of Latin food lovers in her new home of Pearl Harbour, Newfoundland. In this episode, Mark catches up with his old friend and learns of her life in cooking, from growing up in Mexico, coming to Canada and deciding to move
Rise Up! #198 - Lisa DiVirgilio Arnold
Working with a coach or consultant can be a leap too far for many small business owners, especially owner-operator independent bakeries. Lisa Arnold set out to bridge the gap in her town of Springfield, Tennessee, with Small Town Startup, a marketing agency, startup incubator, coaching practice and meeting space. Lisa is bringing the skills and best practices usually reserved for large corporatio
Rise Up! #197 - Amy Corliss
After working as a baker on both coasts, Amy Corliss returned to her home state twelve years ago to open her own place in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado. She recently moved down the road to a new space and is focused on building community, growing her team and feeding the people in a converted 1905 heritage house. In this episode, Mark and Amy talk about her pastry school experience in Vancouver
Rise Up! #196 - Natasha and Ed Tatton
Ed and Natasha Tatton have been building an outstanding, 100% plant based bakery in Whistler, BC for several years, and have just launched a stellar cookbook from the bakery. The book is both approachable and very detailed, explaining the intricacies and advantages of vegan baking while bringing Ed's incredible flavour combinations to each recipe. In this Episode, Mark talks with Natasha and Ed
Rise Up! #195 - Martha Barber
Martha Barber began her baking career by taking cookies into the office at Christmas time. Now she's shipping her delicious shortbread all over Vancouver Island and onto the mainland too. In this episode, Mark and Martha discuss the steady growth of her bakery, how strategic partnerships have helped the business grow, finding predictable, repeatable wholesale contracts and why she still thrives o
Rise Up! #194 - Marie-Luce Denis and Brad Labrenz
Okotoks, Alberta is a small community south of Calgary that boasts an old-fashioned main street, beautiful views of the Rocky Mountain foothills and, for the past few years, a top notch bakery and cafe. In this episode, Mark talks to Brad Labrenz and Marie-Luce Denis, owners of French50 Bakery, who are attracting hungry folk from well beyond the town limits. They talk about how they've grown fro
Rise Up! #193 - Anastasia French of BC's Living Wage for Families Campaign
With the cost of living continuing to rise, bakers and other food service workers are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. The Living Wage for Families Campaign is focused on identifying the real costs of living in Canadian cities and works with businesses to move toward paying employees a real living wage. In this episode, Mark talks with Anastasia French of the BC arm of Living Wage
Rise Up! #192 - Tabitha Langel and Ryan Stoesz
Tabitha Langel wanted to serve her community in Winnipeg first and foremost. After much prayer and deliberation, she decided that baking was the way to do it. Now, over 35 years later, Tall Grass Prairie Bakery is at the heart of two core neighbourhoods in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In this episode, Tabitha and Ryan Stoesz talk about the origins of Tall Grass, their intentional approach to change and g
Rise Up! #191 - Steve O'Leary
Black Market Bakers is taking off like a rocket ship in Annapolis, Maryland. Steve O'Leary, his dad and his brother have grown the business from a home kitchen (with Steve's mom selling the loaves door to door) to a food truck, to a full bakery/cafe to recently launching a second location. But through it all, the business has had a singular focus on happy people -- happy staff, happy customers a
Rise Up! #190 - Stefan Spicknell
Stefan Spicknell knows who his bakery is for. All he has to do is look out his door on Great Western Road in Glasgow and look at the flats, the schools and the people walking by. And his deep focus those people, and his craft, is what keeps Cottonrake Bakery grounded in his community. In this episode, Mark and Stefan talk about Stefan's journey to the Great Western Road, from a rented kitchen,
Rise Up! #189 - Maurizio Leo
Maurizio Leo has been writing the excellent Perfect Loaf blog for a decade now, teaching thousands and thousands of people to bake amazing sourdough bread. His writing and teaching style, paired with top-notch photography, makes his site one of the most important resources in the baking community and his new book is helping him reach an even larger audience. In this episode, Mark learns what driv
Rise Up! #188 - Ron Bokenfohr
Ron Bokenfohr is looking for a new (old) way to grow grain and feed the soil at the same time. His farming and milling operation north of Edmonton, Alberta is focused on regenerative agriculture: farming with a focus on building a complex, healthy soil. In this episode, Mark and Ron talk about the process of shifting to a regenerative farming model and Ron's progress in building a grain sprouting
Rise Up! #187 - Hilde and Charlie Muller
Charlie and Hilde Muller were bakers before they moved to the middle of the forest in western Michigan and began carving a home, a bakery and a life from the woods. Laughing Tree Bakery has been going strong for the past 14 years, feeding the people via the Muskegon Farmers Market and several stores and cafes in the region. In this episode, Mark, Hilde and Charlie swap stories about their shared
Rise Up! #186 - Sage Dilts and Nathan Hodges
Moving to an island in the Pacific Northwest is not easy. Moving intentionally, with a view of contributing to the community is even more difficult. But Sage Dilts and Nathan Hodges have done just that with their farm and bakery on Lopez Island, Washington. In this episode, Mark learns how Sage and Nathan met in grad school in the Bay Area, where Sage also developed her baking chops, how they fo
Rise Up! #185 - Tom Giancola
Tom Giancola caught the bread bug watching Netflix seven years ago, and his friends and neighbours have never been happier. His generous spirit feeds an ever larger group of people in Annapolis, Maryland, through his exceptional basement bakery, Makeathe. In this episode, Mark and Tom talk about the intricacies of building a professional bakery under your living room, how his baking has been embr
Rise Up! #184 - Byron Fry
Fry's Bakery has been a stalwart of Craigflower Road in Victoria for a decade, a shining as an example of how a baker with an old mixer and a brick oven can feed a neighbourhood. In this episode, Mark and Byron sit down at the bakery (well, directly above it) to talk about how the world needs a bakery in every neighbourhood, about starting businesses at a young age, and how leadership is important
Rise Up! #183 - Daniel Saez
All it took was a well made hollandaise sauce for Daniel Saez to switch from life as a lawyer to a life in food. Starting as a culinary chef in his native Venezuela, Daniel eventually made his way to Canada and shifted from culinary to pastry and finally to bread. Now his bakery, Noctua Bread Project in the Junction in Toronto is focused on serving the best possible baked goods to the people in
Rise Up! #182 - Haley Landa and Curtis Helm
Haley Landa and Curtis Helm met in pastry school and have been steadily building their skills and experiences in hotels and restaurants in Canada and beyond. All this work has culminated in opening Goodside Pastry House in Victoria last month, opening to huge lineups and extremely happy customers. In this episode, Mark takes a trip to the bakery to chat with Curtis and Haley around the bench, in
Rise Up! #181 - David Aplin and Camelia Proulx
David Aplin was a rock guitarist who apprenticed as a baker at Loblaws. Camelia Proulx was building a career in the food industry front-of-house. Together, they spent the past 12 years rocking the baking world in Scarborough, Ontario at their bakery Cliffside Hearth. In this episode, Mark, David and Camelia sit down to talk bread, wood fired ovens and getting the maximum production from a very s
Rise Up #180 - Anna Gordon
Anna Gordon started selling her amazing cookies at the Brooklyn Flea in 2010 and has since created a delicious destination bakery in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. In this episode, we kick off 2023 with a vibrant conversation about Anna's love of creating layers of flavours and textures, visualizing the perfect day of a bakery owner, and what it's like to create a platform that does so much tasty good
Rise Up! #179 - Karen Bornarth
Karen Bornarth has been an active part of the American bread scene for over two decades. This past July, she was named Executive Director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America and is fully engaged moving the baking profession forward. In this episode, Karen shares her baking story, from late nights at Amy's Breads to her baking and education work at Hot Bread Kitchen. And they dig into Karen't vi
Rise Up! #178 - Kitty and Alex Tait
When Kitty Tait was 14, she went through a very rough time, and baking bread was key to her recovery. She baked, and baked, and baked some more, until her friends and neighbours were well fed, and she kept on baking. Soon Kitty and her dad Alex were baking by subscription, then at a retail shop and are now running The Orange Bakery in Watlington, UK full time. In this episode, Mark, Kitty and Al
Rise Up! #177 - Josh Houston
When Josh Houston started teaching cooking at his local high school, the incumbent chef put him in charge of the baking program. It didn't take long before Josh was baking so much bread and pastries in order to 'crack the code' of yeast and gluten that he needed to start selling his extras. Stark Raving Bread was born. In this episode, Mark and Josh discuss the birth and growth of Josh's bakery,
Rise Up! #176 - Teisha Huff: from bakery to high-end restaurant
Teisha Huff is back! She and Mark catch up on her new project as head pastry chef at the new, chic, contemporary Latin-fusion restaurant Fortuna's Row in downtown Calgary, Alberta. After ten years honing her craft as a bread and pastry baker around Saskatchewan, what's it like to create composed desserts? How do Mom and Dad like having their daughter back? What's it like working the evening sh
Rise Up! #175 - Nels Leader
Nels Leader is the second-generation CEO of the iconic Bread Alone Bakery in Boiceville, New York and is continuing to move their vision to Feed The World forward. In this episode, Mark and Nels talk about how you're never "done", even as the business expands, how Bread Alone shifted to being a carbon-neutral bakery and what the future holds for the bakery and the bakers at Bread Alone. Helpful Li
Rise Up! #174 - Elizabeth DeRuff
Asking why a communion wafer might make her friend sick started Elizabeth DeRuff on twenty year journey of farming, baking and teaching. As the President of Honore Farm and Mill in Marin County, California, Elizabeth both teaches city folk where their bread comes from and how to bake with flavour and health in the forefront. Recently, the farm has begun growing out Hourani wheat, a heritage gra
Second Rise: Tracey Muzzolini of Christies Mayfair Bakery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Let's end this summer season of Second Rise episodes with a bang. It's time for the OG, my friend and mentor, Tracey Muzzolini, from the very first conversation on Rise Up! in 2018. (Rise Up! #2) Tracey is the co-owner of Christies Mayfair Bakery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It's a full on artisan bread and pastry shop, with classic italian specialties and awesome sandwiches too. And they also
Second Rise: Randy George of Red Hen Baking Company
Randy George was one of my mentors when we had Orange Boot Bakery, although we never spoke 1:1 until this talk in September 2018. (Rise Up! #24) When I was planning the podcast, Randy was one of the people at the top of my list of folks to talk to, because he was really focussed on putting his employees front and centre in the bakery. He was the guy you turned to when attracting and retaining em
Second Rise: Chris Young of the Real Bread Campaign
Cindy and I are travelling in England and Scotland this summer. I expect to be heading to a lot of bakeries on this trip, eating the good stuff and learning more about the #realbread scene there. #realbread is a proper movement in the UK and Chris Young is the guy who keeps the energy high and the momentum growing. So it's only fitting that we bring back the conversation we had last year (Rise
Second Rise: Teisha Huff
We're getting some Orange Boot Bakery nostalgia this week. Because for this Second Rise episode, I'm sharing the talk I had with Teisha Huff in March, 2019. (Rise Up! #48) Teisha was a big part of the Golden Years at Orange Boot. She was our first ever student intern. Our Head Baker for three years. And after she left us for greener pastures, she kept working on her game. She started a sourd
Second Rise: Josey Baker
When I talked with Josey Baker back in 2019 (Rise Up! #55) I wasn't sure what to expect. He was already super famous, with a best selling book, talks at Google, and his irrepressible grin all over YouTube and Instagram. In my mind, he was one of the early wave of 'bread celebrities.' The Josey I spoke to was one of most thoughtful men I've ever met. Our talk gave me the confidence to 'go there'
Second Rise: Charlie Emers of Patchwork Farm and Bakery
Charlie Emers is an old friend of mine, although only via email, until we got together for a conversation back in early 2021. (Rise Up! #118) Since he was on the show, we've struck up a fun correspondence, with Charlie writing me long emails from his front porch. I imagine him hitting send and then either heading to the bake shop or sneaking out the back of the farm for a hike or a ski. It's a f
Second Rise: Nate Houge of Brake Bread in St. Paul, Minnesota
While Mark and Cindy head out on a summer adventure, we're taking a second look at some of Mark's favourite conversations from the podcast archives. In this episode, we travel back to a conversation with Nate Houge of Brake Bread in St. Paul, Minnesota. It's a peek into the start of a budding friendship that thrives to this day. (This conversation originally aired as Episode 5 in April 2018) Hel
Rise Up! #173 - Joan Kanner
Sometimes you just see a need and feel compelled to fill it. After working together in the corporate world and being underwhelmed by the quality of their box lunches, Joan Kanner and Michelle Bond decided to bring the great bagels of their native New Jersey to Baltimore. Starting with pop-ups and market bakes in 2015, by 2020 they opened Bottoms Up Bagels on Greenmount Avenue. Now they are taki
Rise Up! #172 - Don't Farm on Rented Land
In this episode, Mark riffs on the challenges faced with building your bakery, or running your marketing, on platforms that you don't own. Plus, listener questions and more! Helpful Links Atomic Habits and The Power of Habit on Goodreads Support the Podcast Here! Ask a question or listen to past episodes on Rise Up! The Baker Podcast website The Bakers4Bakers Community Mark's Blog, with the Baker
Rise Up! #171 - Bakery Systems
There are a hundred moving parts at the bakery, even for solo bakers. Ingredients coming in, food going out, and all the processes in between. Without well defined, repeatable, teachable systems, a day at the bakery can feel like chaos. Get your team on the same page, however, and you can make more product, and feed more people than you ever imagined. In this episode, Mark shares stories of sy
Rise Up! #170 - Laura (elbe) Brannan
Laura Brannan, aka elbe, has been baking her cannabutter based cookies and cakes since the days when they were allowed as medicine only (and even then it was deeply in the 'grey zone.) Now, Elbe's Edibles are available through cannabis stores throughout Oregon. In this episode, Mark and elbe discuss the significant roadblocks to opening a cannabis business even though it's now a legal ingredient
Rise Up! #169 - Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham
Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham are co-owners of Cake & Loaf in Hamilton, Ontario and are also co-authors of a brand new cookbook called, you guessed it, Cake & Loaf! In this episode, Nickey and Josie share the story of their bakery, their continued commitment to paying a living wage for their employees, even through the pandemic, and the love and care they have put into their book. The love th
Rise Up! #168 - Sophie Williams
Sophie Williams is the founder and baker at Raven Breads in Bellingham, Washington, right across the water from Mark in Victoria. Sophie has been baking for her community from a shared restaurant kitchen for the more than eight years now. In this episode, Mark and Sophie talk about her path to baking, the importance of place to living a fulfilling life, committing to whole grain baking and Sophie
Rise Up! #167 - Hazim Tuğun
Hazim Tuğun left a successful career in Environmental Engineering to cook for people in the Bay Area, in Cyprus and in Michigan. Now a Bread Manager at Zingerman's Bakehouse, Hazim is up to his elbows in fresh milled flour every day and is having the time of his life. In this episode, Mark and Hazim talk about getting his start in baking, the tension of leaping into a new career and working on a
Rise Up! #166 - Natalie Salzman
Natalie Salzman grew up in an Austrian mountain village and wound up living and working in Panama. But she never lost her love of Austrian bread and over time began baking for her family and work colleagues. These days, she's baking full time at her elegant bakery and bistro Krume Backer. In this episode, Mark and Natalie talk about travel, language, culture and design, and of course bakeries,
Rise Up! #165 - Rachel Wyman
When Rachel Wyman sees a need, she does what it takes to meet it, whether it's making life easier for her regulars, motivating local runners with the promise of fresh doughnuts or feeding workers being ignored by the government. And if the problem is many times larger than anticipated, so be it. In this episode, Mark and Rachel talk about her early days baking at Bread Alone and Amy's Bread, embr
Rise Up! #164 - Katie Kopsick
Katie Kopsick wasn't planning on opening a bakery. But when Covid rose up she lost her brand new job and was itching to do something, so Katie started baking bread for friends and neighbours. Two years and two moves later, the Bolivar Bread team is making the good stuff in historic Harpers Ferry and Katie is going from strength to strength. In this episode, Mark and Katie talk about her early da
Rise Up! #163 - Brian Winzenried
Brian Winzenried switched from modelling to baking by taking over his father-in-law's successful bakery in Madison, Wisconsin. After Covid derailed his plans to split time between the midwest and Panama, Brian doubled down in the jungle and opened Gamboa Baking Company. Now he's baking bread for his community and slinging pizzas in the evening too. In this episode, Mark and Brian talk about lear
Rise Up! #162 Guy Frenkel
Guy Frenkel was content digging deep into bread and art from his garage, until an opportunity in 2020 saw him taking over a large baking factory. Now Ceor Bread is gearing up to bring excellent bread to a range of clients, from equisite "couture" breads to beautiful, nutritious loaves for the hungry and homeless. In this episode, Mark and Guy discuss the need for all bakeries to develop a luxury
Rise Up! #161 - Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich
As a speech therapist, Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich worked with youth and young adults who often found it difficult to connect with others. When she discovered that baking could be the thing that brought them closer together and brought them great joy, she shifted gears and started Rising Above Bakery. Now their cottage bakery is looking for a larger, more permanent home. In this episode, Mark and Shir
Rise Up! #160 - Corey Mintz
Corey Mintz is no stranger to restaurants, working as a cook, restaurant critic and food reporter. His book "The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants As We Knew Them and What Comes After" explores fundamental problems within the food service industry and describes what restaurants, and most importantly, diners, must do to rebuild food service for eaters, owners and staff. In this episode, Mark and
Rise Up! #159 - Lara Schuetz
While studying for her PhD in Canada, Lara Schuetz made the big decision to shift her studies from literature to food, attending culinary school at George Brown college. Now, back home in Austria, she is studying to be a baker and a certified Bread Sensory Expert. In this episode, Mark and Lara discuss the apprentice / certification process in Austria, her decision to shift to professional bakin
Second Rise: Blair Marvin and Andrew Heyn
"Second Rise" is a collection of Mark's favourite conversations from deep in the Rise Up! archives. This conversation with Blair Marvin and Andrew Heyn, was originally broadcast as Episode 65, in July 2019. In this episode, Mark, Blair and Andrew discuss building and running their wood fired bakery, committing to using locally farmed grain in their bread and bringing the same commitment to local
Rise Up! #158 - Holiday Memories with Cindy and Robyn Dyck
Robyn is home for the holidays so she and Cindy sit down for a special live taping of the Rise Up! podcast. We share some of our favourite holiday stories from Orange Boot Bakery, with some insights into what it was like owning a family-run bakery from a teenager's perspective. With a special shout-out to Ben, the fourth member of the family who isn't home quite yet. Happy Holidays from our famil
Second Rise: Jesse Merrill
"Second Rise" is a collection of Mark's favourite conversations from deep in the Rise Up! archives. This conversation with Jesse Merrill, live from his bakery in Guelph, was originally broadcast as Episode 30, in October 2018. In this episode, Mark and Jesse discuss his move from a home business to a retail bakery, how he's built his team and the strong emotional connection between his customers a
Rise Up! #157 - Joshua Bellamy
When Joshua Bellamy decided to become a baker, he went for it, moving to Vermont to learn and apprentice. Then he moved back to his hometown of Raleigh, NC and eventually opened Boulted Bread with his partners Fulton and Sam. In this episode, Mark learns about Joshua's teachers and mentors, opening and growing Boulted Bread, the food scene in Raleigh, the new ideas he is pursuing and the challenge
Rise Up! #156 - Sara Calkins
Sara Calkins loves baking and loves her team. She's worked all over Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, starting as a barista before moving to the bench, the stone mill and now to spreadsheets and coaching as Bakery Manager. In this episode, Mark and Sara talk about team building, keeping things fun during the holidays, planning massive holiday bakes and all about Sara's love of good bread and fine
