Antoinette Breitler of Antoinette’s Delicacies is at the Metcalfe Farmers’ Market waiting to share her baked goods with you. Morin Photo

WILLIAMSBURG – The tradition of spending time in your kitchen baking that perfect pie or cake or loaf of bread is one that Antoinette Breitler of Williamsburg enjoys and continues.

Her family was originally from Switzerland and they came to Canada and became farmers. Her family spent time in their kitchen learning from their mother how to master the art of baking.

Her family brought their vegetables from their farm to sell at the Metcalfe Farmers’ Market starting a tradition that she continues today but with her baked goods.

“My parents started their business 30 years ago. They sold vegetables from their farm, and I would help them at the Metcalfe Farmers’ Market.”

She worked with her parents at the market for many years.

When her parents retired, she continued her relationship with the farmers’ market by bringing her baked goods there each week. Her market presence replaced having to have an actual storefront.

“We baked with my parents. I was focused on baking. That is what we all did at home,” she said.

From pies to cakes to bread, Breitner enjoys a busy week and then a busy Saturday at the market.

Each market day she usually sells everything she has brought to the farmers’ market.

She said, “Everything is baked fresh for the market, and I have lots of recipes.”

On a typical market day, she would arrive at the market with on average 65 different pies, and several loaves of home cooked bread.

Maintaining that pace of production week in and week out is not easy, but Breitler has found a way to get everything done without fail. She follows a plan that sees her shopping each week for the ingredients she is going to need for her various pies, cakes, and bread. The rest of her week is spent in her kitchen getting everything ready for the coming Saturday.

Pies, quiches, cakes, breads, cookies, jams, and baked goods are typical items on her menu of food to be baked each week.

She said, “There are no preservatives or chemicals in my baking.”

The secret of her success is consistency in quality and taste in her products. Antoinette’s Delicacies has managed to create a following of loyal clients who go to the farmers’ market each week to pick up their favourite baked product.

Breitner’s clients have a choice of whole wheat bread or fruit pies, quiches, meat pies and chicken potpies just to name a few items baked by Breitler.

Often her clients will give her a call asking for particular items they want, and then she will bake them along with her regular menu of pies and cakes and bring them to the farmers’ market where they can be picked up.

“I do things that the other vendors at the market do not do. For Christmas we have different things like fruit cake and cookies.”

She also has cinnamon raisin bread, fruit pies to whole wheat bread, lemon, and banana cakes.

“If they need anything special, they can call me, and I will bring it to the market.”

Baking has always been an important part of her upbringing, and of her family.

She said her children love to cook and bake and they worked together cooking when they were younger.

“As a child, I loved baking and cooking. I even loved grocery shopping when I was young,” she said.

The concept of a farmers’ market is one that she loves.

“I love markets,” she said.

“I like to just go, and see what they have, and see what they bake and how they present it.

Come visit the Metcalfe Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning from May to October from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and look for Antoinette’s Delicacies for a wholesome baked treat.

To connect with Antoinette, you can call 613-292-8245 and pick up whatever you have ordered at the Metcalfe Farmers’ Market. You can also connect with her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/antoinettes_delicacies

If you would like to have a light shined on your business, please contact us at: editor@etceterapublications.ca or call us at 613-448-2321.