Welcome to Butter & Lard Baking Company!
Hi, I’m Chantal
I’m a Red River College Baking and Patisserie program alumni and a Tall Grass Prairie Bakery staff member since 2011. I was formerly an Early Childhood Educator for nearly a decade as well as working and volunteering with people with disabilities.
From a young age, I have always enjoyed the process of baking. I remember creating my first “baked” good when I couldn’t have been more than 4 years old: Cheez Whiz pie (I know you all want the recipe: it’s a pie tin filled with Cheez Whiz). I was hooked, from the messiness of getting my hands in the dough to the sense of accomplishment from creating something (hopefully) delicious. The nostalgia, comfort and memories that that certain baked good can evoke; like the raisin pie tarts I make in memory of my Grandpa who loved having raisin pie and ice cream for his birthday.
I started B&L during the 2016 Christmas Market season as a creative outlet. I enjoyed baking at work however I felt something tugging at the corners of my brain, a need for a creative outlet that work was not fulfilling, so I decided to start my own little side hustle to satisfy that need.
I love developing my own recipes, sometimes they turn out great and sometimes they need some tweaking. But there have also been many (more than I can count) failures, recipes which just didn’t turn out despite my best efforts. However, those disappointments have been invaluable to my learning and troubleshooting process.
I have learned about so many other aspects of running a small business like sourcing quality local ingredients, marketing, networking, and so much of the day to day that happens behind the scenes. I’ve also learned new skills I never would have imagined learning, like website building.
I’ve had a lot of help and support from family and friends who spread the word and have come out to markets. Especially my mom, who many of you have met, who helps me out most market days and also built my sign. My husband, James, who always makes sure other things are taken care of so I can focus on B&L, always makes sure I have a tasty meal waiting for me when I get home from markets and has done more than his fair share of kitchen cleanup! Also a big thank you goes out to my bosses and coworkers at Tall Grass Prairie Bakery who have supported this creative outlet in many ways!
One of my favourite aspects in this endeavor has been becoming part of the wonderful and supportive market and vendor community. I’ve met so many wonderful people that have helped me along the way, whether its asking about what markets are worth being part of, where to source certain products or just someone to chat with during markets, they’ve helped more than they know.
But most of all, I’ve enjoyed meeting all you amazing customers. I love to hear your stories and the memories that my baking evokes; your sharing of funny anecdotes, interesting facts and simple everyday conversations. Seeing your friendly faces from market to market have made those tough days and weeks worth it.
