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A Labour of Love, One Loaf at a Time

Feb 20, 2025 | 7:54 AM

There’s almost always something baking in the ovens at Hot Bread Shoppe. From breads, scones, and pretzels to sweet treats like butter tarts and cinnamon buns, Vernonites find lots of reasons to make this great-smelling stop part of their routine.

Those happy customers voted Hot Bread Shoppe Best Bakery for 2025 in the recent Best of the Best awards.

“We wouldn’t be anywhere without our customers showing up every day, so we always thank them for choosing to support local,” said Shayla Cole, who owns the bakery with her husband Ben.

To them, this recognition is more than just an award. It’s a testament to the heart and soul poured into every loaf, croissant, and lemon meringue pie. It’s also a reflection of their team. Ben is one of the bakers and starts his day at midnight. Keily is the pastry chef, and Shayla was quick to note the dedication both Ben and Keily have to the shop and to their craft. “We would not be able to do it without them and our front staff,” she said enthusiastically. “We have a really awesome team.”

Hot Bread Shoppe’s story began in 2018. When the bakery first opened its doors with its original owner Carolyn, Ben was one of the first bakers on the team. After years in larger commercial bakeries, he was thrilled to exercise his skills in artisan, traditional-style baking.

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When Carolyn decided to sell the shop, Ben and Shayla took the leap and became the new owners. Ben had the kitchen expertise, and Shayla brought years of restaurant experience. “It was really special that Carolyn was so supportive of us doing it,” said Shayla. “And she’s still supportive. She comes in all the time and gets her bread.”

A comment the staff often hears is that their customers appreciate the focus on quality and are happy about the bakery’s choice of ingredients.

That’s what makes Ben and Shayla happy too. “…Having it be a wholesome, kind of feel-good bakery,” Shayla said with a smile. “This is what we wanted deep down, and yeah, we’re here to stay. We’re going to keep doing this for as long as we can.”

Hot Bread Shoppe is at 2901 31^st Street in Vernon. You can also order online at hotbreadshoppe.ca.