Fife Bakery
Fife Bakery is a new addition to the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood that specializes in rustic old-school bread using traditional baking techniques. This is a bread lovers paradise! The loafs have a moist, fluffy, airy inside with a crispy crust. Felix Yau is the 22 year old owner and baker behind Fife. He baked his first loaf in a tiny toaster at the age of 9. Currently the space is shared with Moving Coffee, a local roaster and barista. The bakery is open for business Tues-Saturday while the coffee shop is open Tues-Sunday. On Sundays, the baked goods are from Moving Coffee.
The name Fife comes from a wheat type called Red Fife which is the first large scale wheat harvested in Canada. It's a simple name and shows he put thought about his bakery name. The bakery's mission is to create delicious bread from local and sustainable ingredients.
95% of ingredients are from local sources in the lower mainland
Remaining 5% of ingredients come from other Canadian soures
All packaging is 100% Canadian, recyclable and compostable
97% of ingredients are organic or produced through organic methods
Counter tops are recycled floor tiles from a family owned bowling alley in New Westminster that was open for a few decades
The old school style bread is a naturally leavened bread, meaning it's fermented dough allowing the culture to develop with the yeast and bacteria. The bread takes three days to make from start to finish.
Since Felix sources local ingredients, don't be surprised the types of offering change by the season. The coffee beans offered also changes seasonally with exclusive small batch beans may come in for a week.
The retail interior for customers is a small. When entering you'll see the counter of bread to the left and ovens, a tight hallway in the middle and 4 seats with counter space along the right. There is also 2 seats near the cash which don't have any table space but it's fine if you're sitting with a friend to chat while enjoying a coffee. There's also a washroom in the back!
In the back is a massive industrial space. I believe the side the customer sees is just a small part of the business. Felix will most likely be expanding baking production to sell his delicious bread to restaurants, and local grocery markets if he hasn't already.
The loafs are baked every hour, and usually sell out that hour too! If your timing may is bad you may need to wait a bit till the next batch is ready. Have a coffee, or cookie while you wait!
Note: Slicing the bread isn't offered by default. Luckily we have a bread cutting knife at home. I usually ask him to cut a couple slices from my loaf to nibble on while enjoying my coffee.
OVERALL IMPRESSION OF FIFE BAKERY:
Fife Bakery is any bread lovers dream. Felix will never compromise quality for the sake of time or turning a profit. He is also one of the friendly people I've met! You can feel the passion if you stick around to chat with him. He is paired with a local coffee master Edmond from Moving Coffee who is equally as passionate about his craft. He roasts and prepares all coffee drinks himself. I think the two businesses are a perfect pair for each other. Bread and coffee just go so well together. We would recommend this place to anyone who loves coffee or bread. If there is anything you love at Fife Bakery and think we should try it next time, feel free to contact us!
The Bad:
Small space, seating is limited. Don't come in massive groups and expect to eat in!
The Good:
Baker and Coffee Roaster/Barista are extremely passionate. Both won't sacrifice quality of ingredients and technique to make a quick dollar.
Rating: 8.8/10
DETAILS:
Facebook: /FifeBakery
Instagram: @FifeBakery
Twitter: @FifeBakery
Website: FifeBakery