Both of Tobias Jenny’s passions are labours of love but when he began go focus more on baking he discovered what he calls the simple pleasures of bread.
Jenny – who owns and operates Uphill Bakery with his wife Joan – originally came to Nelson 12 years ago when he was offered a job as a music teacher but when the job was eliminated a year later do to the economy he was left with a decision about what to pursue next.
“I had to reinvent my life because trying to start a music career isn’t easy and we didn’t want to move again because our children had just settled in school,” he said. “I followed my own advice which I one day gave to my boys that if they want to study to be a baker or a cook you’ll always have part time work to pay your way through.”
While Tobias said his boys didn’t follow his advice it worked out well for him and with the help of the Community Futures program he opened Uphill Bakery in 2002.
“It was a good thing to happen actually because music and working with music can be stressful and it definitely using up all your attention but once the bakery was running it doesn’t high jack the brain so I was able to study theology and psychology along side it.”
Tobias said that he finds baking meditative and relaxing.
Unlike other bakeries, which deliver their bread by truck, Tobias and Joan deliver their bread by foot in the winter and by bike in the summer.
Uphill bakery bread is sold at Burrell’s Grocery, the Kootenay Co-op, the Fisherman’s Market and the Evergreen Market.
Tobias also delivers his bread to Oso Negro – which uses it for their Oso baguettes- and Bibo.
On May 1, Uphill Bakery will be celebrating their 10th anniversary and to give back to the community, which has supported them, Tobias decided to 10 per cent of the proceeds of the bakery’s gross sales for the month of May will go to the St. Saviours Food Cupboard.
“They are definitely needing as much as they can get. They are a small completely volunteer driven outreach program,” said Tobias. “It’s my little thank you to the community. Instead of giving 10 per cent off I thought let’s put that 10 per cent where it’s really needed.”
For more information about Uphill Bakery visit uphillbakery.com
