The smell of tasty baked goods wafts through the air of a Lake Country neighbourhood.
The scent is coming from Oyama Sunblush Bakery, nestled along Oyama Road.
Kate Warkentin has owned the store, next to her home, for the last nine years.
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“I”ve just always baked even when I was about four. My mom used to give me a bowl and a mixing spoon,” she said. “I’d sit on the chair and help her in the kitchen. My grandmother was a baker, my aunts were all bakers.”
It wasn’t until her children became older than she decided to open her own bakery.
Being self-taught, her recipes are constantly changing, adopting gluten-free, vegan and keto diet options. The keto options have been offered by the bakery for the past few weeks.
“People are trying to eat healthier and more natural foods. We don’t do preservatives, we try to use locally grown produce. We try and use pure ingredients rather than processed and they feel comfortable coming here. It’s homey. It’s comforting. I’ve been compared to other people’s grandmother’s with the way I cook,” she said.
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From cookies, cinnamon buns, breads, pies, soup, pickled items and more, Oyama Sunblush has a homey vibe, with small shelves filled with pickled produce and a wide-open kitchen in the back.
“I want people to feel comfortable coming here, and we do a lot of specialty stuff,” Warkentin said.
She has a full-time employee, and extra help in the kitchen depending on catering events and the summer months. All the products are made fresh on a daily basis and orders can be placed ahead of time.
The bakery also caters for events, weddings and delivers its baking and to stores like Simply Delicious and Gatzke Orchards, around the Central Okanagan. You can also find Warkentin at the Lake Country Farmer’s Market
Visit Oyama Sunblush Bakery during business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays.
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