These bunnies mean business

Crescentwood

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/12/2023 (664 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Not only has 2023 been the Year of the Rabbit, it has also been a great year for Vira Volt of Honey Bunny Pastry Shop.

Offering recipes that date back hundreds of years, entering the shop at 832 Corydon Ave. is a walk back in time, to the days when everything was made from scratch with natural ingredients. Honey Bunny is open every day — yes, every day —from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and its display cases show off decadent delights while Vira and her staff display an admirable work ethic.

“Our goal is to be unique,” says Vira, who moved to Canada from Ukraine 17 years ago, “and quality is our name.”

Loyal patrons who crave ‘real food’ travel long distances for the shop’s goodies.

After settling in Winnipeg — Vira says her husband won’t live anywhere else after discovering he can pursue his passion for fishing in Manitoba’s many lakes — Vira realized she had to bring a taste of Ukraine to Manitoba when deciding to open her shop this past August. The busy mother of four spent two years assessing locations and testing hundreds of recipes to select the best of the best. Besides an eclectic customer base, Vira has an international staff, with employees from Portugal, Ukraine, China and India.

Her chocolate eclairs are made from a 200-year-old recipe. They sit alongside slices of Esterhazy torte, a decadent, two-chocolate almond wedding cake. Customers are offered samples of delicacies such as pistachio pavlova, rugelach, truffles and chocolate-dipped cheesecake. As for her apple strudel, Vira says, “I peel every apple myself.” Her top seller is a honey cake named Spartacus.

It is Vira’s attention to detail that keeps folks coming back. And return they do – from across town and out of town, especially those who value the efforts Vira makes to produce gluten-free products. For two days each week Honey Bunny is devoted to making special recipes in separate utensils, free of gluten. No chemicals, dyes or peanuts are guaranteed in this establishment, and Vira even makes the cheese herself.

There is also a freezer with tempting varieties of perogies. Vira tested over 50 recipes to find the perfect one. Her popular chicken pate is made with organic chicken liver, yielding an incomparable taste. Likewise, vegan cabbage rolls made with eggplant and packages of sourdough bread jump from the shelves.

Ambience is important to Vira and her daughter, Finnen, who assists in running the bakery. There are plans in the works to create a European sidewalk café atmosphere next summer with seating in front of the shop so folks can enjoy sit outside with their treats. Vira has perfected a vanilla ice cream that is sure to enhance the Corydon Avenue experience and she has wooden barrels ready for planting a garden of hospitality.

Honey Bunny staff will hop to it in responding to inquiries and orders at: 204-558-9038 or honey.bunny.pastry.shop@gmail.com