Save room for dessert

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/04/2018 (2903 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jess Creary’s new business mixes her passion for people with her passion for baking.

Creary, 35, is the owner of Sweet Retreat Boutique Bakery, which recently opened its doors at 955 St. Mary’s Rd. in St. Vital.

The business specializes in desserts, cupcakes, custom cakes, wedding cakes, and even dog treats, which were inspired by the discerning tastes of one of Creary’s family’s own canine companions.

“Our female Doberman is pretty picky and won’t eat any storebought treats, so I decided to start making cupcakes and birthday cakes for dogs, as lots of people love their pets,” Creary said.

The lion’s share of Creary’s business — which also sells coffee, tea and hot chocolate to complement her delectable creations — is for humans, and after her twins started in Grade 1, the Canterbury Park resident decided she wanted to expand her baking operations beyond a community kitchen or commercial kitchen setting and take the leap of faith of opening a storefront business, where she also makes all of her items. She saved some of her profits from around seven years of selling her baking, and invested it in her new location, which is a former car wash.

“When my twins started in Grade 1, I realized I had more time to myself after devoting everything I had to them, and throughout this time, I always maintained my passion for baking,” Creary said.

“First and foremost, you’re not necessarily supposed to eat a lot of dessert, so if you’re going to have dessert, it had better taste amazing,” she added, noting her menu varies slightly on a daily basis.   

And whether it’s a cinnamon bun, a macaron, or a cupcake that might come in any number of flavours such as berry bliss, cherry cheesecake, chocolate chip mint, cookies and cream, peanut butter, and salted caramel — to name a few — there should be a sweet treat for everyone’s taste, including a number of gluten-free and vegan items. As well, there’s a cupcake station where kids can pick out their own toppings.

Adding to the ambiance, there are also several tables and chairs for those visitors that might want to stay a while, and enjoy the company of a companion or some time by themselves to relax and enjoy the scenery.

“On the weekend, people especially like to come in and sit down,” Creary said.

“I just hope to give people a space that’s a little bit different, where they can come and sit down and have a decent conversation and, most importantly, have a nice experience and create a memory. Lots of people have already commented on how pretty is in here and how there’s a sort of Zen-like atmosphere. My favourite part is getting to meet people and interact with people, and enjoy every piece of conversation, story and smile.”  

Go online at www.sweet-retreat.ca or call 204-505-5222 for more information.