A taste of Bliss

Fort Garry

Imperial cookies, classic cheesecake, tiramisu, carrot muffin, focaccia, freshly brewed Americano. Sounds like bliss, doesn’t it?

A new beginning has dawned for Bliss Gourmet Baked Goods, a Manitoba-based business specializing in authentic handmade Italian cookies. Launched about 10 years ago, Bliss has evolved into a celebrated multi-cultural team with heart.

Since being taken over by new owner James Zhu in 2022, Bliss has experienced significant expansion, growing from having its products placed with a handful of local retailers to now being available in over 500 stores across Canada. At the recently-held Manitoba Chinese Business gala, Bliss Gourmet was the winner of the 2026 business of the year award.

Now Bliss Gourmet’s first retail bakery has been officially launched, offering a range of freshly baked delights from cookies to breads and desserts.

The grand opening took place last weekend with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3-1235 Pembina Hwy., marking an important milestone for the business and the neighbourhood.

The special event welcomed city officials well as a number of community partners.

For marketing manager Faye Wu and the Bliss team, it’s an exciting and busy time.

“For the last few weeks our team is kind of preparing a lot in the kitchen. Everyone is working hard,” she said, noting that the retail outlet had a soft opening around Christmas and had been observing how things were going since them.

“We want to try our best. We offer some special discounts for the community. We want to appreciate the community, say thank you for our neighbours,” said Wu, who is responsible for both communications and community outreach.

Wu came to Winnipeg from mainland China in 2021, then joined the Bliss team in 2024. The moments that she’s most proud of at Bliss are the special ones, the small ones, she said.

“Watching customers smile when they try our cookies; hearing Anna (originally from the island of Sicily), our co-founder and expert baker, tell stories about her childhood bakery,” Wu said. “Anna is focused on cookies and desserts. Her sister Maria is the bread expert. Many of our co-workers are newcomers — watching them gain confidence — it’s a beautiful place.

“Supporting newcomers is an important part of our leadership,” Wu said. “Day by day we communicate a lot. We share cultures, and it’s very interesting. It’s an amazing team.”

Community engagement runs deep at Bliss, and they’ve made it a priority to support initiatives such as The Dream Factory, the Winnipeg Huntington Indy Go-Kart Challenge, Folklorama, the University of Manitoba Steel Bridge Team, and multiple school and charity programs.

In 2025, their work in supporting newcomers and building an inclusive workplace was recognized with the welcoming community champion award at the Manitoba Mosaic Awards.

“I love here,” Wu said. “I feel here is kind of very peaceful, very quiet for me. Friendly Manitoba, friendly Winnipeg. Before I came, daily life was very busy and rushed. Here I feel people can calm down, observe everything.”

Ultimately, though, what matters most are the delicious Bliss Gourmet goods and Wu is eager to explain what makes them unique.

“I want to highlight why our cookies are special,” said Wu. “I want people to know. Bliss really stays true to Italian-style baking. Real butter always. We check the ingredients, simple honest ingredients,” she explained. “Maybe people sometimes focus on the price. I would say, price is not the only point — we focus on the quality.”

There are 16 different kinds of cookies available in the bakery, including sugar-free and gluten-free.

Bliss products can also be found at Co-op, Save-On-Foods, Safeway, Sobeys, Rexall, Deluca’s, and many independent retailers. The team — once only a handful of staff — has grown to 12 full-time members, from places as diverse as Italy, China, Ukraine, Iran, and more.

Bliss Bakery is open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Find Bliss Gourmet Baked Goods on Facebook and Instagram.