Time traveller’s dream come true
Kensington’s new bakery and café is all a buzz for Monday opening
Kensington, P.E.I. – A new bakery and café will celebrate Kensington's history and aim to keep the ambiance airy and brighten the town's residents.
The Willow Bakery and Café, located at 13 Commercial St. near the former Kensington train station, will open its doors to the public with a grand opening on Monday.
"Jocelyn and I were going for a rustic, vintage feel, keeping with the period of this area. We wanted our business to have that heritage-feel and eventually use live edge wood tables, antiques and old black and white images of Kensington to incorporate it's (railway) history," said co-owner Jared Tobias.
Jocelyn Thorwaldson and Tobias operate the Weeping Willow House Bed and Breakfast in Kensington but wanted to branch out.
“We secured this space in December, and have been working 16 hour days, seven days a week, to get the bakery and café ready for opening,” said Thorwaldson, who is a baker by trade.
“The Weeping Willow House, named after its backyard tree, is tied into the Willow Bakery and Café theme, but we want to serve something the Island hasn’t seen. We love Kensington. It has a sense of community and values, and I’ve been all over the country, so this is our goal to give back and be open yearround.”
The couple met in Saskatchewan and moved three years ago in search of a “better and more affordable life” on P.E.I.
“We were paying $2,200 a month for rent in Saskatchewan, and we wanted a mortgage, but for a house that we liked, they wanted $600,000 plus. We thought we would be house-broke for the rest of our lives. Jocelyn mentioned looking outside the province, and that’s when we found the Victorian-style home in Kensington.”
Tobias, a carpenter by trade, said it was only a matter of time before their second business venture of owning a bakery and cafe would fall into place after their bed and breakfast proved successful.
“This building was just a blank canvas, so we had to add everything in here. It was all brown and wooden, heavy and dark. Still, we lightened the space, turned it around into a very welcoming and pleasant area for families to hang around,” said Thoraldson, and added Tobias did a great job recycling glass and wood.
The couple will make on location, sticky cinnamon buns, scones, gluten-free options, cakes, specialty coffees with Caledonia House coffee beans from Charlottetown, and daily lunch specials.
“Once the place gets busy, we plan to start hiring,” said Tobias.
The bakery and café will be open seven days a week.
For more information, visit The Willow Bakery and Cafe Facebook page.