3 Apples Bakery: An artisan's touch and all gluten-free
In the village of Pakenham, west of Ottawa, there's a painted rainbow that stretches along a portion of its main street.
It leads to a place where dreams come true.
The dreamers are Cordon Bleu Chef, Matthew Dobry, and his wife, Kealy Mann, a doctor of naturopathic medicine.
The couple's dream is to make delicious baked goods - sourdough breads, croissants and pastry - all of it scrumptious and gluten-free.
"We wanted to make an uncompromisingly good gluten-free product," said Dobry.
"Whether you're gluten-free, or gluten-friendly, it's really something everyone can enjoy," said Mann.
Dobry is excited by the culinary challenge. He's worked in restaurants, hotels, and Parliament.
"My Dad is the best," said 7-year-old Esmee Mann-Dobry.
"He went to cooking school when he was 15, and he was amazing," she said with pride.
Matt Dobry prepares his artisan gluten-free sourdough loaves for the oven. (Joel Haslam/CTV News Ottawa)
Dobry owned and operated a catering business, but chose to close it during the pandemic. His wife, Kealy, gluten-free for 20 years, encouraged Matt to use his culinary gifts in the village where they live.
"For years, we’ve really seen the impact that food has on people’s health, so we really wanted to create a place to provide that healthy food for people," said Mann.
"She bought me a course on gluten-free sourdough baking and I started messing around with it. I baked a few loaves of bread and thought, 'Wow, this is pretty awesome,'" said Dobry.
Dobry believes his breads rise above other gluten-free varieties because of the process he follows. He makes five tasty varieties and each loaf takes two and a half days to complete. Long cold fermentations and superlative ingredients give his gluten-free loaves rich flavours and elasticity.
"It develops that texture and crumb that people identify with a hearty homebred bread," said Dobry.
The bakery is called 3 Apples - appropriate given family is at its core.
"It's called 3 Apples Bakery because my mother and father have three daughters," said a smiling Esmee.
Unofficially, though, there's another reason for the name of the business.
"It's something we shouldn't say because there might be some issues," laughed Rhemy, one of Esmee's older sisters.
Still, her father spills the beans.
"My mother-in-law calls me '3 Apples' because that’s how tall I am--three apples stacked on top of each other. Like the Smurfs," smiles Dobry.
Customers line up to purchase gluten-free breads, croissants, pastries and cookies from 3 Apples Bakery in Pakenham, Ontario. (Joel Haslam/CTV News Ottawa)
Mother-in-law, and fashion designer, Paddye Mann is the bakery's cookie chef. She hand rolls up to 600 cookies a week.
"I can't imagine not wanting to be a part of this dream," said Mann.
"People come from everywhere. They come from Kingston, Chelsea, Orleans, Stittsville, Ottawa - the support has been unbelievable," she said.
Often, customers' line up before the bakery is open.
"I just fell in love with the atmosphere and the people," said bakery employee, Zoe Thorne.
"The instant gratification that you get from individuals walking in the door. They’re just blown away that they can have everything in here," said Thorne.
The 3 Apples - Dobry and Mann's daughters - have their own views about why the bakery is a hit.
"Because it’s a gluten-free bakery and you can actually have something that doesn’t taste like garbage," said Rhemy.
Her older sister Lilah agrees, but also believes her family adds a special ingredient to everything they make at 3 Apples.
"It's this amazing place that’s forged by hard work and people helping each other," she said.
"You can really tell that a lot of love went into it.”
Her Dad agrees.
"We’re limited only by how much we can make right now. The more I can make, the more we can share with people, said Dobry.
"I see a very, very bright future for 3 Apples Bakery.
3 Apples Bakery in Pakenham is open Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Canadian couple among tourists on sinking sailing boat tour abroad
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.