After a million loaves of bread, the owners of this beloved Burnaby bakery are taking a rest

Barbara Broda is stirring a big pot of chicken barley soup while she’s on the phone with me.

Lunchtime is approaching and BJ Bakery will soon have hungry customers coming through its doors for sandwiches, soups, or a coffee and pastry on the go.

But this will be one of the last pots of soup Barbara will stir in her beloved bakery.

On March 30, she and her husband, Jerry, are retiring from the business after 27 years and handing the bakery’s keys to new owners.

While chatting with Barbara, I let her know that it’s sad to hear about the end of an era for the beloved South Burnaby bakery located at 7604 Royal Oak Ave.

For years, the shop, which is nestled in a small strip mall, has been a staple and favourite of the community.

As a student at Burnaby South Secondary over a decade ago, I frequented the bakery often and enjoyed many of the delicious, freshly made sandwiches during lunch breaks.

So when I heard the news of BJ Bakery announcing the end of its run, it came as a sad surprise.

But Barbara’s voice remained confident on the other end of the line.

“No, it’s nothing too sad,” she said. “The time came, you know, we’ve been here for more than 27 years. So it’s time to look after ourselves. It’s a pleasure to be here, to work here. But for everybody, it’s time. Now, the sad is a joyful news. That’s very joyful news for me, for my husband, for my family.”

Barbara and Jerry have poured their hearts into their tiny bakery.

The couple came to Canada from Poland nearly 37 years ago. Jerry was a trained baker and pastry chef back home, and Barbara was a PE teacher.

When they arrived in Canada, Barbara said they “started from scratch”—first opening a bakery in Vancouver, then relocating to Burnaby a few years later and eventually opening BJ Bakery.

Barbara says that there is Polish influence in the baking and some of the food they serve but the bakery is “for everybody.”

“We have customers from all over. … And everybody will find something they like.”

Throughout the years, thousands of people have walked through the doors of BJ Bakery, from all walks of life.

“I’m telling you every day is a new day. And right now, what we noticed is that Burnaby [is changing]. There are so many new families, young families and there is more and more small children and they all come into the bakery. It doesn’t matter the roots. It doesn’t matter where people come from but they are all at the bakery. And I love that,” she explains.

She and Jerry have even watched many of her customers grow up, as they attended Burnaby South and kept coming back to the bakery years later, bringing their young families with them to try the delicious pastries or scones.

And that loyal customer base can be accounted to Barbara and Jerry’s dedication to their craft and the care they have put into every pastry, loaf of bread, sandwich, bowl of soup, or cup of coffee.

“We don’t have a complaint book,” she says with pride. “Can you imagine? There is no complaint book.”

Barbara estimates that over the past 27 years Jerry has handmade over a million loaves of bread.

“How many wedding cakes? Oh God, thousands. Sandwiches, hundreds of thousands. Soups and cabbage rolls, when you counted that it’s by the thousands.”

All of the intensive labour that Barbara and Jerry have put into their business has now caught up to them. She says it’s time for them to rest.

“I am a grandma. We have a two-year-old grandson [and] our second [grandchild] is about to be born. It’s time for my husband to relax. …. He has back pain and he barely walks and we try our best,” she says.

“I have also health issues. So being on my feet for 12 hours a day, that’s a minimum. … But you know what? By the end of the day when we finish, it’s like voila, we did it. And that makes us proud.”

As for the future of the bakery, Barbara says new owners have bought the location and are currently training with Jerry in order to try and continue BJ Bakery’s legacy.

“They want to learn what my husband is showing them. They are good learners,” says Barbara.

“We’re going to pass on the key to the new owner with …tears,” she says with sadness in her voice. “But this is another chapter in our life.”

“I might cry now. I am blessed. I am blessed to be here to serve the people the way we do.”

The bakery will continue to take orders until its last day on March 30, but it is requesting customers to pre-order in time as there could be limitations with some items and how much they’re able to produce.

Both Barbara and Jerry will be in the store for anyone who wants to visit one last time.