What's our Story?
Alexandrea Anber-Lumadue (Auntie Aldoo)
What is our story... this took me a while to really think about and write because I ramble and because to be honest the story is on-going.
The spark of passion started when I was young, helping my mum around the house and making food for my brother's and his friends, I love baking and cooking.
The name Auntie Aldoo comes from the way my niece Aryanna would pronounce Auntie Alex when she was just learning how to talk, and it stuck. 16+ years later and I stayed Auntie Aldoo to all 7 of my nieces and nephews, their children, and my friends children. It's just who I am now.
The baking story well... lets go back a handful of years...
In 2009 I went to school to be a journalist. I wanted to write and I wanted to fight for any and all causes. But always at the back of my head was my passion for baking and cooking, I just always loved food. Journalism wasn't really enough for me, it didn't fuel my soul. The best part about journalism was all of the cool skills I learned that I later utilized to building up the business I have today, and I also met my husband there ( but that's another story).
A few years later I decided to dive in and go to culinary school. It was there and I learned the skills, knowledge, tools and tricks to be where I am today. I had a dream of opening up my own restaurant. After school I worked at countless restaurants and other agencies in the food industry from dietary aide, line cook, prep cook, kitchen manager, barista, and even in catering. After a while my passion was fleeting, this industry really has a way of taking some of your soul, it was truly a love-hate relationship. I knew though that this wasn't everything and that I still wanted to be a part of it.
Throughout all of this I started one of those cake maker businesses out of my home. I would make cakes for family, friends, all of my nieces and nephews birthdays, acquaintances and everybody in between. After a while I realize I did not like making cakes, but I still had that passion to keep going because I knew this wasn't everything. I stopped making cakes, I really couldn't stand even looking at fondant anymore... maybe one day I'll get back into it, Maybe...
Fast forward a few years later I started making pies. The pie business really began to get some traction when I started making pies for some of the dude bro powerlifters bulking at the gym I went to ( I was also a dude bro powerlifter until covid happened, competitively powerlifting for 4 years ) . This really amped up my confidence in my skills, so much so that I decided to jump in.
I started my business officially in 2018. I began renting kitchens, going to church markets, going into stores and asking "what do I need to do for you to carry my products?" (Shout out to Little Foot Foods for answering me and being the first to carry my products), hustling at pop ups whenever I could. Started making more accommodating options for myself, and for the plant based community. I loved it. It was rough, but I love it.
2019 I did my first farmers market!
The Downtown Windsor Farmers Market.
This opened my eyes, I met so many incredible people along the way, the market really opened me up to a world of possibility and the response i recieved has been amazing. I knew then this was what I wanted and what i was looking for. I have never worked so hard in my life, and Ive never recieved a more gratifying and satisfying response from it.
2020 came and so did the pandemic, I was worried that my dream would be crushed... It was a pretty close call but the Downtown Windsor Farmers Market didn't let that happen, they encouraged me to keep going. I again jumped into it head first, now with more challenges then ever, it was an incredible year in so many ways, and also a destructive year.
Flash forward to 2021, still so many challenges to face but things have never been so clear for me, this was the year for change and growth! Look out Windsor-Essex here I come! This is the year I was all in!
As of October 1st, 2021 I am the proud owner of a brick and mortar bakery located in Cottam, Ontario. We have now been serving up pies and brewing up coffees in our cozy little space since January 2022 and loving every moment of it! Come by our little bakery for some light lunch, fresh pies, pastries, tarts, squares, breads, all of it!
Thank you to everyone who believed in be and encouraged me along the way, It has been a wild ride and I love every minute of it!
