- Words by Sandra Jones Photography by Don Denton

If your mother ever told you that watching television was a waste of time, talk to Julia House, owner of Maison Cookware + Bakeware in Nanaimo.

香蕉视频直播淭he Food Network launched when I was in my early 20s and I started watching Alton Brown香蕉视频直播檚 show Good Eats. He had a scientific perspective on cooking and baking that I loved and the nerd in me thought: 香蕉视频直播業 can do that!香蕉视频直播�,香蕉视频直播� laughs Julia.

Suddenly she began making everything from scratch.

香蕉视频直播淭hat show flipped a switch in my brain. I started by buying a pasta maker and went from there. As my skills grew, so did my need for the right tools.香蕉视频直播�

But those tools weren香蕉视频直播檛 always easy to find.

Julia turned to trusted sources such as Cooks Illustrated magazine when she needed to find a specific kitchen tool, but would then be frustrated when she couldn香蕉视频直播檛 buy it locally.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 decide I wanted a carbon steel skillet and could order it online, but shipping cost a fortune. Or I香蕉视频直播檇 just pick up a tool locally and it didn香蕉视频直播檛 work the way it should. I wondered why kitchen stores were not doing the research for me. That was when I thought: 香蕉视频直播極ne day I香蕉视频直播檓 going to have my own kitchen store香蕉视频直播�.香蕉视频直播�

That dream percolated in the back of her consciousness as she worked at several retail jobs, created a food blog and moved from Edmonton to Nanaimo. But it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 until her then-husband quit his overseas job香蕉视频直播攁llowing her to follow her dream香蕉视频直播攖hat she made the leap.

香蕉视频直播淚 knew exactly the kind of store I wanted to create because I had been thinking about it for so many years. I had a list of products I wanted to carry because I had spent hours on the internet doing the research and then testing the products in my own kitchen.香蕉视频直播�

Two months after signing a lease on her retail space, she opened the doors.

香蕉视频直播淲e opened in mid-October and were open seven days a week. We didn香蕉视频直播檛 take a single day off until Christmas,香蕉视频直播� Julia recalls. 香蕉视频直播淏y that time the store was stripped bare and we had no stock left.香蕉视频直播�

Word spread quickly through social media and word-of-mouth.

Julia believes in a singularly simple core philosophy: 香蕉视频直播淎nything we stock has to absolutely follow one rule: If I wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have it in my own kitchen, I won香蕉视频直播檛 have it in my store,香蕉视频直播� she says.

That point of differentiation results in an exceptionally low return rate of merchandise purchased and an equally high return rate for repeat customers.

香蕉视频直播淥ur customers tell us that they love to see this kind of quality in Nanaimo and that they come to us for our knowledge and our passion. Our staff has incredible product and cooking knowledge and we love to share what we know. We香蕉视频直播檝e been able to build great relationships because of that.香蕉视频直播�

Strong relationships have also been built with the more than 60 manufacturers from which Maison Cookware + Bakeware purchases merchandise.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e been fortunate in that our store is often selected to carry pre-launch items and we love getting the cool toys months before anyone else.香蕉视频直播�

One of those items was a bread lame used for scoring bread before baking.

香蕉视频直播淭he supplier said he香蕉视频直播檇 turned down other companies but knew we were choosy about what we bring in. We were the first store in the world he agreed to sell his product to.香蕉视频直播�

Store products run the gamut from one-of-a-kind items like a hand-carved ravioli tool made in Japan to a Smart Oven air fryer.

香蕉视频直播淲e can香蕉视频直播檛 keep this brand of air fryer in stock. I use mine every single day and I香蕉视频直播檝e cooked everything from pies to chicken in it. It香蕉视频直播檚 faster and more efficient than my full-size oven.香蕉视频直播�

Julia, who follows the foodie world closely, is quick to anticipate the needs of her customers, but even she can香蕉视频直播檛 anticipate everything.

香蕉视频直播淭he influence of social media is huge and global trends can take off in a day. Two days after we started seeing hot cocoa bombs on the internet, I tried to buy the hemisphere moulds needed to make them. The supplier was already sold out and has still been sold out for nine months.香蕉视频直播�

Of course, also in the category of 香蕉视频直播渦nforeseen circumstances香蕉视频直播� was a global pandemic.

香蕉视频直播淏y some bizarre stroke of luck we had always wanted to have an online store,香蕉视频直播� says Julia. 香蕉视频直播淲e had delayed it for years because it takes a long time to populate all of the items we sell, but we were able to launch it six months before the pandemic.香蕉视频直播�

As a result, the store never completely shut down and instead relied on online sales, curbside pick-up and cross-Canada shipping to fill its orders.

And then a funny thing happened: 香蕉视频直播淎 few people decided to learn how to make bread,香蕉视频直播� jokes Julia. Indeed, the lockdown prompted a widespread interest in cooking and as people experimented with everything from making sourdough to Japanese souffle pancakes, they turned to Maison Cookware + Bakeware.

香蕉视频直播淭here was definitely a shift in the customers I saw during the pandemic. People wanted to support local businesses and were more conscientious about where they were spending their dollars. There are so many small businesses in Nanaimo and we need to keep that vibrancy.香蕉视频直播�

While much has changed over the past six years, Julia香蕉视频直播檚 passion for her business has never waned. 香蕉视频直播淗aving this store is more than I ever dreamed and there is no doubt that it香蕉视频直播檚 the best thing I香蕉视频直播檝e ever done.香蕉视频直播�

Q&A with Julia House

Boulevard: What香蕉视频直播檚 your most-used kitchen tool?

Julia House: Ultimate ladle by GIR. It香蕉视频直播檚 made of silicone so it香蕉视频直播檚 flexible enough to scoop every drop of soup or sauce out of the pot. It also doubles as a measuring cup香蕉视频直播擨 use it all the time.

B: What香蕉视频直播檚 your signature dessert?

JH: Lemon cream tart.

B: And your dinner party go-to?

JH: I often have people over for pizza night because I have a Breville pizza oven.

B: Who is your favourite cookbook author?

JH: Dorie Greenspan, who has co-written books with Julia Child. I香蕉视频直播檓 thrilled she香蕉视频直播檚 started following us on Instagram.

B: Who are your dream dinner guests?

JH: Dorie Greenspan, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively (she loves to bake and I think they香蕉视频直播檙e fun) and Zo毛 Fran莽ois, who is a baker and cookbook author with her own show on Magnolia Network.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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