Edible Flours vegan bakery looks to grow in Vancouver

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“We’ve only gotten busier since we started,” Briggs told the Georgia Straight, sitting in the Kitsilano bakery in between helping customers at the end of the day. “I would say, particularly since the turn of the year, things have exceeded our expectations in terms of where we wanted to be for the business.”

Edible Flours, which opened its doors on April 15, 2011, makes cakes, cookies, cookie sandwiches, croissants, cupcakes, donuts, loaves, muffins, and scones. All of its products are vegan—meaning they don’t contain dairy, eggs, honey, or other animal products—and made with natural ingredients. Much of its goods are also gluten-free, wheat-free, soy-free, and sugar-free.

Over the past year, the bakery has added cinnamon rolls and more varieties of cookies and cupcakes to its offerings. The mocha loaf is the shop’s newest addition, and the banana bread is its best-selling item.

According to Briggs, specialty cakes are the side of the business that’s grown the most. Edible Flours makes chocolate, lemon, and vanilla cakes to order for birthdays, weddings, and other occasions. Now, they’re planning to carry ready-to-go cakes in the shop.

“I think that’s been the most pleasing aspect—that we can offer something that’s not available,” Briggs said. “It’s very hard at the drop of a hat to get a vegan, gluten-free cake that’s pistachio-flavoured or whatever it is.”

While Edible Flours is a 100-percent vegan establishment, Briggs noted many of the bakery’s customers are omnivores.

“The reason we picked this location was to try and appeal to everybody, to show that vegan baking can be healthy and tasty and decadent and luxurious, if you need it to be,” Briggs said.

A few months ago, Karmavore Vegan Shop (610 Columbia Street) in New Westminster started selling Edible Flours products. Briggs is hoping to expand the wholesaling side of the business and provide goods to coffee shops around Vancouver. He’s also looking to offer a larger selection of goods at the bakery itself.

For Edible Flours’ first anniversary, Briggs is thinking about holding a party at the shop on an undetermined date. On April 28 at 4 p.m., he is slated to give a talk and demonstration about vegan and gluten-free baking at Whole Foods Market's Cambie store (510 West 8th Avenue).

Briggs called Edible Flours his “proudest achievement” and said he’s “thrilled” about its success.

“If you’d said to me five years ago I’d be a vegan baker in Vancouver, I would have told you that you were crazy,” Briggs said.

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