Rise Up! The Baker Podcast with Mark Dyck

There's something special about farmers markets and when it comes to the Carrboro market in North Carolina, Chicken Bridge Bakery makes that market extra special. In this episode, Mark talks with Rob and Monica Segovia-Welsh, the husband and wife team behind the bakery, about their journey from Wisconsin to Pittsboro by way of Austin and Costa Rica, the evolution of Chicken Bridge Bakery, thriving during Covid and why farmers markets play a special role in making all people feel part of...

Tobi Sovak was a pastry chef in fine dining restaurants on both coasts before opening Noisette eight years ago with her husband Michael. Now they are serving up all kinds of the good stuff whether you're sitting down or taking out. In this episode, Mark and Tobi talk about moving from NYC to SF and up to Oregon, adjusting the meet the needs of her community & how wedding season during the year of Covid might have been a blessing in disguise. Noisette is thriving thanks to great food +...

Arturo Enciso got the baking bug when he discovered the cob oven in the back of the house he was renting. Slowly and methodically, he slowly grown his craft and his business from a passion project to a full retail bakery, Gusto Bread. In this episode, Arturo shares his journey from the backyard to the front room and now to a retail shop. How his bread journey is took him east to New York, Vermont and eventually Spain, and how he is combining the two great staples, wheat and corn, in his...

From a childhood enjoying Montreal Bagels to spending time travelling across America, Adrian Hale has created a strong network of bakers, millers and farmers. And while she shares her love of local grains with home bakers, she is also sharing a story of community and connection. In this loose and winding chat, Mark follows Adrian's journey across the North American whole grain scene, from Portland to Florida and back again. But they keep coming back around the table, with good food and...

Amy Emberling went south from Cape Breton to college in the USA but found herself attracted to the baking life more than the office life. Starting as one of the original bakers at Zingerman's Bakehouse in the early 1990's, she is now the managing partner of the business. In this episode, Mark and Amy discuss the north-south connections along Canada's east coast, how Amy realized baking was her passion, how the Bakehouse has evolved over the years and how things are different for her as...

Katie Quinn is a journalist and author who just published her second book about three of Mark's favourite foods: Cheese, Wine and Bread. She has also become a new Italian citizen and is continuing to dig deep into the fermented food of her new nation. In this episode, Mark gets the lowdown on immigration during Covid, how learning about cheese helped Katie fit into a new city and what it takes to write and publish a major food book. Helpful Links @qkatie on Instagram Katie's...

Mo Cheeks is a community activist with a love of great bread. And he's figured out a way to marry these two important parts of his life into something way bigger than himself. In a few short months, Mo has people around the country sharing his ideas and clamouring for his bread. In this episode, Mark and Mo talk about how Bread & Justice was a newsletter before a bakery, how he increased his impact beyond the bread he can bake in a night, and how the world needs both more bread AND more...

Whitney Keatman and her partner Jess opened The Sparrow Bakery in 2006 and the bakery has shifted and evolved a lot since then. Now with three locations including one in Portland, Whitney and Jess continue to dive in during difficult times. In this episode, Mark and Whitney talk about starting The Sparrow when she was too young to know better, getting good at building kitchens and building a place where customers come for the people as much as the products. Helpful Links @sparrowbakery on...

In this inaugural edition of the Slow Rise podcast, BBGA Executive Director Mitch Stamm sits down with Mark Dyck to learn about his journey in baking and his experience as a Guild member. It's a lively chat that ranges from the joys and struggles of owning a neighbourhood bakery to Mark's adventures in getting his podcast off the ground. Mark is a baker, community builder, former bakery owner and long time Guild member who, in 2018, started Rise Up! The Baker Podcast, where he talks with...

Edna Cochez is bringing all the good stuff to her native Panama, as a chef, baker and advocate for both chefs and baking brands. She's run restaurants and wholesale bakeries, competed and judged on TV and has continually shared all that she has learned throughout her career. In this episode, Mark and Edna discover all the ways they are connected through baking and coaching, and dig into Edna's journey cooking, baking and teaching, along with bringing teaching food brands how to grow in her...

Adam Christie grew up in Regina and used to visit Mark's bakery before heading West. After working in bakeries in Vancouver, he and his partner Jess moved to the Island and set up Working Culture Bread just a few blocks from Mark's apartment. Now the roles are reversed! In this episode, Mark sits down across the bench from his local baker to learn about how he built his bakery, what their first five months in business have been like and what's in store for the bakery and the...

Brant Stewart came to Beirut as a photographer who wanted to tell the stories of the refugees fleeing the war in Syria. Before long, he was fundraising and starting food related projects in and around Beirut, including Mavia bakery. In this episode, Mark learns of Brant's constant drive to help his community in Lebanon thrive, even as he faces political revolution and deals with the explosion that damaged his home and bakery. And he learns of the myriad of projects Brant has underway and...

Ed Tatton travelled the world as a chef who baked, before coming to Whistler, BC. where he took a look around and settled down to do some serious baking. Before long, baking for neighbours wasn't enough and Ed and his wife Natasha got to work, opening Ed's Bred bakery and coffee in 2019 where they serve locals and tourists alike. And since they were both Vegan, their bakery was going to be 100% plant-based too. In this episode, Mark learns about Ed's start in the UK, being a plant based...

Jen Zeuner and Anne Keller came to Fruita, Colorado for the awesome mountain biking and stayed. Visitors kept asking where to find good food in town and they took the hint and opened Hot Tomato Pizza to feed the people. But they aren't just feeding cyclists; they are building community across all social groups in town. In this episode, Mark, Jen and Anne talk about the rise and rise of Hot Tomato, what it means to serve the whole community and how they are evolving their business to serve...

Jason Bowman worked in a bakery as a youth in the UK before following his father into the insurance industry and eventually bringing his family to the USA. Now he's a feeding the people in Pound Ridge with his weekly pop-up bread and pastry shop, Breads-n-Bakes. In this episode, Mark and Jason talk about their mutual love of family, baking and cricket before getting into the nuts and bolts of Breads-n-Bakes, how it started and how Jason's dining room now contains a sheeter and spiral...

Jimmy Alderson Benitez baked in New York and Paris before settling down in San Juan, Puerto Rico and opening Cultura Bread in 2019. Due to open his retail bakery just before the Covid pandemic, he was forced to re-work his plans and start his bakery on a smaller scale. In this episode, Mark learns about the current version of Cultura Bread, and gets a glimpse into Jimmy's remarkable life and baking education. They also dig into Jimmy's new 'slow growth' plan for the bakery that takes the...

Matt Sanger was seeking the balance between head work and hand work and found it in baking. He's built Round River Baking from a basement micro-bakery to a thriving retail bakery while continuing to find the right balance as he grows. In this episode, two friends Mark and Matt catch up on what's happening at the bakery, dealing with ever present change, and then dig into Matt's background and why baking had such a profound effect. Helpful Links Round River Baking @roundriverbaking on...

Jane Mason is a Canadian who, ten years ago while living in London, founded Virtuous Bread, a course and network for micro-bakery owners the world over. Now living in Mexico City, Jane and the Bread Angels are still going strong. In this episode, Mark and Jane talk about Jane's career in high finance, life in Mexico City, the founding of Virtuous Bread, the continued growth of micro-bakery startups and how her organization is changing to meet the needs of bakers today. Helpful...

Erin Kirley travelled the world thinking of farms and the environment before focusing in on baking, moving near her parents on the North Carolina coast and opening her bakery. Now she's building a rocking solo bakery serving Southport, Oak Island and as far afield as possible. In this episode, Mark gets a virtual tour of Erin's bake space, before talking about the birth of her bakery, challenges with wholesale baking, and finding a product lineup that suits a community without a strong...

When David Morton moved to the southern tip of South Pender Island, he knew exactly where his oven would sit. It wasn't long before his cob oven was built and he started supplying bread for neighbours up and down the road. Now, when he's not swimming in the ocean or editing his novel, David is delivering his bread all over the island. In this episode, Mark and David talk about the birth of Happy Monk, their love of wood fired ovens and their concern for the folks just across the Juan de...