Vera Bochar says the sale of all the equipment from her soon-to-close bakery is a silver lining to the painful end of her business.
Bochar, who is closing The Baking Stone in the Saint John City Market, after owning and operating it for 21 years, is selling all her equipment to Hillsborough entrepreneur Byron Gourley. She’s also handed over her recipes.
Gourley will incorporate that equipment into his soon-to-open grocery store.
Gourley, the economic development officer and artist bringing the grocery store to Hillsborough, found out about the closure of the Baking Stone by reading about it in a Huddle story. Shortly after, he got in touch with Bochar.
“Once I knew I was being forced to leave the market, I just put my equipment up for sale and I was starting to get responses. He was one of the people who responded,” Bochar told Huddle.
“It’s a nice ending to a bittersweet story.”
Byron Gourley and his husband, Chuck LeBlanc, at their home in Hillsborough. Image: Byron Gourley
Bochar said she decided to sell the equipment to Gourley because he wanted to buy everything, instead of only buying certain items.
She said the sale helped her put away some of the anger and disappointment she felt over the failed sale of her business to successors who wanted to carry on its legacy at the City Market.
RELATED: Why The Baking Stone Is Leaving The Saint John City Market After 21 Years
When Bochar informally arranged the sale last year, after deciding to retire, the market dragged on the sale opportunity, explaining that The Baking Stone wasn’t compatible with its strategic plan.
While the market did offer her a smaller berth, the original buyer she had lined up was not interested. Bochar, unable to find another buyer, wrote to the Saint John Mayor and Common Council. But they held steady on the termination of The Baking Stone’s May 1 lease expiry date.
“After 21 years, I have to go through a grieving process here because this was my business–and to not be able to sell the business after 21 years is a very hard pill to swallow,” Bochar said.
“The long and short of it is the city did not allow my business to continue on in the market.”
Despite The Baking Stone closing, some favorites will live on in Hillsborough through the recipes Bocher gave Gourley.
“I offered to give him my recipes because I’m famous for my lobster tails and cannoli, but he’s not putting up The Baking Stone as a business, it’s just going to be part of his grocery store,” said Bochar.
“It’s nice that it’s not going to go to the landfill, so I’m happy about that.”
Bochar told Huddle that while she’s not happy about the outcome of her retirement and the fate of her bakery, selling her equipment and handing over her recipes is a comfort.
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Bochar declined to provide the cost of the equipment she’s selling Gourley, but said she’s selling it all.
“It’s everything you need to run a bakery: multiple ovens, refrigerators, mixers, and display cases, too. Everything he’ll need to open a grocery store with a bakery,” she said.
“Hopefully he can continue on and have it be as successful for him as it was for me for over 20 years.”
Sam Macdonald is a reporter with Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
