We are Ottawa’s first 100% vegan bakery! That means we will never make anything using eggs, dairy, or any other animal-derived product. Our treats are made using small scale batches, and are always made from scratch. We use organic and local products whenever we can, and we believe in desserts that are fresh, not frozen. We are able to accommodate most allergies (many of our treats can be made gluten-free!), but always remind people that we do have most of these allergens on site, and cannot guarantee cross-contamination.
So, how did we get started? Funny you should ask…
A rock n’ roll journalism dropout, Amanda Lunan (a vegan of 12 years) was fed up with vegan dessert choices in the city, and longed for the days of baking with her Nana when food was delicious and comforting. It was from this desire that Auntie Loo’s was born.
Armed with her Nana’s (converted) recipes, and a nickname a former boss had given her, Mandi Loo decided to see where this new baking adventure was going to take her.
Auntie Loo’s Treats made its debut in 2004 at Ottawa’s infamous Ladyfest “Not your Grandma’s” Craftsale. The profit that Mandi Loo turned that day rivalled the 2-week pay check she was about to receive from her barista job. She quit, and enrolled full-time at Algonquin College’s School of Business to begin developing the idea and dream of baking for a living.
After graduation, Auntie Loo’s Treats operated for a few
years out of the back of an existing bakery. The business was a small, vegan wholesale company for local health food shops. Mandi Loo continued to pursue the big dream while making her deliveries with the help of GoldDigga (her gold delivery bike) or by local transit.
Soon, the demand for vegan treats became too much to handle while operating out of another bakery’s kitchen. It was time for Auntie Loo’s Treats to move into its own space. In early 2009, a location was secured at 507 Bronson Ave., and renovations for the bakery of Mandi Loo’s dreams began.
In the meantime, requests for wedding cakes began to roll in, and it was clear Auntie Loo’s Treats needed another team member. With the addition of Miss Kate Veinot in the Spring of 2009, Auntie Loo Weddings burst onto the wedding cake scene, being one of the only suppliers in Eastern Ontario to make dairy, egg (and even gluten free) wedding cakes that are as delicious as they are beautiful.
When our physical location at 507 Bronson opened its doors in October of 2009, it became Eastern Ontario’s first 100% vegan bakery. We were finally available to have our own storefront, take special orders and share our fun, retro kitchen with the city! Over the holiday season of 2011, we renovated our space to accommodate a modest seating area and are now proud to offer coffee and tea to our patrons!
Auntie Loo’s Treats is proud to be a part of the Ottawa community; we participate in many local events around the city (both charitable and non-charitable). You will often see us at many craft sales or fairs being held at all times of the year. For a more personal side of us, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to stop in and say, “Hi!”
For more information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page!
For a closer look at our newly renovated space, please see our post on the blog!
