Hello Friends!

Thank you for a GREAT first week of Summer at the Beach! We are having so much fun and continue to receive such positive feedback and support from our community.

So much has happened over the past couple of days / weeks starting on June 28th - we moved from weekends only to SEVEN DAYS a week and started opening at 10 am.

We introduced a new coffee club program for those that need their coffee fix at 8:30 and announced and received overwhelming interest in our first KIDS MARKET at VGB being held on July 23rd.

AND….. we hired and trained our VGB newbie teammates – taking our team headcount to over 23 team members…and maybe one or two more.

WOWZA

I can’t believe we did all of this in the last couple of weeks !

And there is more!!!

Outside Yard :

Expanded our Community Garden from one bed to three – huge shoot out to Sheila, Greg, Connie, Tom & Brent (and Barbie)
Grew Grass in the back yard with the help of so many of you – in three weeks we got to mow it and it looks fabulous!
Added new gardens to the front of the Bakery – making our Bakery that much more special, ‘pretty’ and inviting.
Built our own Staff and Visitor Parking
Installed Snooping stumps at our Bakery windows so you can watch us work…or check on your kiddos working.

“Growing grass doesn’t sound exciting until you grow your own”

— Jen

Baking :

Introduced new Baked Items : Cherry Mini Cheese Cakes, Mini Key Lime Pies, Focaccia Bread, BAC’s, Pink Icing & Date Square Slices, Icing Cookies, Peanut butter Squares (GF), Lemon Drops (GF), Macarooons (GF) and new Sugar Cookie Shapes 🌈 🌵
Launched Online ordering – Now you can lock down of your goodies the night before.
Offered New VGB Gift Cards!
Knocked o multiple custom Cake and Cookie orders!
Kicked off season two of VGB Cheese, Meat and Cookie boxes

Front Retail :

Welcomed two new Artists – Andrew Stelmack & Bruce Kliewer
Intro Beach Authors to the Bakery : Mark Stropel ‘Before the Arch’, Andrew Stelmack ‘Send in the Clown’, Celine Peloquin ‘Ivy’s Wild Dream’, and Geoff Kirbyson ‘The Hot Line’ & ‘Broken Ribs & Popcorn’
New Retail Products – Butterfly Balms (lip balms), and new Sarah Cameron VB Bracelets
Deluca’s Pesto and Meats
Baking Imports : Ciabatta Buns (6 packs)

!! Wowza !!

Typing it all out really puts it in perspective on what we have constantly on the go….and yes we are still having fun!

Up Coming Events / New Things at VGB – in July :

VGB Kids Market – July 23rd. Our VGB kids market will be from 10 to 12 pm and will have pre-registered kiddos setting up their own booth to sell their own goodies. I will need at least 1 or 2 of you to help out…. We may sell our own coffee at the event just so that it isn’t lemonade all around lol.
Attending the VB Country Market – July 29th – For one weekend (right now) we are heading to the market to be able to provide our goodies and some of retail ‘stuff’. We will also arrange for online order pick-ups for those that would like this.
Participating in the Beaches of 59 - Dine Around 59 - July 7th to 21st. Eat up and then vote for this year’s Dine Around 59 “Best Entry of 2023” - don’t forget to VOTE for us if you feel we are a winner!

Supporting Events :

Kids Golf tournament – July 12
Sponsor at Summer Winds – July 21-22
Kids Bike Jam – July 29th – Hosted by the VB Community (Catherine). We will once again host an event here, and reward the kiddos with cookies or something.

Ideas bubbling in my head…..

Tues Tours – IDEA – in the making by Jen – Inviting Kids on a tour of our Bakery at 2 pm (once it is quiet’ish).
Cookie Decorating Night – IDEA – in the making by Jen – Dates to be determined.
Ladies Night - IDEA - Host friends at the bakery with appies and some cookies and some milk??

And most likely a few that I have missed - we are constantly saying yes, and yes we do have to say no too….we truly can’t do it all.

What about August ?? Lots is being planned…but this newsletter is getting too long. Follow us on Instagram for updates and insights into what ‘may’ be coming.

Farmer’s Market & Village Green Bakery

First off – Competition is good. Monopolies only last so long.

To address the elephant in the beach there is/was someone at the VB Country market selling bread similar to ours, as well as ‘dreams’ and ‘face’ cookies. They advertised as Enfield’s recipe – and that’s okay. Our recipe is different than theirs – and that’s okay. Everyone likes what they like and we can’t and won’t try to change that…and that’s okay.

Remember we are not the only peeps in town to sell bread and cookies. We have some fabulous neighbors that are open longer and have a lot of your favorite commercial breads and cookies in stock – including hot dog & hamburger buns!

Now to address me personally - I will always and forever choose happiness and support fellow entrepreneurs. Was I annoyed? Well sorta….but again these are my own feelings… I am human and I am selling the same thing….but different. But don’t fret – I am all good and I appreciate all the love and support that has been sent to me over both in person and on social media. It is fine.

Fun Facts : VGB employees over 22 community members and sells over 3000 cookies each week. Our bread is well loved by those who tell us so.

You ask often - are we good? Yes! We are GREAT. We are having fun? I couldn’t be prouder of our team and what we put back in our community.

We promote and work by transparency, honesty and respect. We will always choose the high road – with a smile on our face. Be kind friends - it is just flour, sugar, butter and a whole lotta love lol.

P.s. We are heading to the market on July 29th to help support those that can’t make it into the beach - so yes pre-orders can be done for the 29th and picked up at the market.  Also we will host some of our retail goodies - all Manitoba Made.

Thanks for Following and Reading Along with VGB !

Jen & Team

Summer Check In