Sweeten up your spring with Flamborough’s inaugural Battle of the Bakers!
Join us on Thursday, April 23rd from 4 – 8 p.m. for an exciting culinary event and pop-up market, complete with activities for the whole family, demonstrations by professional bakers, and a competition for the ultimate cookie.
Location: Waterdown District High School, 215 Parkside Dr., Waterdown
Schedule of the Event
Professional bakers compete for the ultimate cookie battle at a fun filled evening event which includes:
- 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Visit our Marketplace and Activities area, plus meet our Bakers
- 4 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. – Sampling & Judging – purchase a Cookie Card at the Healthy Youth Network booth. Sample all six cookies then fill in your favourite on the back and drop it off in the “People’s Choice” box
- 7:30 p.m. – Winners announced
Baking Themed Activities
- Decorate a Fun Bun – sponsored by Cobs Bread (quantities limited)
- Tic Tac Dough competition
- Pin the Moustache on the Baker
- Cookie Checkers
- Giant Donut Drop
- Play Dough Station
- and more!
Our Baker Mentors
Our Baker Mentors are paired up with student teams who created cookie recipes in a school competition. They provide real-world mentorship for the students, bake their cookies, and will present them together at The Battle of the Bakers!
Leaven House
Owner of Leaven House located in Waterdown at 297 Dundas street E, I am a long-time baker who is self-taught, and has a love for making delicious things. I opened Leaven House to follow my own dream after working in another industry, and decorating cakes on the side, and it was the best decision I ever made.
My claims to fame are my brownies, cookies and cinnamon buns, and I am always trying new recipes out in the bakery/cafe! I am excited to support someone else throwing down in the kitchen, and maybe following their own dream in the baking world!
A Cookie Jar
While I love baking I went to college to get my Developmental Services Certificate. I worked in the field before having kids. A few years ago I thought up this dream to combine my love for baking and my joy of supporting young adults with developmental challenges to transition them from high school to the working world. It’s still a young business but my goal is to have my own shop. My kitchen team is my son, niece and friend who are on the spectrum and look forward to the time when I can expand to support more in the community who either enjoy baking too or just need an environment that’s friendly and encouraging enough to try.
SnaxCo
Joanne hails from PEI, Canada and has been baking alongside her Mom since she was a kid. Her love of cooking carried on to her graduating from the Culinary Institute of Canada with both her Culinary Arts and Pastry Diplomas. Jo has always had a strong knack for French cuisine, and usually found herself on the kitchen team in one of the great Bistros across Canada! Of course, her talented hand in pastry always had her creativity sparked which led her to creating the baking program at Vancouver’s very established, Greenhorn Cafe. Of course, family has always been first and foremost for Joanne so she found herself with her husband and their two fur people settling into Burlington, Ontario in late 2022; and, with family & cookies always on her mind, SnaxCo was born in March 2023!
Jitterbug Cafe
My name is Lori Grundy, and I’m the owner of the Jitterbug Café in Waterdown. I’ve spent over 37 years in the food industry, working with all kinds of dishes, but baking has always held a special place in my heart.
My love for baking started at a young age, in the kitchen with my mom on the farm. Our weekends of baking translated to a lifelong passion for creating food that brings comfort and connection.
While I’ve explored many areas of cooking over the years, there’s something about baking that feels different to me. It gives me the chance to be creative in a way that feels meaningful.
The dishes I bake at the Jitterbug Café allows me to carry those same warm feelings into my everyday life. Each item is baked with pride that comes from years of experience and a genuine love for the craft. It makes me feel good to see people enjoy the treats I make.
G Sweets/Affirm College
Giuliana is Le Cordón Blue trained in pastry and culinary arts, followed by gaining experience in 5 start hotels and fine dining restaurants in Lima, Barcelona and Grand Cayman before arriving to Canada.
At G Sweets we make treats for the conscious eater. We care about purity and integrity of ingredients while enhancing and lifting their natural flavours. Using local, mostly organic unrefined flours, farm fresh eggs and unrefined sugars as our base you can feel the difference in the layers of flavours.
She is working now as a Pastry consultant and instructor at Affirm College in Hamilton.
Fortinos
Hi! I’m Zennia, currently the Bakery Manager at Fortinos in Waterdown and I’ve been with the company for over 20 years doing baking & decorating. Friendly and approachable, I’m a Filipino-Canadian who loves to sing, read, and watch documentaries and dramas.
Our Judges
People’s Choice – YOU are the Judge!
Using a Cookie Card, you will taste each cookie and vote for your favourite! Cookie Cards are available for purchase at the event (only $5!), and you will be able to taste ALL 6 cookies with 1 card. Proceeds go towards fundraising for our youth programs.
Chef’s Choice
Catherine O’Donnell, Niagara College
Catherine O’Donnell, a multifaceted figure in the culinary world, wears many hats. Mother, Grandmother, Pastry Chef, Educator, World Chef Pastry Jury.
From humble beginnings at Olivers Bakery to owning Willow Cakes and Pastries, her journey reflects a tapestry of experience.
Competing on the Junior Canadian team in her youth to coaching the Junior Nations Culinary team as well as the Senior National team.
As a Baking and Pastry Instructor, she nurtures budding talent, drawing from her rich expertise.
She has Judged at the Culinary Olympics as well as a Jury on the World Chocolate Masters, with many Globe Chef competitions under her belt.
She feels her greatest gift is to pass on the knowledge that she has been blessed to have been passed down to her from the many talented mentors she has had.
Celebrity’s Choice
Emily Vukovic, CHCH
Emily Vukovic, adventure reporter at CHCH, is known for her fearless approach when it comes to broadcasting and she loves chasing down stories and bringing them to life on camera.
Much of her career has been spent hosting weather and lifestyle news shows across Canada for the Weather Network, CBC, Corus Entertainment and Rogers Communications.
Emily has covered many major weather events during her career, most notably the 2009 Vaughan tornados, the 2013 ice storm and the record-breaking flood waters that impacted parts of Ontario and Quebec in 2017. Lifestyle story highlights include facilitating a wedding proposal in a hot air balloon and trying out the “goat yoga” trend.
Outside of work, Emily spends time volunteering with a variety of charities to raise awareness and assist with fundraising. Emily is an avid traveller and enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, horseback riding, and gardening.
Sponsor’s Choice
From the very foundation, Turkstra Lumber is built on traditional values and will always be a traditional lumber yard, where you will always be able to buy your nails and screws by the pound.
Turkstra Lumber has become so much more than a lumber yard while still managing to maintain those traditional values set forth by their founder, and they continue to develop and find new ways to support their communities by providing quality services and building products, creating job opportunities and working with various community outreach programs, food banks, after school programs and so much more
Marketplace Vendors
Shop local businesses, artisans and bakers!
Our Sponsors and Partners
Thank you for your continuous support and services to be part of an incredible community. We appreciate all you do.
The Big Cookie Sponsor
Golden Whisk Sponsors
Silver Spatula Sponsors
Bronze Bowl Sponsors
Media Sponsors
CHCH-TV started broadcasting in 1954 and is proud to be the news leader for Hamilton and the surrounding Halton and Niagara regions. CHCH produces over 24 hours of original local news programming each week. With a primetime line-up anchored by movies, news magazine shows, and hit dramas, CHCH is available to over 92% of Ontario households and is viewed by millions nationally each week. CHCH News is produced daily out of its broadcast studio located in Hamilton, Ontario.
In Kind Sponsors
What Does the Money Raised Support?
All funds raised through the Battle of the Bakers support our programs including training and equipping young people to lead change. We are currently focused on:
- A youth-led program called HEART that creates systemic change aimed at reducing gender based violence. This program will pilot in the Flamborough Community and be scalable for schools and communities across Canada.
- What’s Your Path, helping young people refine their skills, passions & interests in order to develop a path for the future based on their priorities and goals. Through building confidence, reducing barriers, and connecting them to the resources and support they need, we will ensure young people are future-ready.
- Our Youth Portal and Parent Place are intended to connect our youth and parents to the information, resources, opportunities and support they are looking for, all in one place!
