Entrepreneurs supported through the Women’s Enterprise Initiative, gluten-free bakery prospers

A radical bakery always goes against the grain. For two bold entrepreneurs, Tara Black and Marion Scott, this meant opening a gluten-free bakery in 2009. Today, Origin Bakery has two locations in Victoria, British Columbia, and employs more than two-dozen staff.

Demand is soaring for gluten-free goods. In order to overcome hurdles and keep growing their business, Tara and Marion sought financial support and peer-to-peer mentoring from the Women’s Enterprise Center. 

Women play an important role in creating and running small businesses across Canada. Yet, they often face barriers and a lack of support. To help remove these barriers, Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) established the Women’s Enterprise Initiative (WEI) to help women entrepreneurs start, scale up and grow their businesses. WEI administers a $5 million loan fund for women entrepreneurs unable to obtain traditional financing. In British Columbia, the Women’s Enterprise Center delivers WEI. The Centre also provides free business counseling, resources, information, referrals and innovative training programs. 

Transcript: “Against the Grain: Origin Bakery”

[music begins]

(co-owner’s voiceover beings)

The gluten free bakery was because we did realize that there was such a market for it and it was highly underserved. There’s a lot of national chains. We knew we could do it better. We always said we wanted to do something together. We didn’t know what that would be. The original idea first was we have such an abundance of produce on the island. And we’re like “what if we just worked with what we have naturally around us?” made preserves and candies, that kind of thing. That’s not what we did. It totally morphed into all of this!

(text on screen: Marion Scott, Co-owner)

(Marion Scott’s voiceover begins)

I’m Marion Scott. I’m co-owner of the bakery and I generally deal with front of house staffing and procedures.

(Marion Scott’s voiceover ends)

(text on screen: Tara Black, Co-owner)

(Tara Black’s voiceover begins)

I’m Tara Black. I’m the other co-owner. We founded this back in 2009. I’m predominantly in charge of the kitchen area with a lot of help from everyone back there. Our biggest challenge that we faced was being too busy too quickly. We were very conservative with our numbers when we thought how the community would respond.

They were super excited and we were run off our feet for the first month when it was just Tara and I. Three weeks in and we hired our first person. Four weeks in we just kept bringing people in. We’ve gone from just us two people to we now have 42.

(Tara Black’s voiceover begins)

(Marion Scott’s voiceover begins)

The other thing that I like is that we do have a café now and something that Tara and I talked about originally is having a café and special drinks and so that is something that I’m excited about.

(Marion Scott’s voiceover ends)

(Tara Black’s voiceover begins)

The Women’s Enterprise Centre; They’re very thorough.

(Marion Scott’s voiceover begins)

They like to say, "If we say no, take it as a good thing because you’re probably not ready."

(Marion Scott’s voiceover ends)

(Tara Black’s voiceover begins)

They actually sponsored us through this really impressive peer-to-peer mentoring.

(Tara Black’s voiceover ends)

(Marion Scott’s voiceover begins)

The impact that Women’s Enterprise Centre has had on us? Having that feeling of a safety net which you won’t necessarily have and support for women in business because we didn’t always get taken seriously being women in business.

(Marion Scott’s voiceover ends)

(Tara Black’s voiceover begins)

What they do and what they facilitate really is about empowering you to get going and then figuring out how you can give back.

(Tara Black’s voiceover ends)

(Marion Scott’s voiceover begins)

Are you thinking about starting your own business?

(Marion Scott’s voiceover ends)

(Tara Black’s voiceover begins)

Totally do it.

(Tara Black’s voiceover ends)

(Marion Scott’s voiceover begins)

Do it!

(Marion Scott’s voiceover ends)

(Tara Black’s voiceover begins)

Seriously, do it!

(Tara Black’s voiceover ends)

(text on screen: Women’s Enterprise Centre)

(text on screen: Western Economic Diversification Canada)

(text on screen: Government of Canada wordmark)

[music ends]