Submitted by Julie Clement, CCA BC Director, March 2021
When sisters-in-law Kelsey Krahn and Kaitlin Simoes opened The Polly Fox Bakery and Bistro in Abbotsford in 2016 it is fair to say the pandemic was not on their radar. BC Chapter Board Member Julie Clement chatted with them about the challenges and opportunities they have faced in the last few years.
Kelsey had a long history working in the food and beverage industry, whilst also attending Emily Carr University. After graduating and working as a photographer, she found herself drawn back into food and baking, working as a senior baker and recipe developer. Kaitlin has a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management and had spent her career working in various aspects of the hospitality industry including hotels, banquet and convention coordination, spas and food and beverage.
Having grown up in the suburbs of Vancouver, there was nothing gluten free on the market when Kelsey was diagnosed with celiac in 2004. A whole lot of blood, sweat and tears went into home baking projects to fill the void. Fast forward to 2016, and the gluten free culture had grown exponentially, however, the suburbs were still missing a fresh source. The Polly Fox was born to become a local staple for those in need - and for those who just need a great coffee and afternoon pick-me-up, celiac or not.
Julie asked whether they try to recruit staff with celiac disease, and how they keep those staff up to date. “While we don't have any celiac staff members at the moment, we do have a few that avoid gluten as a preference. When hiring, we find that we naturally attract individuals with food sensitivities, allergies or dietary preferences. We have really great open communication with our staff and encourage questions and conversation - if anyone is unsure of a product, an ingredient, a manufacturer, we love to chat about it and clear the air.”
All Polly Fox’s products are produced on-site in their dedicated gluten free facility. Their products now include quite a few vegan options, which has been wonderful for the vegan community that can otherwise be forgotten. Their best sellers are hands-down the Vegan Apple Fritters and the Salted Cowboy Cookie. As for choosing personal favorites, that proved a tough one... For Kelsey, the Vegan BLT on Focaccia and the Vegan Baked Donut. For Kaitlin, a Vegan Cashew Bar and Vegan Seasonal Bowl.
Whilst the global pandemic has brought its own challenges, Kelsey and Kaitlin have had other issues along the way. They explained some of the problems with sourcing and the cost associated with gluten free ingredients; it becomes difficult to stay competitive with pricing when everything has enormous mark ups. As for their biggest successes? “Winning Best New Business of the Year! That was such a huge personal achievement. But also becoming known as a local staple and source of information and support for those with food allergies and intolerances. There was a lot to learn while opening The Polly Fox: local bureaucracy for obtaining permits, timelines almost always being a mere suggestion, and the immense need for work/life balance!”
During the first wave of COVID 19, the Polly Fox closed their doors and operated as pre-order only. One day per week was dedicated to curbside pick-up, and one day per week was local delivery. It was a great pivot for Kelsey, Kaitlin and the team to stay relevant, and to continue to get product out the doors and to their guests. The biggest challenge was anticipating day-to-day needs, the prospect of new mandates and protocols, and ensuring that everyone stayed safe and healthy. Experiencing a drop in revenue has of course been challenging, “We cannot express enough how important it is to support your local businesses right now.”
For now, the Polly Fox does not deliver but the pandemic has created an interesting shift in consumer habits: there seems to be a higher focus on keeping spending local, an ease of purchasing, and online sales. They are taking a bigger look at their retail products, and how to provide greater accessibility to the market. “We would love to broaden our humble shop and find great “stockists” in new communities!”
Julie asked if, given everything they know now, they would do things differently if they were starting over. “We actually wouldn't do anything differently! It has all been such a big learning experience that we have been able to use the learning during this bizarre new season that we are all blindly navigating. Beginning a new venture is daunting, and in that moment, it would have been helpful to have a local support system to help guide necessary permits, building resources, important timelines. Something to help take the guesswork out of such foreign territory.”
And finally, a last piece of advice for someone newly diagnosed with celiac - “Read labels and know your ingredients. Gluten is tucked away in so many things and has so many different names. It gets easier!”
The Polly Fox can be found at:
33780 Essendene Ave, Abbotsford BC.
Phone number: 604-744-1881
Check out their website The Polly Fox
Kelsey had a long history working in the food and beverage industry, whilst also attending Emily Carr University. After graduating and working as a photographer, she found herself drawn back into food and baking, working as a senior baker and recipe developer. Kaitlin has a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management and had spent her career working in various aspects of the hospitality industry including hotels, banquet and convention coordination, spas and food and beverage.
Having grown up in the suburbs of Vancouver, there was nothing gluten free on the market when Kelsey was diagnosed with celiac in 2004. A whole lot of blood, sweat and tears went into home baking projects to fill the void. Fast forward to 2016, and the gluten free culture had grown exponentially, however, the suburbs were still missing a fresh source. The Polly Fox was born to become a local staple for those in need - and for those who just need a great coffee and afternoon pick-me-up, celiac or not.
Julie asked whether they try to recruit staff with celiac disease, and how they keep those staff up to date. “While we don't have any celiac staff members at the moment, we do have a few that avoid gluten as a preference. When hiring, we find that we naturally attract individuals with food sensitivities, allergies or dietary preferences. We have really great open communication with our staff and encourage questions and conversation - if anyone is unsure of a product, an ingredient, a manufacturer, we love to chat about it and clear the air.”
All Polly Fox’s products are produced on-site in their dedicated gluten free facility. Their products now include quite a few vegan options, which has been wonderful for the vegan community that can otherwise be forgotten. Their best sellers are hands-down the Vegan Apple Fritters and the Salted Cowboy Cookie. As for choosing personal favorites, that proved a tough one... For Kelsey, the Vegan BLT on Focaccia and the Vegan Baked Donut. For Kaitlin, a Vegan Cashew Bar and Vegan Seasonal Bowl.
Whilst the global pandemic has brought its own challenges, Kelsey and Kaitlin have had other issues along the way. They explained some of the problems with sourcing and the cost associated with gluten free ingredients; it becomes difficult to stay competitive with pricing when everything has enormous mark ups. As for their biggest successes? “Winning Best New Business of the Year! That was such a huge personal achievement. But also becoming known as a local staple and source of information and support for those with food allergies and intolerances. There was a lot to learn while opening The Polly Fox: local bureaucracy for obtaining permits, timelines almost always being a mere suggestion, and the immense need for work/life balance!”
During the first wave of COVID 19, the Polly Fox closed their doors and operated as pre-order only. One day per week was dedicated to curbside pick-up, and one day per week was local delivery. It was a great pivot for Kelsey, Kaitlin and the team to stay relevant, and to continue to get product out the doors and to their guests. The biggest challenge was anticipating day-to-day needs, the prospect of new mandates and protocols, and ensuring that everyone stayed safe and healthy. Experiencing a drop in revenue has of course been challenging, “We cannot express enough how important it is to support your local businesses right now.”
For now, the Polly Fox does not deliver but the pandemic has created an interesting shift in consumer habits: there seems to be a higher focus on keeping spending local, an ease of purchasing, and online sales. They are taking a bigger look at their retail products, and how to provide greater accessibility to the market. “We would love to broaden our humble shop and find great “stockists” in new communities!”
Julie asked if, given everything they know now, they would do things differently if they were starting over. “We actually wouldn't do anything differently! It has all been such a big learning experience that we have been able to use the learning during this bizarre new season that we are all blindly navigating. Beginning a new venture is daunting, and in that moment, it would have been helpful to have a local support system to help guide necessary permits, building resources, important timelines. Something to help take the guesswork out of such foreign territory.”
And finally, a last piece of advice for someone newly diagnosed with celiac - “Read labels and know your ingredients. Gluten is tucked away in so many things and has so many different names. It gets easier!”
The Polly Fox can be found at:
33780 Essendene Ave, Abbotsford BC.
Phone number: 604-744-1881
Check out their website The Polly Fox
