Meet Kathy & Daisy of Remix Baking Co.
Kathy Leew and Daisy Lam both have a serious sweet-tooth. And it’s their love of desserts that helped forge their friendship in the first place.
The pair met through work in 2005 and quickly discovered a mutual passion for food, particularly sweets. As engineers, they were used to relying on logic and analytical skills for their work, but both sought a creative outlet, one that they could pursue together. They found it in baking.
In 2012 Kathy and Daisy began experimenting together in the kitchen, trying out their recipes on friends and family. These experiments developed into a larger idea for their very own company specializing in baked good and snacks. With that, Remix Baking Co. was born.
Although Kathy describes Remix as a “passion project”, she and Daisy identified early on that passion alone wouldn’t drive them to success. So the two took business courses and networked with other food entrepreneurs in the city to provide them with some direction.
“Calgary was lacking the creative side to desserts that is found in other cities,” Kathy says. “We saw that there was opportunity to make something that wasn’t snobby, something retro with a new spin.”
One look at Remix’s current offerings and that theme becomes apparent. For example, the company has its own twist on the common lemon bar, using lemongrass to flavour their version. Similarly, they don’t just make an apple pie, they create a chai-spiced apple pie.
Last year was their first year selling directly to customers, and Remix is new to the Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers Market in 2015. Both Kathy and Daisy continue to work full-time as engineers, running Remix on the side. It’s just a two-person show, leading to some hectic days.
Despite the heavy workload, the pair have ambitious plans for their fledgling business. Kathy says their long-term vision is to open their own café and bakery. They aren’t interested in pursuing wholesale opportunities because they want to be hands-on with the actual baking and feel connected to the people that enjoy their creations.
That is something that Kathy says she loves about selling at the weekly farmers market. The one-on-one interaction with customers and fellow vendors provides feedback and advice that will help shape the future of Remix.
You can find Remix at the Wednesday and Saturday Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers' Markets! You can also visit them online at www.remixbakingco.com, or follow @remixbakingco on Twitter and @remixbaking on Instagram.
