Social media has turned into a mini Masterchef competition. While the COVID-19 crisis has brought out everybody’s worst fears, it has also produced an increasing number of home bakers.
Stewart Russell, Laurier alumni and director of embryo and implantation research at the CReATe Fertility Centre, started a business with his wife Courtney called Well Baked Box.
The two of them share a love for baking, just like the rest of us. Their mission is to provide easier access to snacks that not only taste delicious, but also leave you feeling good.
The co-creators of the Well Baked Box started to put together easy recipes for people to try out. Some people tried them, but others could not find the ingredients needed. Suddenly a light bulb went off.
“We were eating from our Hello Fresh box, and really enjoyed our subscription. We thought it would be really convenient, especially because we’re so busy, to get a similar type of recipe kit for our healthy snacks and baked goods,” Russell said.
“We went out looking and figuring out all the different pieces that have to go into making it sustainable. We wanted it to be as environmentally friendly as possible.”
The Well Baked Box includes pre-portioned ingredients that are sustainably packaged, and delivered right to your door. They have new recipes each week and include vegan and keto options as well.
The Well Baked Box is widely popular with students as it is mess and clutter-free.
“Students love it because it doesn’t fill up their pantries with extra ingredients. These kits come with everything you need to throw it together in your kitchen. Students are often on the go, but times are different now. Between online classes, you can grab something delicious and fuel your study with these kits,” Russell said.
The Well Baked Box is unique in a sense that they are gluten and dairy-free and refined sugar-free.
“It fits a lot of nutritional requirements and restrictions that some people might have,” Russell said.
“We have a range of recipes. Some of them are slightly more involved but for most of our recipes you could have no experience baking. If you follow the recipe card, it will take you to a great baked product.”
The Well Baked Box made the instructions clear and easy to follow so that anyone is able to bake.
“Do as much research as you can beforehand. It’s a lot. It’s so fun and rewarding but there are a lot of things about running a business that I didn’t even know existed,” Russell said.
“It’s an incredible learning experience and it’s very enjoyable. My advice is, before you hit the road, make a list of everything that you might need going forward, just so you have a mental map of where you want to take your business.”
The Well Baked Box has grown faster than predicted over the last few months. The company has been delivering to Kitchener, Waterloo and are now opening up to Hamilton. They are excited to see how people like it and hope this is just the beginning.
The Well Baked Box is giving Laurier students 15per cent off their order using the code: Laurier15.
