Ready your eager bellies, Victoria—there’s a new Scandinavian bakery opening in Sidney this summer!
Smør Scandinavian Bakery is an artisan bakery that was initially launched in November 2022, when the founder Leah Hayward started selling Christmas cookies baked at home.
In 2023, she expanded and began to serve at farmers markets across the Saanich Peninsula and Gulf Islands and received a lot of well-deserved recognition and praise for her baked goods.
Now, this year, Hayward and her family have decided to take the next big step and open up a permanent storefront in downtown Sidney for residents and visitors alike to enjoy all year round.
They’ll be located at 2376 Bevan Avenue and anticipate July as their opening date!
In an interview with Victoria Buzz, Hayward shared that the heart of the menu will indeed be traditional Scandinavian baked goods such as rye breads, cardamom buns, heart-shaped waffles and authentic Danish pastries.
Smør will also serve soups, open-faced sandwiches and true nordic-style coffee—which means brewed strong and served with a little cookie!
“I’m an exceptionally optimistic person, but even I was surprised by how enthusiastically folks embraced my little farmer’s market business,” Hayward gushed.
“They were thrilled. It was a deeply gratifying experience, to realize that my business was filling a need not just in my own life, but in my community.”
When asked where her dream to open up a Scandinavian bakery stemmed from, she shared that it came from discovering her Norwegian heritage and spending a significant amount of time in Norway.
“I have Norwegian heritage on my mother’s side, but like many Canadians I grew up disconnected from those roots,” she said.
“As an adult, I moved to Norway to pursue a Master’s degree, and that’s when I truly discovered Norwegian culture: the language, the traditions, and holy smokes the FOOD! It was a revelation for me, and I took great joy in discovering my heritage.”
Hayward added that it was in Norway where she also found her special someone, Trond. Together, they moved to Canada and realized there was a gap in available authentic Nordic foods and wished to remedy that.
“That’s when the little entrepreneur in my heart woke up, latched onto this idea, and hasn’t rested since!” Hayward said.
“My dream is to make Scandinavian food and culture accessible to everyone in my community: whether they’re expats longing for a taste of home, or folks who are simply curious about nordic culture.”
She added that, on a more personal level, it will give their son, Bjørn, a chance to remain connected to their heritage in a way that she wasn’t growing up.
“I want him to feel genuinely connected to that part of his identity.”
In following her dream and making Smør a reality, she expressed how fulfilling life feels in following her own interests.
“From the moment I stepped off my career path and started following my own interests, the world has been a better place. Doing what I love makes me happy,” she said.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as stressed and busy as any other business owner, but there’s an underlying joy to it that was never there before…What better way to make the world a better place than to create a source of joy in my community?”
We think she’s absolutely right and can’t wait to try what the Smør Scandinavian Bakery has to offer!
