Tilt House Bakery has new owners, but the recipes aren't going anywhere

Although longtime Tilt House Bakery owner Ann Davis has hung up her apron in retirement, customers of the beloved Portugal Cove-St. Philip's bakery can still get their fresh bread.

Charlene Dunn and her husband Brad have been regular customers of the bakery for years. Now, they're running it. 

It's a one-minute drive from their home, so when a friend saw the for-sale sign, they told Dunn she'd be the perfect fit.

"I fell in love with the story first and foremost," she said in an interview with CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.

That story is the tale of Davis, her entrepreneurship as a single woman, and the opening of the bakery in 2011.

It inspired Dunn — who has a background in business and finance, and does baking at home — who saw taking on the bakery as the new challenge she was looking for. 

The menu

The new owners know that Tilt House's patrons are loyal, so when they bought the business, they had to keep the familiar favourites. 

"We have not changed one single thing," Dunn said of the menu. 

That means the same bread, cookies, soups and pre-made meals will stay. But Dunn plans to add some of her own family recipes and local products. All of the same bakers work there too, along with some new hires.

"As long as you don't change the lemon pies and the fish cake, we will give you our blessing," Dunn said a friend told her. 

"It still feels like Tilt House, it still smells like Tilt House, and that's the main thing."

The business of baking

The building itself has a new look — trading the bright green walls for fresh white paint, plants and handmade wooden accents. 

Dunn said she and her husband only had a week to install the new additions, but it's been a breeze.

"It's just been such a gracious transition with the previous owners," said Dunn. 

Even in the midst of a series of local restaurant and business closures, Dunn is confident Tilt House will stay open. She said people want "pure" food and will always buy essentials like bread. 

"Whatever magic that [Ann]'s incorporated into that business, it's booming."

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