From a childhood of Easy-Bake Ovens to working at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and London, Butter and Spice Bakeshop, owned and operated by Chef Marchelle, produces some of the highest quality baked goods (most specifically, mouth-watering brownies) Toronto has to offer and is now operating on a bigger scale from the kitchen of Death in Venice.
Previously located at Mess Hall in the east end, Marchelle had to expand her working quarters to keep up with a growing fanbase and heavy online orders. Death in Venice is now a wholesale partner of Butter and Spice Bakeshop, so if you miss your order deadline, you can pick up a limited selection of Marchelle's brownies from Death in Venice (with your scoop of gelato).
Marchelle's family grew up travelling, so when it came time for her to go to school, she needed a break from Toronto. Enter the Culinary School of America. Marchelle studied the Baking and Pastry Program and did her work placement at Eleven Madison Park (a 3 Michelin-starred restaurant); after an active interview, she was there for 4.5 months as an intern student. Post-graduating, she spent another year working in the US under Chef Bryce Shuman, moved back to Toronto and eventually Alberta, where she worked at Château Lake Louise, and then worked at Restaurant Story in London, England.
After being in the industry so long, Marchelle "just wants to have cupcakes, and you can't do that at a Michelin-starred restaurant" (from an episode of Chef's Table). She also had an inspiring time in London when doing a stint at Fabrique Bakery, where she learned the ins and outs of breadmaking and wanted to experiment in that avenue as well.
When Marchelle came back to Toronto, she had to pivot quickly in the plight of lockdowns where jobs in the culinary sector were being cut on the daily. After getting a role at Rolling Pin, she started dedicating more effort back to her side hustle of Butter and Spice Bakeshop. It initially helped supplement her income, and she focused her efforts on perfecting her brownie offering. Eventually, it became her main hustle, and the Butter and Spice Bakeshop brownie is currently developing into a GTA cult favourite.
To get a batch of those brownies, place your order by 3 p.m. the day before you need them, and you are guaranteed delivery and pick-up the next day. Currently, they don't have the capacity for same-day deliveries, but by Thanksgiving hope to have some options! If you miss out on ordering, you can get a limited supply of her goodies at Blondies, Madras Kaapi, Tango Palace Coffee House and even as far as Hale Coffee in Square One.
