Little Bakes of Kindness is the new home bakery in the GTA focusing on creating different varieties of bo lo bao, all while giving back.
With origins in Shanghai, bo lo bao is traditionally a golden brown sweet bun with a fluffy inside and a top layer that crumbles. They are extremely common in Chinese-owned bakeries all over the world and are even recognized by the Hong Kong government as an intangible part of Hong Kong's rich cultural heritage. These beloved treats are also known as 'pineapple buns' for their pineapple-like pattern that appears after being baked, not to be confused with actually having pineapple within them.
Whether you're a long time fan of bo lo bao or are looking to try them for the first time, Little Bakes of Kindness is creating not only the original buns, but also ones with both sweet and savoury fillings and unique flavours.
Candice Ip, lover of bread and creator of Little Bakes of Kindness was born and raised in Toronto, with her Chinese background influencing the treats she bakes and her passion for bo lo bao.
After the pandemic halted her initial business in the events industry with her sister, Ip began spending most of her time baking and trying out new recipes, one of them being pineapple buns. Although her first attempts at these cherished buns last April looked nothing like they do now, Ip was determined to master the techniques and consistency of the buns and later, in June 2020, came up with the idea to start another business to share her passion for baking: Little Bakes of Kindness, with the goal of building a community around helping others in mind.
Little Bakes of Kindness offers many varieties of bo lo bao made fresh daily, from scratch using all natural ingredients. The current top three flavours right now are char siu (barbecue pork), durian and matcha, but the signature bun is of course the original, which Ip says many customers enjoy because they use them for breakfast sandwiches. Other delicious flavours include taro and coconut.
Prioritizing the idea of giving back, Ip generously donates 30 per cent of her monthly proceeds to charities which change monthly. Past organizations include The Black Solidarity Fund, Sunnybrook Foundation for Cancer Radiation Treatment and this month she plans to donate to the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice.
"I started this side hustle during the pandemic but also at a time where I felt so many heavy world issues were happening around us. I wanted to make a small difference in my own way and it just so happened when I had also discovered this new passion," says Ip. " I hope to hear from my customers where they believe money should be donated and what communities or causes may be in need. Recent months I have been continually supporting the COVID-19 frontline workers as we are still fighting to control the number of cases."
Now that spring is here, Ip plans to expand her menu for the warmer months and is excited to start experimenting with fruit flavours. She hopes to grow her #BakeForChange and #LittleBakesOfKindness community to spread her bo lo baos to more people, with the dream of opening her own bakery one day. Though her bo lo baos take the spotlight, Ip also sells a variety of cookies, including ones stuffed with mochi.
Be sure to follow Little Bakes of Kindness on Instagram to order your baked goods and keep in mind, this month's donations will be going towards the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice.
