COURTNEY McCLURE The Standard
SCUGOG: The Caravan Bakery will be at the Port Perry Lakefront Skate and Market on Monday, February 19th, from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. Products include pizza, bread, bagels, and more.
"We value organic, and eating-clean, and supporting local," said the owner of the Caravan Bakery, Jamie Campbell, who grew up in Port Perry but now lives in Oshawa.
The dough for pizzas and other goods are prepared in the Campbell's at-home, health-and-safety-approved kitchen beforehand.
"[The Caravan Bakery] is a family affair," explained Ms. Campbell. Caravan Bakery is a family-owned and run business owned by Jamie and Rob Campbell and their two children, Aurora and Auston. Mrs. Campbell started Caravan Bakery in 2023.
Before opening the Caravan Bakery, Ms. Campbell worked at a museum. At the museum, there was a wood-fired oven staff used to bake bread, pizza and other baked goods.
"That was one of my favourite parts [of working at the museum]," she stated. She also taught volunteers with special needs, people with "different backgrounds," or those who completed community service various skills, such as baking, homesteading, and "living sustainably."
"I've always loved that and thought it would be so cool to have this on a trailer and travel," she said.
She had been planning to open a food truck-type business for many years. Unfortunately, in the mid-2010s, Ms. Campbell was injured in an accident, so her project had to be put on the back burner. Then, Ms. Campbell and her husband, Rob, had two kids: their daughter Aurora and their son Auston. Aurora and Auston both have Autism, and Aurora has "extensive needs," according to Ms. Campbell.
The Campbell parents needed to earn an income while caring for their children, so the Caravan Bakery came to life.
"We decided to take the plunge and start the food truck," she said. Creating the food truck allowed the Campbells to have a more open schedule and schedule events around their children's needs.
To learn more about the Caravan Bakery and the Campbell family's story, please visit their website at caravanbakery.ca.