It’s always exciting to try a new baked good from a local bakery. But it is even better when an old favourite comes back. La Boulangerie Pomérable used to serve delicious baked goods in Ormstown about 10 years ago. It shut its doors completely in 2016 for what seemed like forever; however, it recently re-opened with more variety than ever.
The name Pomérable comes from the fact that owners Suzanne Savich and her husband used to run both an orchard and a maple farm. Though they have rented out both for the past little while, the plan is to start making and selling maple syrup again soon.
Savich and her husband originally had an apple orchard in Franklin where they ran a U-Pick. She says they stopped doing it when they realized that it was hard to manage with unpredictable weather, and they didn’t have the space to host people indoors when it rained. Once they stopped that business, she started running the bakery in Ormstown.
Though it was doing quite well, the closing of the green bridge in Ormstown meant that a lot of traffic was being directed away from her business. It became no longer sustainable, and they decided to shut down. She still attended some farmer’s markets, but in 2016 she completely stopped selling her breads and desserts. She explains, “I got a job, so I [put] the bakery to the side – but it really broke my heart. I love my job but it’s all on the computer, so I really missed doing creative things.”
Earlier this year, Pomérable made its return to the Valley. Savich explains that when she and her husband were renovating their house, they realized, “if I wanted to start a bakery, now would be the time.” Part of the house was then sectioned off to become the boutique area.
Getting back into baking was exciting for Savich since this really is her passion. “I missed it a lot. When you make bread, for me it’s creative. You can do what you want. You can put in whatever you want. Yes, it’s always the same base ingredients, but you can put cheese, apple, maple, raisins. You can make it look the way you want,” she says.
The products offered by Pomérable are varied and keep expanding. Of course, she offers the classic pies and breads. But beyond those, Savich says, “It’s apple season so I have lots of apple products. Cookies, muffins, everything. But I also have maple products. Like I have a maple cookie that does well; I can’t make enough. I also make chocolatines on Saturdays.” She’s also offering pizzas on Sundays. “We have a small propane oven outside, and we make them to order.” She is also introducing tourtière for the holidays.
A lot of her business currently comes from tourists that are drawn to the Valley for occasions like apple season: “A lot of strangers come and visit all the small places.” This has been great for business, but she emphasizes that without support from locals, businesses like hers cannot survive. “I also have to build up a local clientele that’ll keep up over winter.” Without the regular business of locals, small shops like hers tend to disappear.
Savich invites people to come see what the bakery has to offer. “We have a great view since we’re on the flank of Covey Hill… It’s all open, and you see Montreal, Valleyfield, Rigaud.” She’s looking forward to trying new bakes and continuing to expand what is on offer. Updates on store hours and menu items can be found on her Facebook page.
