- Words by Sandra Jones Photography by Don Denton

If your mother ever told you that watching television was a waste of time, talk to Julia House, owner of Maison Cookware + Bakeware in Nanaimo.

害羞草研究所淭he Food Network launched when I was in my early 20s and I started watching Alton Brown害羞草研究所檚 show Good Eats. He had a scientific perspective on cooking and baking that I loved and the nerd in me thought: 害羞草研究所業 can do that!害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� laughs Julia.

Suddenly she began making everything from scratch.

害羞草研究所淭hat show flipped a switch in my brain. I started by buying a pasta maker and went from there. As my skills grew, so did my need for the right tools.害羞草研究所�

But those tools weren害羞草研究所檛 always easy to find.

Julia turned to trusted sources such as Cooks Illustrated magazine when she needed to find a specific kitchen tool, but would then be frustrated when she couldn害羞草研究所檛 buy it locally.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 decide I wanted a carbon steel skillet and could order it online, but shipping cost a fortune. Or I害羞草研究所檇 just pick up a tool locally and it didn害羞草研究所檛 work the way it should. I wondered why kitchen stores were not doing the research for me. That was when I thought: 害羞草研究所極ne day I害羞草研究所檓 going to have my own kitchen store害羞草研究所�.害羞草研究所�

That dream percolated in the back of her consciousness as she worked at several retail jobs, created a food blog and moved from Edmonton to Nanaimo. But it wasn害羞草研究所檛 until her then-husband quit his overseas job害羞草研究所攁llowing her to follow her dream害羞草研究所攖hat she made the leap.

害羞草研究所淚 knew exactly the kind of store I wanted to create because I had been thinking about it for so many years. I had a list of products I wanted to carry because I had spent hours on the internet doing the research and then testing the products in my own kitchen.害羞草研究所�

Two months after signing a lease on her retail space, she opened the doors.

害羞草研究所淲e opened in mid-October and were open seven days a week. We didn害羞草研究所檛 take a single day off until Christmas,害羞草研究所� Julia recalls. 害羞草研究所淏y that time the store was stripped bare and we had no stock left.害羞草研究所�

Word spread quickly through social media and word-of-mouth.

Julia believes in a singularly simple core philosophy: 害羞草研究所淎nything we stock has to absolutely follow one rule: If I wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have it in my own kitchen, I won害羞草研究所檛 have it in my store,害羞草研究所� she says.

That point of differentiation results in an exceptionally low return rate of merchandise purchased and an equally high return rate for repeat customers.

害羞草研究所淥ur customers tell us that they love to see this kind of quality in Nanaimo and that they come to us for our knowledge and our passion. Our staff has incredible product and cooking knowledge and we love to share what we know. We害羞草研究所檝e been able to build great relationships because of that.害羞草研究所�

Strong relationships have also been built with the more than 60 manufacturers from which Maison Cookware + Bakeware purchases merchandise.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e been fortunate in that our store is often selected to carry pre-launch items and we love getting the cool toys months before anyone else.害羞草研究所�

One of those items was a bread lame used for scoring bread before baking.

害羞草研究所淭he supplier said he害羞草研究所檇 turned down other companies but knew we were choosy about what we bring in. We were the first store in the world he agreed to sell his product to.害羞草研究所�

Store products run the gamut from one-of-a-kind items like a hand-carved ravioli tool made in Japan to a Smart Oven air fryer.

害羞草研究所淲e can害羞草研究所檛 keep this brand of air fryer in stock. I use mine every single day and I害羞草研究所檝e cooked everything from pies to chicken in it. It害羞草研究所檚 faster and more efficient than my full-size oven.害羞草研究所�

Julia, who follows the foodie world closely, is quick to anticipate the needs of her customers, but even she can害羞草研究所檛 anticipate everything.

害羞草研究所淭he influence of social media is huge and global trends can take off in a day. Two days after we started seeing hot cocoa bombs on the internet, I tried to buy the hemisphere moulds needed to make them. The supplier was already sold out and has still been sold out for nine months.害羞草研究所�

Of course, also in the category of 害羞草研究所渦nforeseen circumstances害羞草研究所� was a global pandemic.

害羞草研究所淏y some bizarre stroke of luck we had always wanted to have an online store,害羞草研究所� says Julia. 害羞草研究所淲e had delayed it for years because it takes a long time to populate all of the items we sell, but we were able to launch it six months before the pandemic.害羞草研究所�

As a result, the store never completely shut down and instead relied on online sales, curbside pick-up and cross-Canada shipping to fill its orders.

And then a funny thing happened: 害羞草研究所淎 few people decided to learn how to make bread,害羞草研究所� jokes Julia. Indeed, the lockdown prompted a widespread interest in cooking and as people experimented with everything from making sourdough to Japanese souffle pancakes, they turned to Maison Cookware + Bakeware.

害羞草研究所淭here was definitely a shift in the customers I saw during the pandemic. People wanted to support local businesses and were more conscientious about where they were spending their dollars. There are so many small businesses in Nanaimo and we need to keep that vibrancy.害羞草研究所�

While much has changed over the past six years, Julia害羞草研究所檚 passion for her business has never waned. 害羞草研究所淗aving this store is more than I ever dreamed and there is no doubt that it害羞草研究所檚 the best thing I害羞草研究所檝e ever done.害羞草研究所�

Q&A with Julia House

Boulevard: What害羞草研究所檚 your most-used kitchen tool?

Julia House: Ultimate ladle by GIR. It害羞草研究所檚 made of silicone so it害羞草研究所檚 flexible enough to scoop every drop of soup or sauce out of the pot. It also doubles as a measuring cup害羞草研究所擨 use it all the time.

B: What害羞草研究所檚 your signature dessert?

JH: Lemon cream tart.

B: And your dinner party go-to?

JH: I often have people over for pizza night because I have a Breville pizza oven.

B: Who is your favourite cookbook author?

JH: Dorie Greenspan, who has co-written books with Julia Child. I害羞草研究所檓 thrilled she害羞草研究所檚 started following us on Instagram.

B: Who are your dream dinner guests?

JH: Dorie Greenspan, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively (she loves to bake and I think they害羞草研究所檙e fun) and Zo毛 Fran莽ois, who is a baker and cookbook author with her own show on Magnolia Network.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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