Our Story

LOAF started with a simple belief: good bread brings people together.

We’re Liz and James — two chefs who traded fine dining kitchens and charcuterie rooms for early mornings, long ferments, and a return to the basics. What began with a single loaf shared among friends has grown into a micro bakery rooted in community, seasonality, and low-waste practices.

Liz attended culinary school on Prince Edward Island before sharpening her skills in Halifax and St. John’s, Newfoundland. After meeting James, they moved to New Zealand, where she found her passion in whole-animal butchery and classic Italian charcuterie.
Throughout her career, baking has always been a constant. Whether it’s finding and eating the best pastries in any city, or baking them if they don’t already exist, Liz brings a deep love of craft, tradition, and all things sweet to LOAF.

James has spent most of his career in fine dining, working at tasting menu restaurants across Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — including several ranked #1 in their respective country. Along the way, he led sourdough programs, developed fermentation and preservation systems, honed his skills in whole-animal butchery, and specialized in open-fire cooking — always with a focus on minimizing waste and elevating ingredients.
At LOAF, James brings the precision and passion of fine dining into a more grounded, community-driven bakery.

We bake breads and sweets using traditional methods — natural fermentation and commercial yeast alike — always guided by the seasons and a respect for craft. Everything we make is shaped by hand and meant to be eaten fresh.

At LOAF, we’re not chasing perfection. We’re chasing something better: food that feels real, connected, and full of heart.

Thanks for being part of it!

James & Liz

The Boy (Our Sourdough Starter)

125 years old and going strong — meet our starter. He’s bubbly, fragrant, and full of life. We wouldn’t be LOAF without him.

Originally gifted to Liz while she was living in Newfoundland, he has since traveled the world, leaving bits of himself behind (as any good sourdough starter should). His home before Newfoundland was the Yukon, where he’s been traced back to the gold rush era. He’s even been added to the Sourdough Library in Belgium!

Check out the CBC article about his origin story and where else he’s living today:

DNA tests reveal what's living in Yukoner's 120-year-old sourdough starter | CBC News