Small Victory Bakery Vancouver
The senses are awakened at this Granville Street boulangerie, its windows piled high, showcasing that morning's freshly baked baguettes and pain au levain.
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| Courtesy of Small Victory |
A line is already forming, so we hop in, 6 ft back of course, and while standing there I have a chance to fill the boredom looking across the street, stealing glances at the windows of luxury stores like Max Mara, Le Creuset, and L'Occitane.
And just like that, we're in, and as if in one swift motion, a patio seat opens at the same time which Charlie slots himself into while I run inside. I pass by the commotion, and head straight to the coffee counter to order our usual, a latté and Americano.
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| Courtesy of Small Victory |
Being early birds, we've already had breakfast and two coffees at home.
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| Courtesy of Small Victory |
The food here is as good as it looks. My favourites include the classic pain au chocolat, and the warm ricotta scone with raspberry jam and clotted cream. I used to enjoy one of the two with my yoga friends every Sunday morning, where we were crammed into a corner booth after a sweaty 2 hour Ashtanga yoga practice, exhilarated after an intense thirty-five vinyasas.
We'd sit for hours gossiping about yoga, friends, family, and life in general.
Oh, how I miss those simple mornings, taken for granted at the time. Had we only known what we'd face today, we'd have held onto each other for a little longer each time we hugged goodbye afterwards.
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| Courtesy of Small Victory |
I was delighted to see MUMGRY nut butter available in the retail section of the bakery, having recently tried and loved it. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will never be the same again.
MUMGRY is a plant based natural nut butter company with three varieties: smooth peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter, and pistachio chocolate almond butter. Black female founder Lilian Umurungi-Jung started the company to overcome the problem of finding a delicious snack that supported her health and the growth of her baby at 3 months postpartum. After a few tasty experiments, MUMGRY was born.
I'm obsessed!
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| Courtesy of MUMGRY |
Brunch is from 8:30am-2pm and lunch is from 11am-2pm at Small Victory, where patrons can order from a variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches.
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| Courtesy of Small Victory |
Am I surprised by the line and the commotion here? No.
Small Victory have two brick and mortar locations, and have developed quite the cult following in Vancouver, with over 1000 photos shared under the hashtag #SmallVictoryBakery on Instagram and a combined following of over 1,500 people across their channels, not including the thousands of online reviews.
Although it'll never compare, Small Victory is as close as I'll get to the essence of my mornings in Paris, leaving my apartment in the 6th arrondissement, just off the Boulevard Saint Germain, when I would walk to work, stopping off at Eric Kayser for a coffee and 2 mini financiers on my way across the Pont Royal bridge with a final destination being Vogue Paris or one of the other fashion houses close to Place Vendôme or Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré.
As the taxis and bicycles drove past me, and as I observed the tourists out on the patios enjoying their crêpes, cafés, and overpriced breakfasts, I would be on foot, overwhelmed by the beauty of the city, each and every morning.
Small Victory Granville