Loyal patrons keep loved village bakery going

Frank and Mirella DeLuca left the suburban hustle of Ajax back in 1989 for the calm of Kawartha Lakes, settling in Kirkfield. Since they already had family living here, Mirella says “We were familiar with the area and fell in love with its beauty.”

While Frank worked in lumber retail, Mirella gardened at The Old Tin House in Kirkfield, a business offering garden maintenance and landscaping.

But for the last four years the couple have combined their energies on a new passion: M’s Bake Shop in downtown Coboconk. The shop offers everything from muffins to pastries to light lunches, and has a steady stream of regular patrons dropping by for food and coffee or tea. (It’s also a great place to pick up the Advocate.)

“We’re very fortunate to live and work in Kawartha Lakes,” says Mirella. “The peace and tranquility of country living, as well as having great neighbours and customers, are all the things that we love most about being here.”

As for many small business owners, the pandemic was a challenge. “When we shut down at the end of March, the CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) helped us to stay home for a couple of months.”

The DeLucas reopened at the end of May “with the love and support of our customers, both local and seasonal,” for which they’re grateful. It also helped that their landlords “were very understanding and let us forgo paying rent while we were closed.”

M’s Bake Shop is across the road from the Pattie House, at 6670 Hwy. 35 North.