Nicky's Bread

Delightful

The people who would give you glowing words about the loaves from Nicky's Bread Delight can't talk; their mouths are too busy chewing.

The young business (it's about two years old) is the idea of stay-at-home mom Nicola Ebanks. A computer science degree and subsequent teaching stints at the University of the West Indies and Institute of Management Sciences (now University College of the Caribbean), preceded staying at home, but she was no expert with the oven.

"I was not a kitchen/baking person. But about four years ago, I couldn't get my aunt's Christmas cake which I grew up on, so I called her and said, 'Let me have the recipe' and it didn't turn out too badly," she recalled. She started making her own bread because she wanted to, "take hydrogenated oil out of my family's diet." Her bread has none of the extra additives or preservatives.

Started small

She had a friend who made her own bread, so Ebanks went to her place to see how it was done. She started small and after taking samples around to various offices where she knew people, satisfied munchers started recommending that she sell them. Nicky's Bread Delight was born. She bought her first bread maker late last year and now uses four; a major step up as she used to do everything by hand. Monday was her original 'baking day' but now she does it almost daily. Dinner rolls take a little longer, so she usually sets aside Tuesdays or Wednesdays specifically for those products. She averages 50 orders a week and it's $280 a loaf. You can order up to a day before.

Her 'full-size' loaves of bread include whole wheat, honey, cinnamon, raisin, Italian herbs and cheese, but she also does other products such as pita bread and pizza dough. Anything that can be made with flour and yeast, she will attempt. So where does she get her ideas?

"The Internet," she chuckled. "The machines (bread makers) come with books with ideas. But I had to tweak the recipes to my taste," she revealed, including that of her popular cheese bread. She seems like a 'bread guru' of sorts now, doling out information on the different creations while preparing two new loaves. She explained how each bread type has its own characteristics including the different rising times and the amount of water used. She has ideas to open a café but hasn't made concrete moves.

"If you're thinking of a café, I get the idea that everything you sell, you make. You might have healthy juices, there's no limit to what you can do."

To try some of Nicky's creations, contact her at 389-1546 or chrisnick@flowja.com