Our team members Aimee (Head Trainer) and Vanessa (Wholesale Manager) recently visited our friends at Rocket Bakery, located in St. John’s, Newfoundland. We had the opportunity to spend three days with the Rocket team, and also had the opportunity to see some of the beautiful Eastcoast scenery that St. John’s offers.

Rocket Bakery is centrally-located right on Water Street, the main hub of shops all along the St. John’s waterfront. They serve wholesome, fresh food, baked goods, and specialty coffee. A beautiful, seaside city, St. John’s is located in the eastern-most part of Canada filled with friendly, hospitable people and charm.

Kelly Mansell, her spouse Mark McGann, and their business partner, Dave Hopley opened Rocket Bakery in 2011. They met originally in the late 80s in Vancouver and had stayed friends through the years. Kelly worked in the fast-paced world of PR in Toronto, and her work often took her to St. John’s, which is where Dave had settled down for many years. The former bakery in the Rocket space had become available in 2010, so Kelly, Mark, and Dave decided to take it over — on March 31, 2011, they opened their doors.

Mark McGann, Phil & Sebastian Wholesale Manager Vanessa, Phil & Sebastian Head Trainer Aimee, and Kelly Mansell

When asked about their vision for Rocket, Kelly wanted to create a space “where people would feel comfortable, relaxed, and like they were just hanging at their nan’s kitchen!” They also wanted to focus on great customer service, building a menu of quality products, and building a warm space for the community. In addition to great food and baked goods, Rocket has also developed a quality-focused specialty coffee program that includes coffee from Phil & Sebastian.

The signature items at Rocket are Atlantic Canadian favourites with a twist — the fish cakes, BBQ and rum pulled pork turnover, and artisan loaves of bread are all hearty staples and must-haves when there. Its bakery also churns out baked goods for the shop and for catering.

If you’re ever in St. John’s, be sure to stop in to Rocket Bakery and say hello to our friends Kelly, Mark, and Dave!

Photographs by: Vanessa Ng (Phil & Sebastian’s Wholesale Manager)