St. John’s most beloved baker is self-taught, and you’d never guess where his first job was: a muffin maker for Tim Horton’s. Briefly. From there, Stephen Lewis went to work in cafes and bakeries in Montreal.

He’s come a long way from there – Georgestown Bakery won “Best Bakery in St. John’s” this year and last with a fanatic outpouring of votes, often with one or more exclamation marks to validate the enthusiam. Stephen’s story started in Montreal, where a friend showed him how to make bread, and places like St. Viateur taught him how a quality product will speak for itself.

Like Montreal’s famous bagel joints, Georgestown Bakery is a humble little operation whose food speaks such volumes the shop itself needn’t be much of anything at all. One thing you might not know about Stephen is that his bread and bagels keep him so busy he can’t rightfully pursue another ambition of his – songwriting – which is something he almost did in lieu of opening Georgestown Bakery.

None of us are singing the blues about that decision. His cheap products are rich in deliciousness, and you can find others around town slinging them, including Georgestown Cafe. Like many entrepreneurs, he was driven by a desire to … not work for someone else. And despite his success, he has no plans to expand. He filled a niche and that’s all he wanted to do. Stay small, do it right. And is he ever doing it right.