O NEW BUSINESSES TO BYRON
The Cookie Nook Brings Sweet Treats to Byron’s Core
Offering a layer of sweetness to a thriving neighbourhood, The Cookie Nook is about community and connection all while patrons can enjoy fresh baked goods, and, of course, cookies! For Emily Sleegers, the owner and founder of The Cookie Nook, the new Byron storefront on Commissioners Road is about combining her love of baking with her passion for community growth and neighbourhood support.
listening to the unique needs and expectations from the Byron community. This means offering a place to congregate, and a range of high-quality products, including gluten, dairy and egg free items as well as vegan options. And, above everything else, is her dedication with valuing the feedback of the community and being both a staple and a Byron neighbour for years to come. In the end, Emily wants the community of Byron to be as proud of The Cookie Nook and its first place Platinum award in the 2025 Community Votes London “Cookies” category as she is.
While the business, which opened the end of November 2025, is new to Byron, Emily has had a lifelong connection to London along with a passion for baking. Before the pandemic, her treats were offered whenever the occasion called, whether it was for parties, meetings, or other events. However, during Covid, while many were turning their attention to sourdough starters, Emily began a quest through clouds of sugar as she developed her own sugar cookie and royal icing recipes, which she began offering on Facebook to her neighbours and friends. Within London, Emily spent her childhood playing with the London Devilettes and continues to enjoy the sport of hockey, playing in a Women’s Rec league at the London Sports Park and on a Women’s Competitive Senior C Team, The Mount Brydges Ice. Despite accessing the larger London community, Emily has always found herself gravitating toward areas that offered a small-town community feel. And it was these connections that allowed Emily’s first foray into the world of convections through community sales and her first booth at the Dorchester Fair where The Cookie Nook was debuted before a storefront was opened almost two years ago. The Cookie Nook in Dorchester quickly built a fan base and loyal customers who travelled across London for their fresh bread and cookies every week. Emily built a sweet little community, but found herself looking to expand with that same community first focus she’d created in Dorchester. Which led her, and her dog Winnie (the Pooh) to find a new love in Byron as they walked through Springbank Park. Not only did Byron offer a “close sense of community,” it was also a “central ‘hub’” with “great people.” And Byron was missing a bakery and coffee shop where neighbours could connect, kids could order Nookies (two-bite cookies) and her customers could leave with a smile from the high-quality customer service The Cookie Nook prides themselves on. For Emily, being a small business means building a connection by employing local people, providing students with their first job, sourcing items from local bakers and other small businesses and
For more information on The Cookie Nook, visit www.thecookienook.ca or drop in for a Nookie at 1304 Commissioners Rd W Unit 4.
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Byron Villager March 2026
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