People of OEV – Barb Czyż Baking is by far one of life’s sweetest experiences. Whether you are handling the dough yourself or enjoying the flavours of someone’s creation, there is a connection people have to a specially prepared sweet or savoury item that hits all the nostalgic and comfort areas of the heart and mind. One such passionate approach to the enjoyment of life is the work of Barbara Czyż from Unique Food Attitudes on Dundas Street. Barbara’s story is as Unique as the delicious food she prepares. As a newcomer to Canada she took her passion for food and turned it into a lifelong journey that she continues to navigate here in Old East Village as we face the multitude of concerns for the well-being of all of our neighbours and community members.
Management program that was just launching at the time. Along with continued lessons in English, Barbara not only completed the program but she had the opportunity to apprentice under incredible chefs at the well-known Lakeview Café in Grand Bend as well as the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta. Upon graduating, Barbara opened her own catering company with some of her fellow graduates. That business, which she ultimately continued on her own, boomed and Barbara carried on not only catering but also running several cafeterias for larger companies here in town, including Trojan Technologies and Delta Faucet. She attributes so much of her success to her connection with Fanshawe College and remains ever grateful for their support.
As a young girl, Barbara loved to bake. She was inspired by her mother’s passion as an entertainer, and Barb- ara used baking as her own way to connect with people around her. After arriving in Canada, Barbara, like many new immigrants was faced with the difficulty of finding work options as she was not able to speak English, (despite speaking Polish, Russian, German and French). It was through programs like Women Immigrants of London that she was able to identify
To advertise here, please contact Marty@villagerpublications.com Unique Food Attitudes, 697 Dundas Street, is open for dine-in or take-out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. Visit unique-food-attitudes.com to see menu items. It was in 2012 that Barbara decided to invest in Old East Village. She had seen growth in the area and saw the potential to bring her passion for food and baking to the neighbourhood. She took over the building at 697 Dundas and began a massive renovation. During construction, the design decisions included leaving space available to showcase local artists’ work to coincide with her own beautiful creations. For several years after opening, Barbara saw great engagement in the community. As many OEV-ers know, the neighbourhood was becoming a destination for arts and culture. With Covid things really changed. For many businesses along Dundas, this global pandemic, combined with major road construction, created a huge challenge for keeping customers. However, Unique Food Attitudes continues to serve delicious breakfasts, lunches and incredible baked goods six days a week from 10 am to 3 pm. They are not without empathy for how the neigh- bourhood struggles. They remain passionate about sweetening life with one delicious treat at a time.
with others who could point her in the right direction. Through friends, she was also encouraged to approach Fanshawe College where she became aware of the Culinary
Page 10 Old East Villager May-June 2025
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