Nestled among the small shops on College Street, right by the Ossington intersection, a weathered but colourful awning hangs above what appears to be a new glass window.
Barber Shop Patisserie, at 859 College St., is Jill Barber’s first solo venture, a brave business move in the middle of a second lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. The store is open for limited runs of goodies from Friday to Sunday only, 11 a.m. to sell out, according to a handwritten sign taped inside the window.
The small shop serves coffee and tea beverages as well as apple chaussons, lemon bichons and the crowd’s favourite sausage rolls.
Barber is known around the food scene in Toronto. She previously held positions as a pastry chef for the Paradise on Bloor Group and as the head of the pastry department at Blackbird Baking Co. She has been in the industry for more than 14 years.
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As Barber Shop Patisserie continues to roll out menu items and adjusts to COVID-19 protocols, things will likely change. A new website will soon be unveiled and, in the meantime, fans of Barber’s pastries can sign up for updates, or follow the patisserie on Instagram.
“Patisserie will remain open on a small scale during lockdown. We are completely takeaway and working on getting online pre-orders up and running,” Barber said, in a social media post.
“I am the only person who works in the shop. I have no staff. I want to make things just a little bit brighter with hand made pastries, cakes and comfort food. Everything is made with love.”
