Popular Ontario home-based bakery given two months to find commercial space

A popular home-based bakery in Ajax has been given a two-month reprieve from threats of closure over zoning non-compliance but will have to find a permanent home by Oct. 14.

Just hours after the Town of Ajax said that zoning compliance for Biscuits to Baskets was required “immediately,” it agreed to meet with the business to see if the two sides could find a solution to the impasse.

The ‘solution’ includes a transition to a pre-order and appointment-based system and a deadline of mid-October to find a commercial space for the business.

The new system will allow Biscuits to Baskets – which saw its sales boom following a visit to its Beatty Road location from influential food blogger Keith Lee last year – to continue serving its customers “in the best way possible.”

“This means we can no longer accommodate walk-ins from this point on.,” said co-owner Suzanne Smith, who added that their coffee trailer, A La Carte (Ella), is still open for business at Van Belle’s in Bowmanville.

Pre-orders will be managed through a Calendly link, allowing the business to organize orders and pickup times “efficiently,” with Friday pickups open for pre-order on Tuesdays at 8 a.m., Saturday pickups open Wednesdays at 8 a.m. and Sunday pickups open on Thursdays at 8 a.m.

The links for each pick-up time will be shared as they become available.

“We’ll be using this system until October 14, after which operations at 49 Beatty Road will come to a close indefinitely. Our focus is now on finding a new commercial space, and if you know of any available locations in the Ajax/Pickering area, we’d love to hear from you.”

Suzanne and Colter Smith of Biscuits to Baskets

Biscuits to Baskets has been in operation at 49 Beatty Avenue since 2003 and the business was moved to a backyard shed before the pandemic to create an easier pick-up location.

Locally popular and known for its wide selection of handmade confections, including its chocolate barks, caramel apples, and sponge toffees, all was well until TikTokker Lee (and his 17.2 million followers) visited in the spring of 2024 and raved about the Korean Sponge Toffee (8/10) and cake slices (7/10) and especially the “over the top” service from the Smith family.

The next day the shop was flooded with customers and the street was heavy with traffic, bringing the attention of Town of Ajax by-law officers who told Smith she could not no longer operate out of the backyard.

The issue had been ongoing since then until the meeting with the town last week, which left Smith “deeply saddened” but still hopeful for the future.

“Although deeply saddened by these changes, we want to express our gratefulness for your unwavering support throughout our journey and truly hope to continue serving you in new ways in the future,” she said in a social media post to her supporters. “Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and for being such an important part of our story.”