Meet Ashley and Mike Fry (Class of 2015)
Michael Fry and Ashley Moore both grew up in Waterloo and knew that was where they wanted to stay. Growing up, they both had a love for food, but hadn’t acted on it until they both attended Stratford Chefs School. Since graduating in 2015, they have collectively gained much experience working in restaurants such as The Prune in Stratford, Raymond’s in Newfoundland, Langdon Hall, The Cambridge Mill and many more – and, they got married! Now they share a business and a passion for all things bagel!
Current Role and Workplace
Ashley tells us: “Mike and I have had the pleasure of opening up Poppy’s Bagel and Bakery in Waterloo, Ontario together as co-owners and husband and wife. Stratford Chefs School certainly played a large role in giving us the tools and knowledge in the kitchen, but also how to actually open our own business. Not to mention, the School is where we met as roommates and set the stage for where we are blessed to be today! The average work week certainly varies, but the day always begins with hundreds of freshly rolled and baked bagels!”
Poppy’s Mission
The mission of Poppy’s Bagel and Bakery is to bring quality, sustainable hand-rolled Montreal-style bagels packed with inspiring and exciting fillings to the tri-cities and surrounding areas. Poppy’s strives to create with locally-sourced ingredients to provide worldwide flavour. Behold the holey grail, fill your hole at Poppy’s.
How ‘Poppy’s Bagel and Bakery’ Came To Be
Bringing Montreal-inspired “hole-someness” to uptown Waterloo has been the blueprint for Michael and Ashley since 2021. The couple actually put pen to paper for their new business venture shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began and finally were able to open Poppy’s Bagel and Bakery on May 21, 2023 inside Waterloo’s newly renovated old post office at 35 King Street North.
The couple – who met about 10 years ago while attending Stratford Chefs School – said they took the opportunity to reassess life while laid off – Mike is the former chef de cuisine at The Cambridge Mill, and Ashley an independent, specialty baker.
As young parents, they wanted to be more flexible without sacrificing their creativity and independence, and elevating the local bagel scene had been in the back of Mike’s mind for some time. The self-described “half Kiwi” lived near Best Ugly Bagels in his native country of New Zealand and said the concept is partly based on Montreal’s St. Viateur, considered the “spiritual home” of the extraordinary bagel.
Mike says he felt like Waterloo was kind of lacking a little bit in the bagel scene. “There’s not too many places you can get a fresh-made bagel.” Authentic Montreal bagels are made with lots of malt, no salt. They’re hand-rolled and boiled in sweet water before being coated with poppy or sesame seeds and baked on boards in a stone oven, creating a crispy outside and a chewier, denser middle compared to other bagels. “Each one looks a little different. That’s why our logo is a little misshapen circle, because every bagel is going to be perfectly imperfect.”
For Ashley, a Kitchener native, opening her own business in Waterloo’s uptown is something she described as a dream come true, allowing her to continue as a specialty pastry chef and maker of mouth-watering macarons. She says: “We love the opportunity to work with local ingredients, work with the other businesses around here and be a part of the uptown hub. We love the idea of being creative. We love the idea of being a mom-and-pop shop. We love the idea of keeping it local and supporting the culture that’s here.”
(Above excerpted from a feature by Bill Jackson, Waterloo Chronicle)
Ten Questions for Ashley and Mike
What is your favourite restaurant and why?
The Cambridge Mill has such a special place in our hearts as we both had the wonderful opportunity to work there. The atmosphere is unbeatable, the food always hits the spot, the drinks are innovative and the service is always friendly.
What is your favourite cookbook and why?
Le Pigeon: Cooking at the Dirty Bird
What is your guilty pleasure food?
Mike’s is definitely a good chocolate chip cookie, Ashley’s is probably a bubble tea.
What is your favourite knife or kitchen tool?
There is this white spatula that came with our Robocoup and it is easily the best and most versatile tool in our kitchen.
What restaurant dish seemed the most intimidating, but is actually not too difficult to make?
Probably Hollandaise.
What’s your favourite ingredient to work with right now?
Yeast haha.
What is a new technique or flavour you are experimenting with currently?
Foods with holes!
Are there any recipes from your time at Stratford Chefs School that you still use?
A few for sure! One favourite is the Creme Anglaise recipe that we use as the base for several different ice creams (see RECIPE below).
What is a fond memory from your time at Stratford Chefs School?
The last night of chefs school was one to remember for sure. We had a party with all the students and some chefs that we won’t name. We all let loose, had a dance party, lots of laughs and a few drinks to celebrate!
Above: Ashley and Mike’s Stratford Chefs School Headshots | by Terry Manzo
Recipe: CREME ANGLAISE
We agree, this Crème Anglaise recipe is a keeper, so we’re sharing with you!
Crème anglaise is a deliciously rich and versatile custard sauce made from scratch with cream, vanilla, egg yolks, and sugar. Crème anglaise can be used in many ways, including:
- Dessert accompaniment: Crème anglaise is often served with cakes, pies, cobblers, crumbles, and fresh fruit. It can be served hot, warm, or cold.
- Ice cream base: Crème anglaise can be used as a base for French-style ice creams. You can flavour it with different ingredients to make different ice cream flavours, such as mint chip, strawberry, or hazelnut and chocolate.
Ingredients:
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream (35%)
1 vanilla bean, split, scraped
Preparing the Crème Anglaise
Put the egg yolks in a bowl with about one-third of the sugar and beat with a whisk until just combined.
Cooking the Crème Anglaise
Combine the cream, vanilla and the remaining sugar in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour a small amount of the hot cream over the egg mixture and whisk to combine. This process where a small amount of hot liquid is added to egg yolks is known as tempering. If all the cream were added at once there is a chance that the sauce will curdle. Add the remaining cream to the eggs and whisk to combine. Return the mixture to the saucepan and over medium heat cook the cream stirring constantly. The cream is done when it is thick enough to coat a spoon, or 180F. Once cooked, strain the cream into a clean bowl. Cool in the bowl, stirring frequently to prevent the formation of a skin. Once cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Source: Stratford Chefs School
Learn More
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