– by Doreen Marion Gee –
This is the first in a six-part series of profiles on some of the Saanich Peninsula’s wonderful restaurants and pubs.
Melinda Cownden and Alun Hodgson combine just the right ingredients in a winning recipe for a successful business. They take some blissfully tasty biscotti and café fare, add a huge serving of compassion for unique members of the community and top it off with excellent business instincts and voila – they have a thriving bakery and café in our community.
In under 10 years of being in business, Melinda and Alun have already won three Crystal Awards in the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious annual competition – in the categories of “Business of the Year,” “New Product or Service” and “Entrepreneurial Spirit.” That is a testament to their staying power and business moxie, but then they’ve always had a slam-dunk product that propelled their success. Melinda’s delicious and delectable biscotti is spreading like wildfire. It is blissful comfort food – full of rich flavour, always dipped and not too crunchy or soft. I am now a die-hard Melinda’s Biscotti junkie. In my last days on earth, I want to be munching Cranberry Almond as the light fades to black.
Melinda’s dream came from humble beginnings. In 2003, she reinvented a biscotti recipe from an Italian friend, making it her own tasty version. Her friends loved it and Melinda started selling her unique product. Her persistence and determination drove her success. Early on someone told her she “would never do it” – due to the red tape of starting a business. But Melinda knew “there had to be a way.” When she partnered with Alun, she was selling to five shops. With Alun’s wizardry in sales, their biscotti business mushroomed during the next seven years; today, their one-of-a-kind biscotti is sold in most of the major grocery store chains in B.C. and in a multitude of local coffee shops. Their bakery makes 2,000 products a day for 300 customers in four provinces. People love the biscotti all the way to Toronto and even the President of Italy fell in love with the tasty long biscuits.
Their customers call them the “Cheers” coffee shop, after the TV show “where everybody knows your name.” Melinda: “It is all about the people and making them happy. We are making a difference. We employ many people and treat them well.” Alun and Melinda are giving back to the community by providing work experience to autistic kids from local schools. “Some people are just born different,” says Melinda. “They can’t help it. We have to accept them and give them a chance.”
Alun’s sales expertise is a huge factor in the growth of their business. Samples of biscotti in hand, he has spread the word about their great product far and wide. Alun loves his job: “I always have had the belief that Melinda’s biscotti was unique and would be a product with a bright future. It is satisfying to have never owned a business and be able to survive the last seven years and to see it continue to grow.”
Melinda and Alun want people to know about their present location on 10134A McDonald Park Road. The couple are stoked about their funky, cozy café with soft couches and a patio in the sun. They serve breakfast, lunch and happiness. Enjoy their bacon ‘n’ eggs for only $6. The homemade clam chowder is superb, chock full of clams, bacon and flavour. Healthy salads and “amazing Eggs Benny” await the discerning diner. The café is roomy and inviting with trails of sweet almond fragrance floating from the attached bakery.
Melinda’s dream has always been to sell enough biscotti to take her two girls to Disneyland. With Alun on board and a recipe for success, that will probably happen. Here’s to Mickey and Pluto.
Melinda and Alun extend a sincere “thank you” to all the customers who have supported them over the years.
For more information, visit www.melindasbiscotti.com.
