Fans of The Great Canadian Baking Show will undoubtedly recognize Bruno Feldeisen. After three successful seasons as a judge on the beloved CBC baking program, the smiling, bespectacled pastry chef has become a household name for home bakers across the country.
Less known, perhaps, is that Bruno not only calls Vancouver home, but also teaches part-time baking and pastry classes at Vancouver Community College (VCC). In his courses, he shares his love of baking and pastry using a combination of expert skill and encouragement.
In one popular course, World of Breads (CUIS 1106), Bruno says his goal is to take away the fear of breadmaking. “It’s intimidating to a lot of people,” he says. The secret to better bread, according to Bruno, is to learn the essential steps but avoid getting stuck on a recipe. Rather, he encourages students to get a feel for the process, then get creative and have fun. “It’s OK to play around,” he says.
Why would a chef who has consistently wowed high-class diners from France to California to New York choose to teach baking basics? As a troubled teen, Bruno got his own start in the industry when a famous French chocolatier took him on as an apprentice. Today, he’s the one with a heart for anyone wishing to learn.
“I meet people who are very good bakers with great ideas,” says Bruno. “My work is always so professional, and I enjoy the challenge of communicating with people who don’t speak the same culinary language.”
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VCC Continuing Studies offers baking courses from French pastry to chocolate showpieces at a fraction of the cost of private culinary schools.
