Tall Shadow: Vancouver's new bakery is ridiculously good

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

Tall Shadow Bakery may have just opened its doors at the end of May, but it already feels like a staple in the Hastings-Sunrise area.

The community-minded Vancouver business has been around for a while at local farmers’ markets and its brick-and-mortar is just getting started.

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

You might also like:

Known for its signature sourdough made using organic grains and a slow fermentation process, Tall Shadow has a fabulous selection of bread and bread-adjacent offerings.

These included milk bread, bagels, buns, baguettes, and sandwich loaves, to name a few.

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

And while a loaf of craft sourdough and a drink from the bakery’s full beverage menu, featuring coffee from local micro-roaster Modus and tea from Cultivate, can be taken to-go, we’d urge you to plan to stick around if you have the time.

The 2,000 sq ft space at 2474 East Hastings Street has a cozy, bright interior with seats for 16 inside.

There are also some benches out front.

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

Tall Shadow was personally designed by its team, which consists of co-owners Cass Helps and Dayle Kennedy and industry veterans Miki Ellis and Stephen Whiteside.

Also on board to ensure things are running smoothly at the front-of-house is baker and cook Annabelle Choi, while celebrated pastry chef Kiko Nakata is leading the way when it comes to pastries, cookies, and sweets for this spot.

Speaking of sweet treats, let’s get more into this category of deliciousness.

We tried the seasonal housemade Pop Tarts (run don’t walk), and the selection of larger-than-life (more like larger-than-your-hand, but you get the gist) cookies.

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

Funfetti and a breakfast cookie, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch edition, were the two we tried.

They are super shareable but also delicious, so it’s the dealer’s choice if you actually want to split it.

Both were thin and crispy yet soft and boasted that melt-in-your-mouth quality we live for.

In addition to bites like brownies, buckwheat scones, and oat bars, there are also some unique savoury offerings we need to draw your attention to.

The jalapeno cornbread (which comes in a seriously generous portion) and the pizza sauce and cheddar Pizza Pop were both incredible.

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

“We started our business out of a local commissary over four years ago, and are so humbled by the incredible growth and support we’ve experienced so far,” says Helps.

“Dayle and I are thrilled to team up with Miki and Stephen to open this bakery and storefront. We love what we do, and we love sourdough. We’re so glad our community feels the same way.”

“East Vancouver is our community, and having Tall Shadow Bakery be our neighbourhood cafe is definitely a dream,” adds Ellis, who also co-owns Dachi, Hanai, and Michelin Guide-recommended Elephant with business partner Whiteside.

“Cass and Dayle are incredible and so talented. We’ve been ordering their bread for Dachi since we first opened, and are so thrilled to now work even closer together.”

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

You can pop into Tall Shadow’s East Hastings space Wednesday to Sunday from 9 am until it’s sold out.

This concept’s offerings will also continue to pop up at local markets and at Mucker Next Door.

Tall Shadow Bakery

Address: 2474 East Hastings Street, Vancouver

Instagram