A&P\'s Front Street Bakery - Canadian Specific

Hi Cindy,

I'm glad you and the kids liked the pie. I love those pies.. they are very tasty!!! Cherry.. blueberry.. apple.. strawberry-rhubarb...

My parents always buy those pies too as a dessert when we come by for dinner. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

erik, you're spoiled! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]

No, actually, I'm really pleased because with the impending move (although there were threats from me tonight that I am staying in this town [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/eek.gif[/img] ), it's really good to know about that pie because my MIL, in particular, finds it really sad that the kids can't eat bakery goods.

She has a ValuMart I think where she lives. A new Sobey's has just opened up. Then, there's No Frills at Kipling and The Queensway I think.

But at least if I can tell her that yes, there is a certain pie, she'll probably feel better.

I know I do. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

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Hi guys. cindy are you moving to etobicoke now or soon? thats great, lots more variety for you now.
Chocolate ice cream and warm apple pie has been my brother's and my favourite for years, but i usually have to settle for vanilla cause of my wife (except when we get neopolitan!)
i'll have to try that pie too!

redtruck, how GREAT to see you posting! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Chocolate ice cream on pie! Blasphemous! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]

Yes, unless I totally wig out within the next couple of weeks, I'll be in Etobicoke (south) for August 1st.

Then, I figure, once I get settled (which usually takes me a year, which means I have been unsettled for several [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/rolleyes.gif[/img] ), I can finally go to Mr. Christie's and see if that concrete barrier is for real or not. I also know that Mr. Christie's is open to the public for selling things at a cheaper price than you get in the grocery store, so I'll probably be doing that for our stock of crackers (Triscuits, Ritz, Vegetable Thins, Premium Plus), although probably not so much for cookies now that Dare has the "safe" line out.

Again, GREAT to see you posting! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Of course, I am expecting a welcoming party from all Toronto members and those in the GTA when I arrive! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]

No, it's time to go home. It's only after you leave "the big city" and all of the amenities that us Toronto-ians take for granted, that you realize it's really time to go back.

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

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yes i do get some funny looks at swiss chalet when i order the choc icecream and apple pie, buts it is the right way to have it after all!
glad that you're moving back to our fine city. lucky you're in etobicoke where you'll be near the subway line to more easily get around since you dont drive. best of luck.

So, is Front Street Bakery an actual bakery or is it like Baker's Oven? I've been searching and I can't find anything with that name.

It's peanut safe, but how the heck do I find out about the sesame seeds?

Anna Marie, I searched the board high and low the other night and couldn't find where erik and I had the discussion about Baker's Oven or even if it was Baker's Oven. I know it was something VERY similar.

If I go into A&P to-day (which is always likely), I'll check the pies from Front Street Bakery (they're the only item) and see how they're labeled - i.e. "may contain anything".

I don't know how erik found out they were PA safe. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/confused.gif[/img]

Wait, I may still have the box downstairs in recycle from when we had the pie. I'll try to find that in my travels to-day (I now have someone claiming to have glass in their foot that needs removed [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img] ).

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

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Okay, here's the e-mail I got back from the same person who responded to me the other day. This time I had written re The Front Street Bakery:-

Subject : RE: Front Street Bakery

Dear Mrs. Cook,

Thank you for your e-mail.

We cannot guarantee that any of our Bakery Products are peanut free. Peanut
Butter cookies are made at store level and other nuts are used in cakes and
brownies. The manufacturers of our other Corporate Brand products also do not
guarantee a nut free facility. There are signs posted in the Store.

I would not recommend any products from our Bakery Department for a child with
peanut allergies.

Sincerely,

Judy Kelly
Customer Care
A&P Canada

So now, if you'll pardon me, I'm like WTF? I am totally dazed and confused [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/confused.gif[/img]

Does it sound like a CYA response or one really in response to the question I had - i.e., would you label if there was any chance of cross-contamination.

So, the pies are off limits now as well?

Their birthday cakes? Which I thought I had checked out thoroughly?

I'm pi**ed off. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/mad.gif[/img]

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

I can't find the bloody thread and I want to post this so I have it somewhere. I had e-mailed A&P about both The Front Street Bakery and Baker's Oven. I got the same response basically for both, which I considered them to be CYA responses and I was pi**ed off, as indicated above.

Anyway, with regard to Baker's Oven, in particular, I have just sent the following e-mail to Ms. Kelly and will await her response:-

Dear Ms. Kelly:

Hello! Thank-you for your response. It was, to me, what I consider a "cover your a**" response and not what I expected from A&P. If you visit the website [url="http://www.nuconnexions.com"]www.nuconnexions.com[/url] you will see that A&P is very highly regarded, among the food allergic community (if one calls us a community, those of us dealing with food allergies in our homes) for their great labeling.

I have personally spoken with the bakery in the A&P Ultraplus in Belleville, Ontario (at North Front and College Street West) and even looked at the forms that come in to make the birthday cakes and checked the icing bags for labeling and all of it was labeled as "safe" for peanut allergic individuals.

I understand why stores are placing "allergy alerts" in their bakeries, and believe me, it is greatly appreciated. But when we do find a bakery product that we would like to try, and feel, through a lot of research, is labeled well, the last thing we need to hear is a less than satisfactory response, which I considered yours to be.

As I outlined in my original e-mail to you, I was not asking if your products were "nut free". I was asking if they were "peanut free" or if there was any chance of cross-contamination with peanuts, if they would be labeled as "may contain trace peanuts". I am quite aware that you use tree nuts in your bakeries.

By answering in the way that you did, you really do cost A&P a great deal of business. For example, I am not longer able to purchase the cakes there for my family and also no longer able to tell friends/family/school mates that A&P cakes are "safe" for special occasions. It may not seem like a large loss of business, but when you consider how many peanut allergic customers your stores *might* be dealing with, it may very well be.

If you would please take the time, I would like a proper response to my original e-mail, not a rote response that I could have gotten by simply looking at the allergy alert signs in the store.

Thank-you for your time and consideration.

Cindy Spowart Cook

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

I like that letter Cindy.

It sounds like you wrote it when you were just the right amount of p**** off. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Anna Marie, thank-you, I appreciate that. I was just the right amount of pi**ed off, I guess. Here we thought that perhaps we had found some "safe" donuts (oh, hon, did you see the thread re Annette's Donuts, which have the same yummy ones you were looking at, and they are "peanut free", but not sure about sesame [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img] ) and also, as far as The Front Street Bakery pies, I still trust erik's judgement and the labeling that I see on the pies.

But I got a CYA response from a company (grocery store chain) that is supposed to be the best when it comes to labeling and allergy awareness. So, not okay with that at all!

The Annette's Donuts are in the bakery section just like the Baker's Oven products were, but they're in my local ValuMart (is it ValuMart or ValuPlus) which is a Loblaw's affiliate. The donuts are EXACTLY the same as the Baker's Oven ones and we did buy the chocolate cream filled donuts. But they also have glazed and powder sugar coated. I was quite pleased that they are "peanut free" and I appreciated the response that Caterina received.

No, I'm not pleased with A&P right now at all and I wanted to let her know that. I don't like CYA responses! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/mad.gif[/img]

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Here's the response I got to my rather irate e-mail:-

Dear Cindy,

I apologize for the less than satisfactory response I sent to you regarding your
question about peanuts and our Baker's Oven Products.

Our Bakeries make peanut butter cookies so we cannot guarantee that any of the
products from the Bakery have not come in contact with peanuts or peanut oils.

Even though ingredients may be peanut free and come from a peanut free facility
we cannot guarantee that they have not come in contact with peanuts or peanut
oils in our Bakeries.

Cindy, again I apologize and I hope this answers your question.

Sincerely,

Judy Kelly
Customer Care Specialist
A&P Canada
416-234-6017 or 1-877-763-7374

Poor Judy. I still consider the answer not satisfactory. If I have inquired at a specific A&P bakery if they make peanut butter cookies or use any peanut products whatsoever and their answer is NO, then she's writing off ALL A&P bakeries when it is not necessary.

I did speak with the bakery in Belleville and they did not make peanut butter cookies or use peanut products in any of their baked goods. Tree nuts, yes.

So, Judy will be getting another e-mail from me, eventually. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/rolleyes.gif[/img]

On a side note, I did have a good experience, IMHO, and within my comfort zone at ValuMart (Loblaw's branch-off) to-day when I inquired about birthday cakes there. Will probably post about that separately in the cake thread I started a couple of years ago under Living with PA.

Very long day. My baby turned 7 and we had a great day! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Quote:Originally posted by Alternative to Mainstream:
[b]Our Bakeries make peanut butter cookies so we cannot guarantee that any of the
products from the Bakery have not come in contact with peanuts or peanut oils.[/b]

Hi Cindy,

I agree.. I have never seen peanut butter cookies being baked in any Dominion bakery I have shopped at, unless this is a recent thing. There are several cakes, etc with tree nuts, but no peanuts are used in the in-store bakeries in the Dominions I have shopped at.

Quote:Originally posted by Alternative to Mainstream:
[b]On a side note, I did have a good experience, IMHO, and within my comfort zone at ValuMart (Loblaw's branch-off) to-day when I inquired about birthday cakes there. [/b]

Be careful with ValuMart/Loblaws. Some of their in-store bakeries carry cakes with peanuts such as "Cadbury Crispy Crunch" cake.... maybe your local ValuMart does not carry this, but keep an eye open for it

(that's why I don't eat Loblaws/ValuMart cakes - the only grocery store cakes I eat are the Dominion and A&P cakes)

Quote:Originally posted by Alternative to Mainstream:
[b]Even though ingredients may be peanut free and come from a peanut free facility
we cannot guarantee that they have not come in contact with peanuts or peanut
oils in our Bakeries.[/b]

hmmmmmmmmmmm, if the in-store bakery does [b]not[/b] use peanut products, [b]how could this cross contamination occur???[/b]

that may be a good question to ask...

So, this is still unanswered.

[b]if there was any chance of cross-contamination with peanuts, if they would be labeled as "may contain trace peanuts". [/b]

********

Personally, I'm staying away from their products. I don't think their product looks good enough to be worth so much aggravation.

Hey, Erik, hand over the kitkat. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]

Quote:Originally posted by AnnaMarie:
[b]Hey, Erik, hand over the kitkat. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img][/b]

yum.. Kit Kats [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

I bought one of those new Coffee Crisp Latte bars last night, but didn't try it yet [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]

Hey Erik, can you believe another board I go to (not about allergies) there was a thread about chocolate? LOL Anyway, apparently in England there are some new Kit Kat bars. They have lemon - lime - yoghurt - pineapple. (not all in one bar you understand [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] )

Of course, I got involved in the conversation - and someone offered to send me some (aren't people just so nice), but I don't know if they are safe or not. (Well, and I don't want to give anyone my address.)

Anyway - I'm thinking about moving to England. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]

Quote:Originally posted by Alternative to Mainstream:
[b]I know erik and I have discussed this before somewhere. I did a search and came up with nothing so I thought I'd post it separately.

After checking with erik in the winter, I found out that Front Street Bakery pies were PA safe. We tried an apple pie way back when.

To-day, I was out with the kids and they have the pies almost as soon as you walk into A&P Ultraplus here. I asked the kids if they would like to get a pie to-day. They almost chose apple but then I reminded them that they really didn't care for the apple because the apples are quite chunky (the kind of apple pie Grandma would make). We chose cherry.

Then, I truly believe my children are little cons. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img] They said, Mama, the last time we bought a pie, didn't we get ice cream to go with it too?

Yes. Okay, Jess, go over to the Chapman's ice cream and please get some vanilla because you don't really put flavoured ice cream on pie.

He goes over and there is no vanilla ice cream to be found. Even A&P's Equality brand vanilla was sold out. I go over and look and there is a Dutch Chocolate in the part of the freezer that says vanilla. So, I look behind it, and lo and behold, the last "safe" vanilla ice cream in the store. We get that.

Come home and have the pie. It was absolutely luscious. So much so that none of it is left. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]

I have never been a pie maker. My Mother could probably still tell the story of me making pie crust when I was in my late teens. I would get so frustrated. So, when I have made pies, and that has been few and far between in the years, I have either opted for a pumpkin pie for a graham cracker crust or I've bought my pie crusts, Tenderflake and E.D. Smith pie filling.

But honestly, this was the first pie Jesse and Ember had tried. It is really quite wonderful and if you look at how much Tenderflake crusts cost and how much a can of E.D. Smith costs, it probably comes out to around the same.

Very very pleased. Thank-you very much, erik. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

[/b]

Quote:Originally posted by AnnaMarie:
[b]Hey Erik, can you believe another board I go to (not about allergies) there was a thread about chocolate? LOL Anyway, apparently in England there are some new Kit Kat bars. They have lemon - lime - yoghurt - pineapple. (not all in one bar you understand [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] )[/b]

Hi Anna Marie,

My guess would be they are safe.. we saw Kit Kat mango when we visited the UK last year and it was safe. Maybe yiu can take a vacation to the UK one day [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

I had a delicious Front Street Market apple pie from Dominion yesterday.. they are so good!!! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Quote:Originally posted by erik:
[b] Maybe yiu can take a vacation to the UK one day [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

[/b]

dh wants to move there. I'm willing to [i]live[/i] there. I just don't know how to [i]get[/i] there. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]