by June Portnoy
Did you know that most bakeries today don’t bake their own goods from scratch? Many of those baked goods you’re buying from your local bakery are actually pre-made or bought pre-mixed. Some products are purchased frozen, so what you’re buying is not freshly prepared.
Feasterville Family Bakery, formerly Sketchly’s Pastry Shop, plans to continue Mr. Sketchly’s tradition of baking everything from scratch.
“We are going back to the basics,” says Feasterville Family Bakery’s co-owner, Joe Joyce. “Nothing is better than homemade baked goods. It’s like having Mom bake you a cake as opposed to buying a boxed cake from the supermarket.”
Feasterville Family Bakery, opened just this month, will now be one of the only scratch bakeries in the area. As Sketchly’s Pastry Shop was in business for 53 years, Joe plans to keep some of his traditional recipes that have become favorites, like his crumb buns and hot cross buns.
New featured items are the bakery’s homemade butter cake, sticky buns and chocolate croissants. Also new will be baked breads made right on the premises, such as challah, white, sun-dried tomato, and rye breads, as well as dinner rolls.
“We also offer gluten-free baked goods and alternative ingredients for people with dietary restrictions,” adds Joe.
Feasterville Family Bakery makes pastries and cakes for all occasions.
“We want to be your family bakery, creating birthday cakes for your younger children and wedding cakes, our specialty, for your older children,” says Joe.
Since purchasing this space, Joe has expanded and remodeled the retail side of the store, adding fresh paint and creating a different décor.
This bakery is a family owned and run business. Joe works alongside his wife, Tina, and brother-in-law, Guy Dontes. All three of them have worked together in the food industry for over 25 years, previously owning a deli and two restaurants together.
Today, Joe and Tina’s children, Katina, 18, and Justin, 16, are also helping out at the bakery, making it a true family affair. The advantage of patronizing a family owned and run bakery is that everyone working here has a vested interest in the business, in contrast to dealing with hired part-time help.
“There will always be someone from our family working here to wait on you and offer you exceptional customer service,” says Joe.
Joe, Tina and Guy did all the baking on the premises at their former restaurants, so they are experienced pastry chefs.
“My wife is an expert in the cake and cookie world,” Joe says affectionately.
In the future, Feasterville Family Bakery plans to offer cupcake demonstrations for kids.
Its Official Grand Opening will take place all day on Sunday, April 1st, during which time discounts, coupons and free samples will be available. Store hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 6:00am until 7:00pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00am until 3:00pm.
“Our goal is to become a staple in this area like Sketchly’s Pastry Shop did for over 50 years,” says Joe. “If we can be here for half as long as Mr. Sketchly, we will consider Feasterville Family Bakery a success.”
To call Feasterville Family Bakery, located at 316 Bustleton Avenue, call 215-357-8765 or visit www.feastervillefamilybakery.com.
