They’re passing off their bakery to good hands.
Located in Ladner Centre, Richlea Bakery will soon have new owners as Ray Beutel and his wife Lynette plan to pursue new endeavors, selling their shop to local residents Angela and Arthur Ferreira, who are excited to be entering the world of small business.
The Beutels have been working with the Ferreiras to prepare them for the official takeover on Sept. 1.
While Arthur is fairly new to the baking trade, coming from a career in project management, Angela is a long-time journeyman baker, having picked up the love of baking from her grandmother.
“I’ve been doing it over 30 years, but now I’m entering the small business world and they’re leaving it,” says Angela.
She says they’re all “doing gutsy things” for their age.
As far as the Beutels go, it’s safe to say that baking is in their blood. Ray’s grandfather was a baker, passing the torch to his dad, who in turn passed it to Ray.
Lynette laughs since she’s been married to him for over 30 years, that’s all she’s done and it’s the main thing she sees about Ray.
“As long as I’ve known him, it’s about baking. It’s like that’s what he was about. When we were dating, I was working at the Richlea Bakery in Richmond. It really is a lifestyle,” she says.
In 1971, Uli “Cake Maker” Beutel and his wife Emmi moved their family from Germany to Canada and three years later bought Host's Bakery, running it for a decade. They went on to buy Richlea Bakery in Richmond and after 10 years there decided to move to Ladner. Ray and Lynette eventually took over the bakery.
Ray notes that at 25 years, he worked at the Ladner bakery longer than any home he’s lived in.
“I think it’s the coolest thing how this town supports small business and what an interest people here have in what is going on with their small businesses. It really is a great community,” adds Ray.
Richlea will be having a customer appreciation day on Saturday, Aug. 31.
