Chef Stephan Schigas, Co-Founder of Blacksmith Bakery, brings over 30 years of international culinary experience to the heart of Canada.

He began his pastry training in British Columbia. His career then took him to some of Europe’s most esteemed kitchens, including a pivotal role as Head Pastry Chef at London’s Michelin-starred Zafferano, working alongside renowned chef Giorgio Locatelli.

He further refined his craft at celebrated institutions such as Boulangerie Jade in Blackheath, London; Vancouver’s CinCin; and the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, as well as operating his own acclaimed restaurant, The Red Room Bistro, in London.

Driven by a desire to share the authentic artistry of European baking with a new generation, Stephan returned to British Columbia and began teaching pastry at the Pacific Culinary Institute in Vancouver.

In 2014, he and his wife, Bernice, opened the first Blacksmith Bakery, an homage to craftsmanship, tradition, and community. The location, built in Fort Langley on the original site of the town’s blacksmith shop (Reid’s Blacksmith Shop circa 1910), became the perfect setting for Stephan’s vision of hand-forged, elevated simplicity in both baking and culinary.