C/O Dolled UP Desserts
Katarina Poletto, the founder of Dolled Up Desserts, reveals her journey from the Health Sciences program at Mac to opening her own bakery
After graduating from her undergraduate studies in health sciences at McMaster University in 2016, Katarina Poletto was ready to begin her master’s degree at the University of Chicago. However, her plans took an unexpected turn when she decided to take a year off to pursue her true passion — baking. She opened her award-winning bakery, Dolled Up Desserts, that same year, specializing in gluten-free, vegan desserts with a pin-up vintage twist.
Poletto entered the health sciences program at McMaster thinking she would go into medicine. But when she realized she didn’t want to pursue it anymore, she began to explore her other interests in holistic health and wellness.
“I really went in a really different direction than most of my peers. In second year, I realized I wanted to [do something different] because I became disenchanted with the medical system,” said Poletto.
For her fourth-year thesis project, Poletto had researched alternative therapies for eating disorder treatment under the supervision of Dr. Parmjit Singh and she wanted to continue on a similar pathway for her career, focusing on research and policy making for alternative therapies and holistic health.
Poletto received an offer and scholarship to attend the University of Chicago for graduate studies in social service administration and policy in the fall of 2016. However, it all changed when she received the Summer Company grant for entrepreneurial students after learning about it from her partner, and now husband, earlier the same year.
With the $3,000 and business mentorship provided through the grant program, Poletto started Dolled Up Desserts.
Poletto had always loved baking and grew up in a household with a sweet tooth. However, during university, she developed intolerances to gluten, dairy and eggs. Following this change in her diet, she began to bake for herself more because she noticed there was a gap in the market for high-quality gluten-free and vegan baked goods.
“Oftentimes, [gluten-free food] tastes like cardboard or sandpaper and I wasn’t going to settle for that. I really focused on trying to make tasty gluten-free items,” said Poletto.
Poletto was already an avid baker, baking at least twice a week, and worked on converting all her recipes into gluten-free and vegan items she could enjoy. With her recipes and knowledge about the gap in the market, she was inspired to create a business to fill that gap.
Dolled Up Desserts started as a wholesale gluten-free and vegan dessert manufacturing business. Within the first few months after the launch, the business saw tremendous growth and the demand for her products were high. In fact, the Union Market at the McMaster Student Union Centre was one of her first customers.
Seeing the great potential for her business, Poletto never turned back to her graduate studies.
“I had no idea what I was doing. I was absolutely just going at it, learning as I was going and I felt confident in that,” said Poletto.
In July of 2020, Dolled Up Desserts finally opened its brick-and-mortar location on James Street to offset the losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to opening the physical location, Dolled Up Desserts was mainly focused on providing dietary-inclusive desserts for restaurants, school cafeterias, stadiums, hotels, banquet halls and other event centres. However, during the peak of the pandemic, they lost many of their food service customers.
“We were doing some really big things leading up to the beginning of 2020 — huge, massive things — and we lost it all in a week when the lockdown happened because gluten-free and vegan products aren’t part of a restaurant’s core business. It’s an accessory product that’s good to have. So, I’m grateful for the store. It’s definitely given us a bit more presence in the community and given our brand awareness overall,” said Poletto.
Poletto is still looking to get the business back in the food service sector while continuing the store front as it is her firm goal to have inclusive desserts be available and accessible everywhere.
Looking ahead into the holiday season, Dolled Up Desserts will soon launch their holiday menu at the end of November. The holiday menu occurs once a year where every item is replaced with the best of the best, limited-edition Christmas and holiday themed baked goods.
The story of Dolled Up Desserts may not be a typical one. Poletto did not pursue a predictable career in the science field coming out of the health sciences program, but she says the skills and knowledge gained from the program have been integral to her success and starting a business for the first time.
“From the outside, it’s really hard to see this and it’s gotten lost in translation over the years, but the health sciences program really gives learners the opportunity to develop different skills to be lifelong learners and do and learn about things that interest them in a way that makes sense to them,” Poletto explained.
Poletto valued the inquiry learning model from the program the most which allows the students to be directors of their own education.
“[Inquiry] is a free form space or you to try and unlearn all the things you’ve learned from traditional school . . . and that learning model really opened up my mind and awareness to who I am as a person and really helped me develop the skills to be a lifelong learner,” said Poletto.
“[Inquiry] is a free form space or you to try and unlearn all the things you’ve learned from traditional school . . . and that learning model really opened up my mind and awareness to who I am as a person and really helped me develop the skills to be a lifelong learner,”
Katarina Poletto, Founder of Dolled Up Desserts
Today, Poletto often returns to McMaster as a guest speaker and mentor for health sciences and commerce courses.
Poletto’s journey of wanting to go into medicine to opening her own bakery has been challenging and difficult. So what’s the secret ingredient behind her success? She says flexibility and open-mindedness to new opportunities.
“If I was so focused on, ‘This is the way I have to do things and this is the only goal I have,’ I would have never [started Dolled Up Desserts]. I believe having goals is really important, especially long-term goals, but there also has to be room for flexibility and opportunity there. If you are ever presented with a really exciting thing that may be off kilter to what you think you should be doing, just do it because you never know — it could change your life,” said Poletto.
“If I was so focused on, ‘This is the way I have to do things and this is the only goal I have,’ I would have never [started Dolled Up Desserts]. I believe having goals is really important, especially long-term goals, but there also has to be room for flexibility and opportunity there. If you are ever presented with a really exciting thing that may be off kilter to what you think you should be doing, just do it because you never know — it could change your life,”
Katarina Poletto, Founder of Dolled Up Desserts
By: Andrew Mrozowski
I come from a small town outside of the greater Toronto area where I couldn’t be open about who I truly am. There were no spaces that were created by people like me, no rainbow flags, no queer party nights – nothing. When I decided to move to Hamilton for school, I knew that with coming to a large city, I would be exposed to a different aspect of the LGBTQ2S+ community and be amongst people with whom I could be my true self.
Fast forward to two years later, I have found spaces in Hamilton where I could be myself and thrive in my own self-discovery, social life and the committed relationship I’m in. I have realized that although Hamilton might not have a designated “gay village”, there are spots that have made me feel welcomed.
At first glance, these spaces may appear “ordinary”, but through my interactions and experiences I’ve found that these spaces greet you with a sense of community, set the scene for fond memories and ultimately aid personal growth. I want to share these spaces with people who might feel like they are out of their element in this city. I know it has helped me a lot during this past year and hopefully it will help you find what you are looking for.
A popular locally-sourced restaurant in Hamilton, HAMBRGR boasts a wide-selection of burgers and craft beers in an industrialized atmosphere. This was not my first time at HAMBRGR, and although my date and I had to wait thirty minutes to be seated, we knew the food was well worth it. Our waiter was really friendly, giving us his enthusiastic recommendations on the extensive menu. Through his charismatic attitude, he made us feel very welcome and even tried his best to charm us.
This experience is one of my first and favourite memories with my boyfriend. I felt like the space allowed me to be my true self without having to worry about how others would perceive me and my sexuality. There was no shade thrown my way that night. If I’m not comfortable in my own skin, then I can’t enjoy my time because my mind is so preoccupied worrying about everything and everyone around me. I can confidently say that I enjoyed my night at HAMBRGR because I was able to leave all the worry behind. In this queer-friendly space, I was able to focus on what was most important to me; starting a new relationship.
Through writing for the Silhouette, I’ve been able to meet a lot of interesting people in Hamilton and I’ve made quite a few friends. I recently befriended Dom Pugliese, who is the the owner of Crumbled. At Crumbled, Pugliese creates deconstructed cake in a cup with unconventional flavours such as lemon meringue, cookie dough and snickers. I have found myself going to Crumbled at least once every two weeks and spending at least an hour talking to Dom and indulging on his decadent cake.
When I first approached Crumbled, I had no idea that it would be queer-friendly. When I went inside and starting talking to Pugliese, he filled the space with inclusivity. Pugliese and I have lost track of time talking about everything from his business, to our personal lives and swapping little anecdotes. At Crumbled and with Pugliese, I was able to destress by getting lost in our conversations and forgetting the responsibilities that constantly dominate my life for a little while.
Pugliese and other owners in the heart of Barton Village are working towards making Hamilton a more queer-friendly city and inclusive for all. Through Crumbled, Pugliese is making an effort to add to the city’s overall queerness, and he has realized that you do not need to open up a designated space to still be welcoming to all. I always look forward to my visits to the Barton Village because I know that I have a good friend there waiting to chat over a unique bowl of cake.
As a student and part-time barista, I will be the first to say that I am addicted to caffeine. I am constantly on the hunt for great lattes in environments that are both aesthetically pleasing and welcoming. During this last year, I have found myself constantly going to two cafes that fit my criteria.
Redchurch Cafe not only serves coffee but also baked goods, food and alcohol. I was first introduced to this space on the night of Halloween, when the space was transformed to host live music and cocktails. I attended the party with my boyfriend and felt that I didn’t need to hide the fact that we were dating because everyone, from the staff to other attendees, had such a care-free and welcoming attitude. I was able enjoy the party without stressing about our safety. These warm and inviting feelings carried over to when I would go to the cafe during the day to study.
Typically flying a pride flag outside, I would probably say that Emerald Coffee Co. is the only definitive queer coffee shop in the city, most likely thanks to the owner, Phil Green. Much like the other business owners on Barton Street East, Green is dedicated to ensuring that the queer community has a place to feel welcomed and supported. He feels that Barton Village will most likely be Hamilton’s next gay village. Emerald Coffee Co. is the perfect place to get some work done in a welcoming environment with great all-natural lattes, drip coffee, and cold-brew on tap. I love coming here because I really enjoy the quality you can get and I’m all for supporting queer business owners.
This party planning duo is ensuring that Hamilton’s queer community always has a safe and fun space to party the night away. Adam George and Steve Hilliard have thrown massive queer parties to reunite a community that has been disconnected in recent years. They’ve also hosted former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants and local drag queens. Adam and Steve’s parties are one of the closest thing the queer community can get to a designated queer space in Hamilton. Since meeting the duo, they have shown me that Hamilton’s gay culture does exist. I used to think that the only way I could express myself and find acceptable is by going to Toronto’s gay village, but thanks to people like Adam and Steve, queer-culture is being normalized again in Hamilton. Thank you Adam and Steve for giving me a space where I can be truly myself, unapologetically.
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By: Andrew Mrozowski
Tucked away on Barton Street East is an unexpected pop of colour that catches the eye when passing by the old grey brick buildings. Immediately when you walk through the door you are greeted by the smell of succulent cake. On your left is a vibrant mural created by Hamilton-artist Trinity Bolduc, capturing the very essence of Crumbled. Owner Dom Pugliese is likely to be mad at work trying to fill walk-in and online orders, but he is always willing to stop and chat.
Gaining experience working on the corporate side of baking in Toronto, Pugliese found himself yearning for a change of pace. Pugliese decided to leave Toronto and move to Hamilton with the hopes of creating something new for himself.
“I wanted to open a bakery for like eight years, but only thought of a traditional bakery — breads and breakfast things, or just dessert. I had a vision of even doing a café with all the cakes made in-store and do coffee,” said Pugliese.
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While working at Cake and Loaf Bakery, Pugliese started to learn about how Hamilton operates and meet with locals. On the side, he would make cakes for family and friends at home. He then would put all the scraps into a bowl and toss them in the fridge only to consistently come home to find his boyfriend eating the crumbled bits. Suddenly, an idea sparked in Pugliese’s mind. This was the inspiration for Crumbled.
In June 2018, Pugliese actively searched for the perfect location. He knew he wanted a bakery on Barton Street East.
“Everyone is doing their own thing [on Barton Street East] and it’s unique. To open now, when it’s starting, but not there yet, to be a part of that is huge,” said Pugliese.
Crumbled Bakery serves gourmet deconstructed cake in a cup. Starting with their core menu, Pugliese has developed a different take on classic flavours with the “I Dream of Vanilla Bean”, “Chocolate Chaos” and “Red, White and Velvet” cake bowls.
Each month, a small number of specialty seasonal offerings get added to the menu. For March, customers are able to get lemon meringue cake, a vegan Snickers cake and a cream egg brownie cake. If you want a little more diversity, Crumbled also offers a make your own bowl where you can choose two cake bases, frosting and any toppings. The bakery also offers full-sized cakes made to order.
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“We’re doing something different that nobody has done,” said Pugliese. “It’s cool because it’s like a sundae bar but with cake. You can choose your own toppings, you can make it your own and it’s great for customers who want variety.”
Currently, Pugliese is the only worker at Crumbled and does all the baking and assembly himself. He uses fresh ingredients and makes his cake creations from scratch every day.
“That’s where the corporate side helped me. I’ve learned how to use both my hands at the same time. It can be hard with planning and production but that’s where Cake and Loaf refined me. Now, I’m able to bake while the day goes on, the frostings don’t take long to make. You have a recipe for a simple buttercream and you can add different flavours to it. It’s like repurposing,” explained Pugliese.
“I want people to know what real baking is. We use real ingredients and it’s all made from scratch every day. That’s what’s great about Hamilton. That’s everywhere. Everybody is doing things from scratch and doing things differently. You’re getting something unique wherever you’re going,” Pugliese added.
Crumbled bakery is the first of its kind and momentum only seems to be growing more and more. With a great atmosphere, delicious cake and a great host, Crumbled is part of a community working to add something special and sweet to Barton Street East.
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By: Natalie Clark
Calling all coffee addicts, there’s a new must try spot in town! Phin Coffee Bar is located at 804 King Street West. The Westdale neighbourhood spot is only a short walk from campus. The owner, Andrew Meas, launched the bar’s soft opening on Feb. 16 and has been committed to serving the Westdale community their best cup of coffee since.
This may be Meas’ first coffee shop, but he has lots of experience in the coffee industry and a lot of love for what he does.
After finishing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Toronto, Meas wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. His grandmother, who owned a café in New Zealand, invited him to make the trip to work for her and learn how to bake and make coffee.
Although Meas wasn’t a fan of the baking aspect of the café, he became intrigued by the coffee. Her returned back from New Zealand and starting working at Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters in Kitchener.
Soon after becoming a pro at brewing coffee, Meas made the decision to start planning his own coffee shop in June 2018. It was a decision of impulse and instinct, and he admits to a little bit of peer pressure.
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This pressure came in the form of the encouragement he had from his friends to take the next big step in career and open up Phin.
Meas quickly realized that opening up a coffee shop meant more than just knowing how to brew a good cup of coffee. While opening up Phin, Meas ran into some challenges, mostly administrative things he didn’t think of, like cups and insurance.
When choosing a location, Meas knew that the Westdale neighborhood would be the perfect place. The community’s charms and close proximity to McMaster were advantageous to the new business.
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Meas is aiming Phin Coffee Bar at students, professors and young adults, and being in the Westdale neighborhood accomplishes that for him.
When asked what he believes Phin will add to the Westdale community, Meas mentioned that he hopes it will create a lot of foot traffic, encourage the exploration of coffee and brew a reputable cup of coffee.
Meas sees coffee as a gateway into people’s lives, it’s a part of their routine and lifestyle, and Phin Coffee Bar aims to be that gateway by creating a cozy and approachable vibe in the Westdale community.
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