Victoria Savage will tell you she was never even remotely interested in baking bread or even spending time in the kitchen, but that all changed after her husband suffered two medical emergencies and life changes were needed.
Savage is the owner of Rustic Rebel Sourdough in Capreol. If you follow the company on social media, you’ll see her bread and bread products are selling like hotcakes around the city.
“My husband had a brain aneurysm rupture in 2022 followed by a stroke in 2023. As a result, he has seizures regularly and is now on disability. I wanted to do something on the side, part time to help us with extra money,” Savage says.
Savage started playing with sourdough starter last fall admitting it took four months to get it going properly.
“My husband would laugh and joke about it never working,” she recalls.
Victoria says once the sourdough starter finally worked in September 2024, the business skyrocketed. She continued to work as a personal support worker by day but found it was becoming harder and harder to juggle it with breadmaking and her husband’s needs.
“Given the seizures, I was at work and constantly checking on him through the house cameras on my breaks. It just wasn’t feasible anymore so I quit my day job after 15 years,” Savage said.
But Savage says 2025 has been kind to her. The sourdough business grew exponentially in January and by March, she had seven delivery locations within the city limits. She’s also been able to recently hire a friend to work alongside and when her husband is feeling up to it, he helps with the dishes.
Rustic Rebel pick up and special order locations include Nickel City Cheese, Bitter Bills, Café Oui, La Jeune Café, Pet Save along with Melvin’s Variety and Creator’s Choice at Wahnapitae First Nation.
Victoria has also branched out to offer a number of different sourdough products from bagels, to scones, specialty loaves, English muffins and now apple and blueberry fritters.
She says artisan breads like the cheddar jalapeno and garlic and Gruyère varieties are huge hits, with the dark rye bread quickly catching up.
Victoria says due to the overwhelming growth, she’s had to create a very organized structure leveraging her time between fulfilling orders, deliveries, billing and social media.
Her son purchased a commercial grade mixer and in due time, she will likely have to upgrade the kitchen to include a bread oven.
“It’s honestly been overwhelming and wonderful. Everyone knows the situation with my husband and they have been so supportive. I am putting my heart and soul into this venture and now I have stores coming to me instead of the other way around.”
While the eleven hour baking days can be tiring, she says the work has been rewarding and she has a sense of pride.
And the Savage duo also have a passion for giving back to their community. On May 27, they will be holding a fundraiser at Health Sciences North in support of the NEO Kids children’s treatment centre and 20 per cent of every sale purchased from the Savage home in Capreol for the entire month of May will also support NEO Kids.
Next month, the pair will partner with Pet Save in Onaping Falls for a fundraiser.
“Giving back is near and dear to our hearts. When Marc fell ill, this city came together to support us. We will never forget the generosity and pay it forward time and time again with Rustic Rebel Sourdough,” Savage said.
To learn more about Rustic Rebel Sourdough, find them on Facebook and Instagram.