HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-12-12, Page 20Editoeo quote Book,
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FREE iSTIMA
• •Barn Cleaners
• Bunk Feeders
.• Stabling
heart but keeps a Copy,
table while he mixes
because "people are
on the
things
always
W-B:EKLY sALEr.
BRUSSELS STOCKYARDS
EVERY FRIDAY '
-AT 12 NOON
PHONE 887-6461 BRUSSELS,. ON
BUCHANAN
DRY
CLEANERS
00
BRUSSELS 8874904 ?Anton_ S
'BUTTERICK
SIMPLICITY
(Under new ownership, W. Hackbart)
Bo* and Wear a
.NOW BOW -TIE
Far Christmas
7777.71-71
I
Sec:400h Christmas. cake.. popular holiday t
What contains ingredients from
China, France, the United States
and Spain, weighs over a ton and I
travels all over Western Ontario?
Crich's Christmas. Fruitcake,
that's what and it's made on Main
Street in. Seaforth.
' Johnnie Crich, owner and
operator with his wife Mona, of
Crich's Bakery and a baker for 33
years makes four 60 pound
batches of his fruit cake every
Wednesday, beginning about the
end of October., Mr. Crich says
the ,final lot will be made
December 19; "I was hoping to
finish next week, December 12,
but it looks like I'll need another,.
batch".
Crich's Bakery has always
made fruit cake for Christmas
since it was founded in 1902 by
Johnnie' Crich's father,
W. A. Crich but the present
recipe is something special. It
was developed by Johnnie Crich
and his brother, the late Fred
Crich., Mr: Crich couldn't
provide his recipe for publication
but says "Like all cakes it's based
on a basic formula of one unit
each of flour, eggs, butter and
sugar." —to this I add fruits
which are soaked 'overnight in
wine and nuts. Every sixty pound
batch contains only four pounds
of flour", Mr. Crich adds. It was
hard to get all his usual
ingredients this year, Mr, Crich
says. "Fruits and nuts took a
jump in price in the Spring and
there's been another jump just
since the first of November."
Crich's fruit cake will have all its
standard ingredients this year
though.
The cake is baked in a 300°
oven for four or four and a half
Rev. Norris Heubner officiated
at the doulbe ring ceremony
which 'united in the bonds of
matrimony June Elizabeth Diehl
of 'LIM, Brunner and Brian
Edgar Pollard of Sarnia. St. Pauls
Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Moserville, was decorated with
pink and white mums and daisies
for the 7:30 ceremony Saturday,
November 17, 1973.
Miss Joyce Diehl , cousin of the
bride, presided at the organ
playing, "Marriage", "Walk
Hand in Hand" and „"The
Wedding March".
The bride is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Ross Diehl of
R.R.1, Brunner and the groont
the youngest son of Mrs. Annie
Pollard of Listowel and the 'late
Mr. George Pollard.
Given in marriage by her
father, the bride chose a
floor-length ) empire waist gown
of polyester satin with long
chiffon sleeves. The high collar,
skirt and cuffs were decorated
with small hearts and pearls. Her
long veil had similar trim.
Miss Peggy Geyer of Kitchener
was maid of honour and the
bridestnaids were Misses Fern
and Janet Diehl, sisters of the
bride and Miss Brenda Pollard,
sister, of the groom. They. wore
matching flOor,length gowns of
emerald green Velvet with high
necklines and puffed 'sleeves,
They had White bows in their hair
and carried bouquets Of White
Shasta daisies.
Barry Buchanan of Stratford I
was the best than and the guests
were ushered by. Kenneth
hours. It. contains cherries from
France, walnuts from China,
pecans from the U.S. and
almonds' from Spain, Total
production this year will be over a
ton, about 2,500 to 2,700 pounds.
Much of Mr, Crich's fruit cake
output is ordered in advance, A
business in Kitchener buys about
1,500 pounds to give away as
Christmas gifts. A church group
in Chatham buys about 200
pounds, A retail outlet in
Stratford sells about 300 pounds.
Fifty or sixty pounds are sold in
Brampton and the bakery in
Seaforth will sell 300 or 400
pounds.
Crich's . fruit cake is high
quality and "probably a little
richer" than the usual mass
produced 'fruit cake.
Unfortunately, 1973 may be the
last year for its production at
Crich's Bakery. "We'd like to
retire", Johnnie Crich says, "and
no young peOple are going into
the baking business anymore".
Mr. Crich learned , his trade
from his father and from studies
at the Cooking School, which used
to be a part of the old OAC at
Guelph. Only a few community
colleges teach baking now, he
says.
"Europeans are the only
people in Canada who still
become bakers and they bake
things in an entirely different
style." Canadians aren't
accustomed to European style
baking yet, Mr. Crich says, and
he doubts if it would sell well in a
small town, Canadians are buying
more frozen and mass produced
bakery items than they used , to.
"Some of the bread that's .
Pollard, Montreal, John Irvine,
London, brother and
brother-in-law of the groom and
Phil. Radar of Stratford
Following the ' wedding a
reception was held in the
Milverton Legion Rail. Receiving
the guests the bride's mother
wore a floor-length gown of blue
crimpelene with white bodice and
white accessories. The groom's
mother chose a floor-length gown
of dusty rose polyester knit with
silver accessories. They both
wore a corsage of white tnums.
The couple is residing in
Sarnia.
Men's Pullovers
Cardigans and
1)ress Shirts
Area Wedding
POLLARD — DIEHL
'J J
THE BRUSSELS POSt DE'CE'MBER WI:
coming into the back
and I don't want to 1
what stage I'm •at."
"Especially When
school was on. Churc
always had kids co
back door with `Mr. C
have a, cookie?"
Seaforth has chat
since he's been a ba
Street, Mr. Crich
whole town's be
boarding house now'
But Johnnie Crich li
baker here. "There m
money in the city", h(
there's more living
town." '
Johnnie Crich's hands mix about 250 pounds of fruit cake
batter every week'from late October until almost Christmas. The
batter, with 5 dozen eggs in each 60 lb. batch, is added to fruits
which • are soaked overnight in wine and assorted nuts.
marketed these days is an insult
to Canadian wheat", Mr. Crich
believes.
Although his fruit cake is
probably Crich's bakery's largest
selling individual item, the
summertime, not Christmas, is
Crich's biggest season. In
addition to the bakery, John and
Mona Crich have a restaurant and
a soda fountain in the building.
But the soda fountain business
has declined as ice-cream has
become' a standard item in
everyone's home freezer, rather.
than an occasional treat. "Year
.
's
ago I can remember a table of
four would have folk rounds of
banana splits -- each customer
eating four splits 'in one night!",
Mr. Crich says.
The bakery business has its
joys and laughs. "One Christmas
several of our fruit cakes were
decorated by someone who was
just learning English and the
finished product had Christmas
Merry on it. We haven't made too
many booboos though, except the
time that I left baking soda out of
a batch of cookies", Mr. Crich
reminisces:2
Mr. Critch says he pretty well
knows all 'the recipes he uses by
- • I+
M.C. SMITH
Turn off Hwy. 86 at Mum-Oro Towaliae
and follow. the signs,
- • R.R. 2, Blyth
Phone: Brussels 88
14tot as niuistrated.
NEW SHIPMENTS &ST ARItIVED:—
Ladies'
Pullovers and
Shells
Layaway until
Christmas
Welcome
SHOP EMMY for BEST SELECTIONS
Winner Of first blanket Mrs. It TitOrnaS,
Vet‘itt4