Put Your Business on the Map
Before the sun rises over Chilliwack, the ovens at Benanna Bakery are already humming. By 4 AM, the back kitchen is warm, the air thick with the smell of sourdough, butter, and something sweet that always seems to be cooling on a rack nearby. By the time most of us are pouring our first cup of coffee, the team here has been shaping dough, whipping cream, slicing strawberries, and laughing their way through another early morning together.
At the center of it all are Travis and Rebecca Neels, the husband-and-wife duo carrying on a family legacy that began with two people: Ben and Anna — Rebecca’s parents. Their names became the foundation of Benanna. The spelling? That was the kids, inspired by memories of working on a chicken farm and joking about “banana farms.” The first time their vanilla slices and turnovers sold out, the community kept coming back… so the name stayed. And to this day, Rebecca laughs that she can no longer spell the regular word “banana” correctly — it’s always B-E-N-A-N-N-A in her grocery list now.
A Dutch Bakery at Heart
Step through the front doors on any given morning and you’ll feel it immediately — that unmistakable European coziness. Or as Rebecca teaches customers, the Dutch word gezellig — a warm, homey feeling you almost have to feel to understand, complete with the proper guttural “G” rolling from the back of the throat.
The commitment to doing things the Dutch way runs deep here.
- They use ingredients that are harder to source in Canada, often importing decorations and essentials from Holland with the help of family overseas.
- They grow their own red currants, because they cannot find them anywhere in Canada.
- They whip cream at 36%, one of the highest fat percentages available here — still lower than the 40–42% they’d be using in Holland.
And their pastries? Every local regular has their favourite, but Rebecca is clear:
“If you’re starting your Benanna journey, you have to try the tompous (vanilla slice). For sure.”
It’s the one that started it all — layers of puff pastry, custard, and icing that trigger childhood memories for Dutch customers who haven’t tasted one in years.
From there, she’ll guide you to the turnovers, sausage rolls, or the stunning strawberry slof — a recipe they discovered in Holland and knew instantly needed to become part of their lineup. “I don’t even like cake,” Rebecca admits, “and the first bite I knew we had to make it.”
The People Who Make the Magic Happen
What makes Benanna feel so special isn’t just the pastries — it’s the people.
Inside the kitchen, every station has a rhythm of its own, shaped by bakers who have become family:
- Tonilynn, the early-morning powerhouse, arrives in the dark to heat the ovens and bake the sourdough, croissants, muffins, and endless trays of sausage rolls.
- Linnea, their lead pastry chef, is the quiet artist in the back. Every new seasonal creation begins as a sketch she draws by hand before turning it into reality. Her salted caramel mousse with brownie base and mirror glaze is one of her proudest works.
- Rihanna, one of the friendly faces up front, says the bakery is “one of the best places I’ve worked for fairness and equality.”
Their camaraderie is real, unfiltered, and often hilarious — butter being thrown across the kitchen, staff teasing each other, and lots of laughter. This isn’t just a workplace — it’s a little community of its own.
Travis: The Designer Who Became a Baker
Travis wasn’t supposed to be here.
When he and Rebecca started dating, he swore he’d never:
- wear an apron
- touch dough
- talk to customers
But now?
You’ll never find him without an apron, he handles dough daily, and he jokes around with customers like it’s second nature. With his graphic design background, the artistry shows in his piping, colour pairings, and seasonal pastry designs.
A New Space, a Big Leap, and a Busy Season
Benanna began in a tiny building across from McDonald's — small enough to fit inside their current storefront. When that building sold, they baked out of a storage container for a few chaotic months until their new location opened.
Today, the bakery stretches across what used to be three separate commercial units. They hadn’t planned to rent all three, but the landlord suggested they’d need the space within a year — and six months later, they already did.
Every square inch matters — especially during Oliebollen season, the Dutch deep-fried holiday treat they make every Saturday from November to Christmas, for Christmas Eve, and New Year’s. In July, they even fry them outside in 30°C weather for their annual Christmas in July neighbourhood event.
A No-Waste Bakery Making a Real Difference
Perhaps the most inspiring part of the Benanna story is their commitment to zero waste.
When they took over, leftovers were common. Today, they are proudly no waste.
Leftovers are used in one of three ways
1. Too Good To Go — a program they brought to Chilliwack after discovering it in Holland. Locals can pick up a $24 bundle of pastries for $8.
2. Donations — to the Salvation Army, Better Beginnings, Bernard Elementary, and Triverse. Bernard’s students famously devour “number two” cookies — often 300–600 at a time.
3. Repurposing — day-old bread is dried and turned into breadcrumbs when needed.
One story stands out
A parent once told Rebecca that the Too Good To Go box they purchased would be their child’s birthday cake because they couldn’t afford one. “That’s just… special,” she says.
They put so much work into everything. Knowing it can still make someone’s day means a lot.
A Bakery That Feels Like Family
As the day gets busier, the team moves together instinctively. Someone shouts for more butter. Someone cracks a joke. Doors open. Pastries sell out. A regular walks in and is greeted by name.
Even with the chaos — the good kind — this bakery is gezellig in the purest sense. Warm. Lively. Familiar.
Rebecca and Travis grew up in Chilliwack. They know the community — and the community knows them.
They’ve built something more than a bakery.
They’ve built a place people return to for comfort, connection, tradition, and a little sweetness in their day.
Visit Benanna Bakery at 8985 Young Rd, Chilliwack, BC V2P 1L7 or order online at www.benannabakery.com
This blog was created in collaboration with:
Desiré Kokuvi Amouzou at Find You in the Valley
All photography was shot by Find You Media
