Trent Loewen’s story

Here’s the deal: Scratch Provisions is a relatively new offering in Saskatoon from Trent Loewen, previously of Earth Bound Bakery and Delicatessen. Trent grew up in Saskatoon, but cut his teeth in the culinary world in Stratford, Ontario where he studied at the Stratford Chefs School. In Stratford, he found a place where he could start binding together his love of gardening, fresh local ingredients, the earth, and people.

After Chef School, Trent joined the prestigious Old Prune Restaurant as Pastry Chef, soon becoming Sous Chef. Working with the team at the Old Prune for many seasons, he also was able to spend one winter working in Kingston as a sous chef at Pan Chancho before returning to Stratford to instruct at the Stratford Chef's School for a number of years. During this time, Trent became popular as a home caterer for various private functions and 'digging in' to life as a gardener at the Soiled Reputation organic market garden. As a Red Seal Chef trained at one of Canada's top chef schools, Trent is a highly trained and specialized Chef with impeccable credentials.

After years of working in Ontario, Trent decided to come back home to Saskatoon to establish his own bakery and delicatessen. His dream was to offer very fresh, high-quality bread, pastries, soups and other products using seasonal local ingredients. He wanted to have a community style bakery where he could dialogue with his customers in a relaxed manner.

In the spring of 2008, Trent and his brother, Paul started Flatlander's Farms and began selling bread and locally grown, pesticide-free produce at the Saskatoon Farmers Market. They were absolutely thrilled by the positive response of their customers! Soon, Trent approached Dad's Organic Market to see if they would be willing to sell his bread out of the Dad's Store. The answer was no, however they offered Trent the opportunity to develop his dream—an organic bakery and delicatessen associated with the Dad's Organic Market.

Earth Bound Bakery and Delicatessen was a success. For 9 years, Trent led a great team that brought quality provisions, ethical food, and community together. However after 9 years, it was time for a break to recharge and find the next challenge. Late in 2018 Trent sold Earth Bound Bakery and set off on a small walkabout. He drove back to Ontario to revisit his culinary roots. He took a holiday with his partner to Barbados, and later Italy. On his own he flew to New Zealand and discovered a new passion: savoury pies.

That's where the magic happened. Those handheld Kiwi meat pies sparked something in Trent—the perfect combination of craftsmanship, comfort, and creativity that reminded him of why he fell in love with food in the first place.

Returning to Saskatoon with fresh inspiration and renewed energy, Trent knew exactly what he wanted to create next. It wouldn't be another bakery, but something that combined all his passions and experiences: his Red Seal training, his love of local ingredients, his commitment to community, and his newfound obsession with New Zealand-style meat pies.

Today, you'll find Trent at The 405 every Friday and Saturday, back doing what he loves most—connecting with people through food, sharing stories over a coffee, and creating handcrafted provisions that bring a bit of joy to everyday life. The walkabout is over, but the adventure continues. We hope you'll be part of it!