The Mindful Mouthful

The Mindful Mouthful The Mindful Mouthful is an employee-centred, local bakery, specializing in cookies, dessert bars and meat pies for commercial sale. So they sold lots!

Before becoming the Mindful Mouthful we were Lunch on Clements. Lunch on Clements was a social enterprise owned and operated by the Clements Centre Society. The Society supports adults with developmental disabilities. The Lunch on Clements program (now Mindful Mouthful), features a large commercial kitchen and a cafeteria/restaurant. As Lunch on Clements 15 people attended every day from 9-3. They

did community activities as well as learning how to cook and clean in a kitchen. The program produced meat pies, cookies, quiches, Nanaimo bars etc. The program was entirely voluntary. No money changed hands but the people in the program learned new skills in a “teaching kitchen”. However, a local secret known only to people in the Cowichan Valley was that these pies and cookies were delicious! And people kept coming back! So in 2014 a new Executive Director had the idea that maybe they could sell enough pies and cookies to make it a viable business and actually pay everybody a wage for their work. Fast forward to 2016, and with the support of Enterprising Non-Profits, Restaurateur Andrew Moyer from Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen, and a three year grant from the Vancouver Foundation, the dream is now a reality. Our 22 volunteers are now paid employees. We have rebranded and repackaged our products and we are ready to grow our audience and supporters sharing our wonderful food with the Cowichan Valley and beyond!

The Mindful Mouthful's cookies are now available at more Country Grocer locations up island. That means more deliciousne...
02/03/2026

The Mindful Mouthful's cookies are now available at more Country Grocer locations up island. That means more deliciousness available for you, more growth for our social enterprise bakery, and more opportunities to buy locally.

Yesterday, Austin, our head baker, headed out on a meet and greet tour, visiting the Country Grocer warehouse, plus the Chase River Country Grocer, Cedar Country Grocer, and Bowen Road Country Grocer locations. Big smiles, behind-the-scenes learning, and a lot of pride were packed into one day.

A huge thank you to Country Grocer for being such a supportive, values-driven company to work with. Partnerships like this help us all make our corner of the world brighter and more inclusive one delicious bite at a time.

Find us at the Ladysmith Country Grocer!
12/06/2025

Find us at the Ladysmith Country Grocer!

Great news! The Mindful Mouthful's cookies are now available at a new location: the Ladysmith Country Grocer. You will find them right at the main entrance.

This kind of partnership helps inclusive employment thrive, and it shows what community support can do when people choose to show up for one another.

Huge thanks go out to Country Grocer for their continued support and for making space on their shelves for inclusive employment (and delicious cookies).

If you are in Ladysmith, treat yourself to a bag and help keep this momentum going.

Information and the full schedule of our coverage on CBC is available here:
12/04/2025

Information and the full schedule of our coverage on CBC is available here:

The CBC stopped by the other day because they wanted to capture kindness in action, and they found it in the way The Mindful Mouthful bakers support one another, grow in their roles, and take real pride in their work.

The article is now live, and you can find the full story on the CBC website. Since we cannot share direct news links on Facebook, simply search for “Bakery staffed by adults with disabilities finds success on Vancouver Island.” It is well worth the read.

Here is the full broadcast schedule for the remaining pieces:

• Video story on CBC's website tomorrow, then on CBC TV during the 6:00 PM newscast
• Short radio news story tomorrow afternoon during CBC Radio One newscasts at 3:30, 4:30, and 5:30 PM across BC
• Longer radio feature Friday morning at approximately 6:45 AM on CBC Radio One across Vancouver Island

This is a welcome spotlight on The Mindful Mouthful and our bakers, and it is a great moment for everyone who believes in inclusive employment.

CBC stopped by The Mindful Mouthful this week to film a feature on kindness during the holiday season, and our kitchen w...
12/03/2025

CBC stopped by The Mindful Mouthful this week to film a feature on kindness during the holiday season, and our kitchen was ready for the spotlight. The CBC team interviewed Jackie Dejong, our Kitchen Manager, Dominic Rockall, our Chief Executive Officer, and a few of our talented bakers who bring heart, skill, and a steady supply of deliciousness to our community.

CBC wanted to share a story about kindness in action, and they found it in the way our bakers support one another, grow in their roles, and take pride in the work they do every day.

CBC has not announced an air date or time yet; however, it will be broadcast later this week. We look forward to sharing the link as soon as it is available.

The Mindful Mouthful delicious cookies are now available at Country Grocer in Chemainus, and we are proud to see the wor...
11/21/2025

The Mindful Mouthful delicious cookies are now available at Country Grocer in Chemainus, and we are proud to see the work of our bakers on local shelves.

Each batch reflects the skill, dedication, and care that make this social enterprise such an important part of our community. When you choose these cookies, you are supporting meaningful employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities and strengthening hope, belonging, and independence across the Cowichan Region.

We are grateful for the partnership and for every shopper who chooses to make a difference with their purchase.

This is a reminder that delicious handmade cookies are available at Country Grocer in Duncan and Cobble Hill.At the Dunc...
10/27/2025

This is a reminder that delicious handmade cookies are available at Country Grocer in Duncan and Cobble Hill.

At the Duncan location, you can also find our mini cookies; six perfectly bite-sized treats for sharing (or not).

Regular bags: $9.99
Mini bags: $5.69

Every purchase supports inclusive employment and helps build hope, belonging, and independence right here in the Cowichan Region.

Find them in-store today and taste the difference your support makes.

The Mindful Mouthful will remain open during this time; however, we will only be able to accept cash payments.Thank you ...
10/23/2025

The Mindful Mouthful will remain open during this time; however, we will only be able to accept cash payments.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Tomorrow, October 24th, our IT crew will be completing a total system shutdown for maintenance between approximately 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

During this time, our phones and internet will be unavailable, and we will not be reachable by electronic means.

The Mindful Mouthful will remain open and able to accept cash payments only during the outage.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we complete this important system work.

A new stand mixer has been donated--fantastic news! A huge thank you goes to Lisa Duncan-Reda of Urban Valley Tees for h...
09/24/2025

A new stand mixer has been donated--fantastic news!

A huge thank you goes to Lisa Duncan-Reda of Urban Valley Tees for her incredible generosity. We would also like to thank Chelsey Page for donating the body of a stand mixer. Our bakers can use the attachments they already have with that mixer. Together, these contributions will immediately impact our production and provide us with vital cover so we can keep on producing the delicious treats our customers enjoy.

This kind of generosity highlights how supportive our community is. We cannot thank you enough.

~~~

The Mindful Mouthful bakers are in need of a new stand mixer. The current one has reached the end of its life and keeps mixing even after it has been turned off. This kitchen tool is essential for creating our popular dessert bars.

If you or someone you know has a reliable stand mixer to donate or, if you would like to support the purchase of a new one, it would make a big difference in helping us continue to produce the baked goods our customers love. Currently, Best Buy has the model you see here on sale for $399. Would you help us?

Thank you for supporting inclusive employment and helping us keep our kitchen running smoothly.

To donate, please contact us via email at [email protected] or phone at 250.746.4135.

08/22/2025

Our bakers recently shared in a video why they love being part of The Mindful Mouthful, and their words say it best. Working here means more than baking; it is about belonging, confidence, and pride.

Thank you to everyone who supports inclusive employment by purchasing from The Mindful Mouthful. Every cookie, meat pie, or sausage roll you take home helps create opportunities for our bakers to shine.

We would love to know what your favourite item is from The Mindful Mouthful?

You can purchase The Mindful Mouthful products at our main centre at 5856 Clements Street in Duncan, BC, or from the following retailers:

Country Grocer (Duncan and Cobble Hill)
Cowichan Co-Op
Cowichan Milk
Duncan Butcher Shop
Glenwood Meats (Langford)
Great Greens Market
Old Farm Market (Duncan and Victoria)
Pier 66
reFresh Marketplace
Sweet Meadows
Third Wave Coffee Company and
Telegraph Harbour Marina Cafe and Shop

We are thrilled to share that The Mindful Mouthful's jumbo cookies are back at The Old Farm Market in Duncan and on sale...
06/27/2025

We are thrilled to share that The Mindful Mouthful's jumbo cookies are back at The Old Farm Market in Duncan and on sale this week. We had a great promo event yesterday. Our thanks go to Savana from the Old Farm Market for facilitating the event. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supports The Mindful Mouthful. Come and enjoy our delicious, locally made cookies.

Breaking news:  The Mindful Mouthful's jumbo cookies are now for sale at Country Grocer Cobble Hill. All our varieties a...
06/25/2025

Breaking news: The Mindful Mouthful's jumbo cookies are now for sale at Country Grocer Cobble Hill. All our varieties are on the shelves and ready to be enjoyed. Thank you very much to Keith Woiden, Manager of Country Grocer's Cobble Hill location, for supporting the expansion of our incredible social enterprise. Thanks, too, to Berky Walton, Manager of Country Grocer's Duncan location for connecting us with Keith. Country Grocer's support of The Mindful Mouthful means that 100% of cookie sale proceeds come right back to us. Country Grocer's commitment to community support is very much appreciated. Shop The Mindful Mouthful at Country Grocer, and support two fantastic local businesses.

Address

5856 Clements Street
Duncan, BC
V9L3W3

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 3:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 3:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 3:30pm
Thursday 9am - 3:30pm
Friday 9am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+12507464135

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