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EE hee a i aii 16 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, May 25, 1988 Hank's celebrates its 25th birthd For a quant ofa century, the name Hank's Pastries has meant one thing to the people of Port Perry and area: good hot coffee and the tastiest baked goods mon- ey can buy. Most people simply refer to the place as Hank's. If you happen to be in downtown Port Perry for any reason, it won't be long be- fore you hear somebody say "let's go to Hank's for a coffee." Hank's Pastries is celebrating a birthday next week, its 25th, and owner Ken DeJong and his wife Angie will be holding Open House from May 30 to June 4. June 3 will be something of a special day at Hank's as several of the original staff will be serving coffee and cake to the customers. These include Lorraine Leduc, Minnie DeJong (Ken's mother) Bernice Tenison, Clara Dowson (who still works one evening a week because she enjoys it so much) and Kent Farndale, whose family was in the bake shop busi- ness for many years prior to Hank's. Located on the south side of { Queen Street between the Post Office and -the Royal Bank, Hank's is practically an "institution" in this town, and from the moment thie doors open at 6:00 AM, you'll find people in there having their coffee and do- nuts, breakfast, lunch, or buying the delicious baked goods to take home. Even after a major expansion a couple of years ago which in- creased the number of seats to 50, Hank's is a busy spot, and some- times you may have to wait for a spot to sit, or "double up" at a table with a complete stranger. But the regulars don't mind, and no matter when you go into Hank's, you'll hear a constant buzz of conversation. Ken DeJong said last week that the 25th anniversary celebra- tions will also be a tribute to his late father, Hank, the man who started the business and put his name to it. The senior Mr. De- Jong passed away suddenly in March. Ken said his father spent his entire working life as a baker, 4 evs starting some 52 years ago as a 15-year old apprentice in his na- tive Holland. . He eventually opened his own bake shop in Holland, and when he came to 'Canada in 1961, he had every intention of doing the same in his newly adopted coun- try. g He worked a couple of years as a baker in Whitby, and in 1963 bought a bake shop in Port Perry that was owned by Earl Jackson. That shop was on the north side of Queen Street, just a couple of doors from the present Settle- ment House. Five years later, Hank moved once more, buying what was then called the Went- worth Bakery at the present loca- tion of Hank's. There had been a bake shop in that spot for many years, owned and operated by members of the Gerrow family. Ken and his wife Angie took over the business in September, 1986, from his brother Wayne who had operated it for seven years before that. Hank worked alongside both his sons in the Dinner rolls, cakes pies, donuts, bread, tarts and cinnamon buns are all popu- lar items at Hank's. In fact, on a busy weekend, customers will shap up some 60 dozen cinnamon buns, a Hank's speciality. I business. Ken told the Star that along with some recipes. from Holland, his father brought with" him a strict devotion to quality. "He was always fussy about that. He never took any short-cuts when it came to quality," said Ken. Almost everything baked on the premises is started from scratch, not frozen. And the ingre- dients are natural. There are no ad- ditives to extend the shelf life. Ken feels this special atten- tion to quality is one of the rea- sons for the success of Hank's over the years. Regular customers come from as far away as Oshawa and Toronto, especially for the cinnamon buns, which are the single biggest seller, and the cakes, made from an original Dutch recipe with butter-cream ic- ing, and hand-decoated for just about any occasion. The cakes are a specialty at Hank's, with orders for about 100 each week. Ken does some of the decorating, with Angie taking on the more intricate art-work. One of the more unusual re- quests for a decorated cake came from a psychiatrist who wanted a scene in his office complete with patient on the couch. As for the famous cinnamon buns, customers will snap up more than 60 dozen on any busy Saturday. Another very popular item, especially around Christmas, are the sausage rolls, and Ken said that no matter how many he pre- pares, he still has trouble keeping up with the orders. When your business is bak- ing, your working day starts ear- ly, and for Ken that means just af- ter 3:00 AM in the morning. You have to start early when a typical day means over 100 i CAs y Hank De Jong loaves of bread (white, brown and French) 30 dozen donuts. 35 doz- en Parker House rolls, 60 dozen cinamon buns, plus tarts, cook- ies, meat pies, fancy pastries, Dutch cakes and wedding cakes. Two assistants help Ken in the bakery, but he's often still in the shop until 4:00 the next after- noon. On weekends, and busy times of the year, Ken simply bakes all night, from: about 8:00 PM til noon the next day. Hank's has always been a re- Staurant serving breakfasts and lunches, and these days there is a Ste (part and full time) of about And they are kept busy. On an average day, the customers will down some 60 pots of coffee with their donuts, muffins and cinna- mon buns. People in Port Perry and from many other places have been drop- ping into Hank's for coffee for the past 25 years. From May 30 to June 4, the Open House will mark this spe- cial anniversary, and pay tribute to the man who started it all; \ Angie and Ken DeJong with a tray of tasty pas- tries, the kind that keep bringing customers back to Hank's. Ken says almost all products baked on the premises are "started from scratch" and contain only natural ingredients. : The staff at Hank's Pastries In Port Perry, a bake shop and restaurant that at- tracts customers from far and wide. Hank's will be celebrating a birthday soon, 25 years, and it will also be a tribute to the late founder Hank DeJong. (see story for detalls)