George Weston

George Weston (March 23, 1864 – April 6, 1924) was a Canadian businessman and the founder of George Weston Limited. He became Toronto’s biggest baker with Canada’s largest bread factory. Weston began his career at the age of twelve as a baker's apprentice and went on to become a bread route salesman. By the turn of the century, he was known throughout the city for his "Weston’s Home-Made Bread" and years later for "Weston’s Biscuits." In addition to being a successful local businessman, he was also a prominent Methodist, as well as a municipal politician who served four years as alderman on Toronto City Council.

George Weston was born to William and Ann Weston at Oswego, New York, in 1864. By the time George turned four, the family, British immigrants who first settled in Canada, had returned to Toronto after some time in the United States. As one of eight children, George aspired to be a "minister of the Gospel" from an early age and, in fact, remained a devout Methodist throughout his life. But the family continued to struggle and funding any kind of higher education was beyond its means. On completing public school, George was sent out into the workforce, apparently to help supplement the family income.

Young George was apprenticed to C.J. Frogley, a baker with a small shop at 850 Yonge Street, north of Bloor Street, then on the outskirts of Toronto. After a number of years, Frogley abandoned the location and another baker by the name of G.H. Bowen eventually set-up shop there. After a year or so, Bowen moved the bakery to Sullivan Street, not far from today’s Art Gallery of Ontario. George found employment with Bowen, who is said to have taken enough interest in the lad to see that he "learned the business the way it should be learned." Over the course of his young career, George did everything from baking bread, to making deliveries, to keeping the books.

Eventually, George became a bread salesman and in 1882 went into business for himself, buying a bread route from Bowen. Two years later, with his business prospering, he bought out the bakery of his former employer. Years later, George Weston recalled those early days: "I baked 250 loaves the first day. I delivered them — drove my own waggon — called on every customer myself."

It was on Sullivan Street where George Weston, with one wood burning oven and two journeymen bakers, developed his "Home-Made Bread." Made from a combination of the best Manitoba No. 1 Hard Wheat and Ontario Fall Wheat, "in about equal proportions," its popularity grew. In 1889, the bakery was still a small operation with two bread wagons but by 1894 it had undergone four expansions. He also began introducing the latest in technology, such as mechanical mixers, to make the process less labour-intensive. By the 1890s, he had renamed his bakery "G. Weston’s Bread Factory." Technological advances aside, Weston attributed the growth of his business to the quality of his bread. "Merit did it — the merit of my bread. You won't find any better bread than mine. Folks all like it. Every year adds new customers."

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