Barb’s Kitchen T Centre Turns 30 Barbara Lockert has served up the best the kitchen has to offer and included a heaping side of enthusiasm for 30 years. BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON
Congratulations Barb’s Kitchen Centre on your 30th Anniversary!
here is only one authorized retail Bosch Kitchen Centre in Canada, and it’s operated as Barb’s Kitchen Centre by a dynamo that many Edmontonians know and love: Barbara Lockert. She is always on the run in her funky footwear, showing off an enviable level of high energy, superhuman organization and the ability to do many things at once. Her sense of humour is infectious, her product knowledge is astounding and her cooking classes sell out. Lockert bought the distributor rights to the Bosch Kitchen Machine (dough maker, mixmaster, blender, food processor, etc.) and flour mill (grinds grains, beans, corn and rice) in 1986. This was shortly after she graduated from the University of Alberta where she emerged with a bachelor degree in math and physical education. She taught public school for a few years but when the opportunity came to open the store, she jumped at it. “I had a baby in November and started incorporation in January,” Lockert rattles off the dates with ease. “Within two months and two days of the original call to buy the distributorship, we opened the store. I was nursing a baby, running a store and marking papers for the Alberta Distance Learning Centre all at the same time.” How did she do that? “I have been blessed with a tremendous amount of energy and a positive attitude!” Lockert laughs. Learning about nutrition and eating healthfully has helped me to maintain my energy level to this day.” It’s true. During the course of this interview she bounced among staff, customers and delivery personnel, never missing a beat and never making any BARB’S KITCHEN CENTRE | 30 YEARS | 1
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