Stuck on sticky buns: This beloved New Brunswick recipe and bakery is up for sale

Sticky situation: Buns and bakery for sale The future of Alma’s famous sticky buns, and the bakery where they’re made are up in the air.

At the end of Route 114 in southeast New Brunswick you'll find the picturesque Village of Alma and Fundy National Park -- one of the province's true gems.

There's also colourful fishing boats, larger-than-life lobsters, and delicious lobster roll meals.

And of course, there's the famous sticky buns found at Kelly's Bake Shop on Main Street.

"They're ooey, they're gooey, they're homemade, so you have that homemade dough in there and we only use a certain brand of cinnamon," says Angela Elliott, who owns the bake shop.

The popular bakery is up for sale and the sticky-bun recipe is included. Elliott and her husband have decided now's the time to get out of the bun business.

"My husband and I have been here for 27 years. He grew up in the business. He was six years old when his mom and dad bought the business, he's been here a lot longer than I have. We have other interests and we just feel now is the time," says Elliott.

The bakery sells between 2,500 and 3,000 of the sweet treats on an average day in the summer. Its biggest day was New Brunswick Day in 2019, when 4,392 sticky buns were sold.

Those who visit Fundy from all over the world visit Kelly's Bake Shop too.

"I've travelled the world and when people talk about Alma, one of the first things they talk about is the sticky buns," says Jeremy Wilbur, the owner of Tipsy Tails restaurant just up the street. "If I have to tell someone where I'm from, I just say, 'Do you know where the sticky buns are from?' and they go, 'Yeah, I do. I've had them.'"

MacKenzie Moriarity has been making the trip to Alma since she was six years old.

"They're just delicious. They're the best things ever," says Moriarity. "My mom started me on the sticky buns and you just can't come to Alma without getting them now."

So, if Elliott got an offer she couldn't refuse, would she sell the recipe and not the bake shop?

"It's not part of the sale," she says. "We want whoever takes over the bakery to continue on with its legacy for many years to come and they would need the recipe to do that."