Goodness, it feels like I have so much to share with you. I’ve been on pins and needles wanting to spill every detail over the last few months. It’s been a roller coaster of a summer. Filled with the highest of highs and some pretty low-lows. It’s been filled with so much magic and collaboration and big dreaming and connection. I’ve pushed myself, learned more than I could have ever imagined and I can’t wait to tell you more about it.
SO, let’s start from the beginning…
Right after I decided to “slow things down” for the summer, the universe threw a curve ball in my lap. A friend of a friend, introduced me to a developer that was looking for a business that might be interested in a space they had available. I have this arbitrary list that I carry around in my wallet, of things that my future baking space must check off before I would even consider looking at it. Somehow, this space, hit almost all of them. It was incredible.
To be honest, while moving out of my home kitchen was on my “someday” plan, it wasn’t something I had been actively working towards. My home bakery has been such a special place, and I’ve been very intentional about how we grow, and what we do. Over the past year, I've added microbakery ovens and a commercial fridge, as well as, the amazing Mary to our team. My husband has taken on a larger role. I’ve had friends from across Des Moines drop in to help me roll donuts, package bread and get ready for popups. The growth has been beautiful, and, also challenging. It’s such a privilege to be able to bake out of home, and through all of this, it’s been made very clear, that there is only so much we physically and mentally can do (in our home and with our bodies).
My friend and fellow home baker, Kristen of
Pie Birds Pies, (if you haven't had her pies, biscuits and now famous, dill pickle lemonade, go check her out!) has also been feeling the constraints of working out of her home kitchen, so we've told each other that when we find the right space (the one that checks all the boxes), that we're going to go for it and build a new brick and mortar bakery together. And in June, we found that space. This summer has been wild, exciting (and terrifying!), and it feels like magic to be dreaming up this bakery and making it a reality.
Now comes the sad part, last week we learned that the owners of the building (the one with our space) have decided to take it in a different direction, so we've lost the bakery space that we've been building. I won't lie, it's been pretty heartbreaking.
But these last two weeks have also been full of unexpected joy. Two days after we learned that we lost the space, we found out that we have been
chosen as finalists for this year's
Flourish Fund which is an incredible honor!
The Flourish Fund is a chance for us to pitch our business idea to the community and win funding to support the growth of our business. Three finalists will present their idea at the Flourish event. Based on community vote, one finalist will earn the funds raised from ticket sales to be used for their business.
Honestly, I'm just thrilled to get to spend an evening with so many of incredible folks in our community, and Kristen and I can't wait to tell you more about our dream pie and bread bakery that we're building! And I'm beyond excited to hear what
Chef Cass and
Des Moines Girl, the other finalists, are dreaming up!
This whole experience has been humbling and affirming. I can't wait until Kristen and I get to open up the doors of our bakery and share even more bread and pie, with you all. I just know that we're going to find the perfect home for our bakery (one that checks all the boxes and more). Plus, let's be real, us teaming up means we'll be making sourdough doughnuts on the regular! I dream of those doughnuts, and I can't wait to keep baking alongside Kristen for you all.
Thank you so much for reading my novel! We'll keep you posted, and in the meantime, please grab yourself a ticket for the Flourish Fund and come out to support us!
The event is on Tuesday, September 20, from 6-8 pm at Jasper Winery.
The road to build this bakery is going to be a long one, and attending
Flourish, is just one of the ways you’ll be able to support us throughout our journey. If you can’t attend or you’re outside of the state of Iowa, don’t fret, I am certain that there will be lots of other ways you'll be able to support us in the future.
As always, it’s an honor to be your baker. Bakeries are built on community. While I know it can be a lot to hold, this little bread business and all of its dreams would not be here without you. Truly. So, thank you. It’s an honor.
