How do you measure a year? Is it in friends made? Dollars earned? Mountains climbed? The following are my attempt to sum up 2017 for Raven Breads, and, by extension, myself. These two short lists do not, of course, tell the whole story, but I think they at least offer a decent summary. 2017 IN (approximate) NUMBERS 1. Loaves of bread baked: 7200 2. Pounds of butter consumed: 384 3. Miles bicycled for work: 1200 4. Money spent on bicycles: $311 5. Hypothetical cost of equivalent car ownership + travel: $2900 6. Sales increase from 2016: 50% 7. Annual sales donated: 1%* 8. Hours of continuing education: 80 9. Longest bake day: 21 hours 10. Shortest bake day: 10 hours 2017 IN WORDS Writing the weekly newsletter in the early hours before market, and after a long Friday bake, is not particularly conducive to deep thinking or copy editing. Some mornings I get lucky and have an idea that has already fermented to ripeness while I bicycled or baked, and needs only to be written down. Other mornings I sit staring at my computer, mind blank as the screen in front of me. The following are a few of my favorite early morning writings from the past year. Perhaps next year I’ll compose my newsletters earlier in the week so I can sleep in and still have time to edit on Saturday mornings. But probably not. 1. The Soundtrack: Noise and Quiet in the Kitchen 2. A Road Less Traveled 3. Sense Memory 4. Lost Magic 5. Dreaming Up 6. Urban Harvest 7. A Story for Every Hour 8. Golden Days 9. Morning Ritual 10. How to Love the Sky in Winter During the winter months, bread will only be available by pre-order. Sign up for the ten week bread subscription to pick up a loaf every Wednesday, January 10—March 16, in Birchwood, downtown, or in Fairhaven. WINTER BREAD SUBSCRIPTION BAKER's CHOICE subscription: a new wheat bread every week. MOUNTAIN RYE subscription: the market favorite. VOLLKORNBROT subscription: all rye all the time. THE COMING YEAR I’m grateful and amazed by all the support and enthusiasm and undeserved patience you’ve given me over the past four years. This little business is growing beyond the capacity of a single baker in a shared kitchen. It’s time to step (or stumble) forward into the next iteration of Raven Breads. Plus, I miss seeing the sky every day. I want to work behind windows! Where that next step will land me, I don’t yet know, but I plan to spend the coming months working my way through recipes, reading lists, and business plans. And, of course, baking bread! Food businesses are not known for their high rate of success. A food business burdened by as much hope and idealism as Raven Breads faces greater challenges still. A number of you have generously offered to look over my plans once I have them in order, but more business mentors are always welcome! For all the hours I spend working alone, this little bakery owes its success as much to all of you as it does to any skill or stubbornness of mine. Thank you for a wonderful year of bread and learning. I’ll see you in 2018! Sophie Owner | Baker * 2017 cash and in kind donations went to the following:
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