Off to Norwich, Vermont we went, to visit one of my favorite spots, the King Arthur Baking Cafe, Bakery, and Store. It was part of the Vermont Bakery Tour.
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The culminating bakery of a summer-long, bakery fest—a.k.a. the King Arthur Flour Vermont Bakery Tour, was the Bakery and Café... at King Arthur Flour in Norwich.
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Arriving at the King Arthur campus
We left home early with sleepy kids in the back of the car to make the drive to meet our friends Andrew and Lisa at King Arthur Flour.
Against green hills that roll down to a sunny, open courtyard is the King Arthur Baking campus, consisting of the café, bakery, bakery store, and education center.
It is a beautiful sight, with Adirondack chairs spread around the courtyard and a few perched on the hill to let folks take in the scenery as they feast.
Inside the large glass doors is the expansive café, and when we arrived it was bustling.
We took in all that there is to see inside, including a history of the 227-year-old company displayed on a long wall, and several windows to look in on bakers shaping and rolling.
We also took a peek into the bakery store, and then finally hopped in line to make our way to the counter.
The treats at the King Arthur Bakery
With the array of goodies available, there was something for everyone.... many somethings for each of us, actually!
Our selections included a tall cup of Café Americano for me, steaming cups of cocoa topped with cubes of homemade marshmallows for both kids and sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches for the boys. My daughter had a slice of artisan bread with a Cheddar-jalapeño spread. And for me? A cardamom bun and a scone flavored with Cheddar, bacon, and scallions.
We could not resist the perfect pastries gleaming in the case, so we took a sampling of these too: a chilled éclair, a glistening mini fruit tart, and a Napoleon.
The classic éclair was rich with cream and chocolate.
The fruit tart was colorful, and the plum, strawberries, blackberries, and kiwi covering the top gave it a luscious sweetness.
Of all the pastries, the Napoleon was my favorite: tall, with sweet pastry cream between three crisp and light layers of pastry, and topped with shiny, decorated icing. It was beautiful as were all the pastries we tried, and it was decadently satisfying.
We had a wonderful breakfast at a long, wooden table at the back of the café, where we could take in all of the activity and enjoy every last bite of our treats. Lisa also had a cardamom bun, and Andrew had a massive plate of sumptuous sausage gravy ladled over biscuits.
We all enviously eyed his breakfast! They brought home chocolate croissants and cookies, including one with dark chocolate, pistachios, and sea salt.
More delicious reasons to visit
This location is one that I have been to many times, so I was pleased to make the trip again for the Bakery Tour. I love to visit King Arthur for courses in the Baking Education Center.
I have taken six classes in total, including some I attended years ago at their old location, and more recently at this new campus (which opened in 2012.) For anyone who loves baking and baked goodies, I highly recommend these classes.
They're especially fun to do with friends and family (I've done these alongside my mom, sister, and daughter), and the instructors are fantastic. You will come away with new skills and an eagerness to get baking at home.
After your class, you have the café to refuel and the Baker's Store to go crazy in. (A phenomenon to which my mom, sister, and daughter can attest!) I also participated in a Baker's Harvest Conference at King Arthur, which was chock full of classes and people to meet.
Reflecting on the Vermont Bakery Tour
We all took time after eating to remember all of the very best moments of the Vermont Bakery Tour, and we ranked our favorite treats at each stop:
- Klinger's Bakery: Almond Croissant
- August First: Vermont Maple Biscuits
- Red Hen Bakery: Waitsfield Common bread
- O Bread Bakery: Chile Cheese Ciabatta
- Sweet Simone's: Coconut Chocolate Chip Scone
- Bentley's Bakery: freshly made Salt Bagels
- Birchgrove Baking: Passion Fruit Tart
- King Arthur Baking Company: Napoleon pastry
While all these treats were all incredible, finding (and consuming) them was not the only reason to love this bakery tour.
The tour gave us the chance to take beautiful drives to parts of Vermont we don't often get to. I made these happy treks with my husband and kids, chatting, listening to podcasts, fretting over missed exits, and ultimately bonding over gourmet baked goods.
I also saw my friends and family get excited about this adventure with me: our friends Andrew and Lisa participated in the tour with us, and family members met us at Sweet Simone's.
I met several of the owners of the bakeries on this tour, who were gracious in talking to me about their businesses and their passion for baking.
Lastly, touring these bakeries sparked so many conversations in-person and online with folks who were curious about our experiences and excited to visit the bakeries. All of that is exactly what I love about sharing my adventures on Hungry Enough!
Ending with a song
One last note: At our first stop, Klinger's Bakery & Cafe, playing overhead as we ate was the song, "Sh Boom Sh Boom" by The Crew Cuts. The catchy song has the perfect refrain:
"Life could be a dream, sweetheart."
It struck me then, at the start of the tour and again at the end that a life spent in pursuit of bakeries across Vermont, across the Northeast, even across the country, would indeed be a dream... sweetheart!
King Arthur Baking Company is located at 135 US Route 5, South Norwich, VT. This same location also holds their Baker's Store and Education Center. In their café enjoy a huge assortment of pastries, breads, baked treats, breakfast dishes, and sandwiches. There are also many packaged items to buy and take with you, like salads and pasta. Find out more about the café, store, and classes on their website: click here!
The old King Arthur Flour Vermont Bakery Tour consisted of eight bakeries scattered over the northern half of Vermont. Participants visited the bakeries, tasted the fine baked goods, and had their Bakery Passport stamped at each. The completed passports were then redeemed for an exclusive Bakery Tour tote bag!
Here are more Delectable Destinations to find in Vermont:
armchairsquid
Such a fun project. Thanks for inviting us along.
Them was good biscuits...
Nancy Mock
I'm glad you joined us! We must collaborate on the next eating tour too!