I don’t recall if I have written about this idea publicly, tentatively called “Bread & Bowl”. What is it?
A: An artisan bakery where you buy a bread subscription and, at the same time, receive a wooden bowl. Why?
A: Why not! It’s not an idea for any place with decent bakeries available but for towns where a bakery might survive even without steady walk-in traffic. What else?
A: Soup. And some decent sandwiches. The idea originated in Shepherdstown because I would often find myself turning a bowl in the wood shop while dough was doing those things which result in bread. Why Shepherdstown?
A: Aside from being where I was at the time, and where my lathe is, Shepherdstown has for years lacked three simple things:
- A good bakery.
- A good sandwich joint.
- Good baked goods.
For your consideration then, imagine a storefront where you might buy a sandwich or breakfast item of the day. (You want choice? Try the “bakery” down the street.) The interior includes a view to the working bakery and a working lathe. Slow foot traffic allows the baker/woodturner to bake/turn wood. You subscribe to a bread subscription — I have no real idea for how this works. Is it similar to CSA? When you sign-up for a bread subscription, your purchase includes a locally crafted something or other similar to the following:
- bowl
- knife
- cutting board
- mustard pot
I thought bowl, because that’s what I know how to do: bake bread and turn bowls.
Walnut bowl with white loaves; one baked, one rising
