The Little Urchin Bakery was founded in Courtney’s kitchen in the summer of 2008. She baked bread and sweets to sell at North Haven’s Saturday Farmers’ Market, run by local farmer Jacqueline Curtis. In addition, she delivered special orders on Wednesdays through Bread Mail to a small, but loyal, customer base. The business was a great success, to the point where it took over Courtney’s kitchen.
Knowing that Courtney was itching to expand Little Urchin, Jacqueline told Courtney of Betsy’s pending arrival on-island, fresh off the summer season at Atlantic Baking Company. When the pair finally met, they quickly realized that, with their powers combined, the Little Urchin Bakery could grow. Over the winter, amidst plenty of flour, salt, yeast, and water, plans were hatched to move Little Urchin out of Courtney’s house and into the North Haven Grocery, where it will reside beginning in the summer of 2009.
(Raison d’etre)
Much thought has been put into to the philosophy behind our bread. Our focus is on quality, which, to us, means using local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Island farmers currently provide us with eggs, herbs, and honey, and we are always seeking in-season, island grown produce. Beth’s Farm Market in Warren provides us with fruit; cornmeal and certain flours come from Fiddler’s Green Farm in Belfast. Any ingredients that are not sourced on-island or in-state are distributed through the North Haven Grocery, mostly from New England-based companies, thus ensuring that the vast majority of our expenditures stay close to home. As a delicious addition to island commerce, we hope that Little Urchin Bakery will help to sustain our community.
