History
The Bristol Bakery has been around since 1977! Paul Ralston who at the time was new at bread baking started it. The bakeries first location was on the right side of what is now Cubber's Restaurant. After spending a whopping $1000.00 Paul managed to purchase his first bits of baking equipment including a sheeter and a Champion mixer, which were both finally retired last year. By Thanksgiving of 1978 Paul was rolling out loaves of breads such as whole wheat, honey oatmeal and his famous Batard loaf, which included oregano, olive oil, basil, and pretzel salt.
In 1980 Paul got married to Gerrie Heuts and this is also when the bakery re-located into the right side of our current retail location. Gerrie was an amazing pastry chef with baking influences from northern Europe. Gerrie produced yummy treats such as cakes, Danish, croissants, doughnuts, and a rocking rye with cracked wheat berries. The bakery was in full swing at this point and this is when Paul grew an interest in the art of coffee roasting. He purchased an old Royal Coffee Roaster from a Bristol local, Ezra Dyke for $300.00 and a dozen doughnuts. In the middle of the night Paul successfully completed his first batch of coffee and to the towns dismay produced a heavy unfamiliar burning smell that filtered through the Bristol air. Not knowing what the smell coming from the bakery was the fire department was dispatched in fear that the bakery was going up in flames. The firemen were pleasantly greeted at the door by a grinning Paul with a fresh hot batch of his new concoction and hot out of the oven -freshly baked doughnuts. This was the birth of Paul's new wild adventure, which we all know now as Vermont Coffee Company.
After a few more years of baking and living a life of brutal baker's hours it was time for Paul and Gerrie to hang up their hot mitts. They sold the bakery to John and Joan Gustafson, a husband and wife duo in 1983. John earned his bread baker stripes at the renowned Tassajara Bakery in San Francisco, CA. John's recipe for Brown Rice & Walnut bread was one of the many popular items offered during their rein at the bakery. The bakery still bakes this amazing bread today and the loaves usually sell out by Noon time.
In 2001 John and Joan were ready to retire and so they sold the bakery to Tom Clements. Tom and his family moved to VT from CT. Tom made some great improvements to the bakery such as putting in an eco-friendly bamboo wood floor in the retail space.
After 5 years of ownership Tom sold the bakery to Chris Conner and Larry Buck in the summer of 2006. Business partners Kevin Harper and Jenn Parker bought the bakery business from Connor and Buck in Oct. 2006. The bakery was closed for about 5 months and after a major renovation overhaul of the entire bakery and retail space the Bristol Bakery & Café has reopened.
In 1980 Paul got married to Gerrie Heuts and this is also when the bakery re-located into the right side of our current retail location. Gerrie was an amazing pastry chef with baking influences from northern Europe. Gerrie produced yummy treats such as cakes, Danish, croissants, doughnuts, and a rocking rye with cracked wheat berries. The bakery was in full swing at this point and this is when Paul grew an interest in the art of coffee roasting. He purchased an old Royal Coffee Roaster from a Bristol local, Ezra Dyke for $300.00 and a dozen doughnuts. In the middle of the night Paul successfully completed his first batch of coffee and to the towns dismay produced a heavy unfamiliar burning smell that filtered through the Bristol air. Not knowing what the smell coming from the bakery was the fire department was dispatched in fear that the bakery was going up in flames. The firemen were pleasantly greeted at the door by a grinning Paul with a fresh hot batch of his new concoction and hot out of the oven -freshly baked doughnuts. This was the birth of Paul's new wild adventure, which we all know now as Vermont Coffee Company.
After a few more years of baking and living a life of brutal baker's hours it was time for Paul and Gerrie to hang up their hot mitts. They sold the bakery to John and Joan Gustafson, a husband and wife duo in 1983. John earned his bread baker stripes at the renowned Tassajara Bakery in San Francisco, CA. John's recipe for Brown Rice & Walnut bread was one of the many popular items offered during their rein at the bakery. The bakery still bakes this amazing bread today and the loaves usually sell out by Noon time.
In 2001 John and Joan were ready to retire and so they sold the bakery to Tom Clements. Tom and his family moved to VT from CT. Tom made some great improvements to the bakery such as putting in an eco-friendly bamboo wood floor in the retail space.
After 5 years of ownership Tom sold the bakery to Chris Conner and Larry Buck in the summer of 2006. Business partners Kevin Harper and Jenn Parker bought the bakery business from Connor and Buck in Oct. 2006. The bakery was closed for about 5 months and after a major renovation overhaul of the entire bakery and retail space the Bristol Bakery & Café has reopened.