Spring is a time of new beginnings. This spring, especially, holds a lot of meaning for us because we have taken big strides in expanding our little bakery over the last few months. Many have supported, mentored, and dedicated their time, energy as well as resources to help us get to this point. Expansion is hard work full of growing pains. We anticipate steep learning curves and late sleepless nights but we are energized by this opportunity to fully pursue our passions. However, before we dive into the work, we felt it was important to put it all down in writing. What are our goals and what are we trying to achieve? When things become chaotic - what is our true north and what must we always remember - a month from now, a year from now, many years from now? These are the answers we came up with and we wanted to share them with you:
Here at Crust & Crumbles, "For Love and Loaf" is the central theme in all we do and why we do what we do - these four words represent our love and dedication to the artisan baking craft as well as the people we bake for.
In all our actions, big and small, we are guided by the vision and values set forth below.
Authentic.
Authenticity is integrity - that we are who we say we are; that we do what we say we will do; and that we do not forget where we came from. It means we strive to be transparent in the decisions and actions that affect our stakeholders. It means we have clarity in goals and direction. It means we make honest food through honest hard work. Authenticity is also consistency - as such, we aim to provide consistent value to our customers, employees, and partners. And finally, authenticity is humility - we are cognizant of challenges that come with running a business and remain humble as we face ebbs and flows.
Beautiful.
We believe beauty is in form as well as function; that good food should look beautiful on the outside and make you feel beautiful on the inside. We believe beauty takes extra time, thought, and attention to detail. It means we practice discipline and uphold high standards for the products we create. Beauty by no means indicates perfection - artisan goods are by their very nature a little imperfect because they are not made by machines, but by people. And people are not perfect; we are all different and we draw our collective strength from this diversity by allowing the individuality of our employees to shine.
Connected.
Naturally leavened bread is created with wild yeast that is present in the air around us, on the wheat grain grown by the farmer, and on the hands of the baker that makes it. We are undeniably connected by the bounties of nature and we are conscientious of the earth as we move forward in business. We bake and eat not only to nourish our bodies but to connect with others: our friends, families, employees, customers, and partners - we are all connected in our successes and sorrows. Thus we honor our commitments to the community that has supported us as we share with you our past, present, and future.
And with this in mind, we are excited to usher in a new season of baking. We can't wait to see you all next month when the summer markets begin!