Our Mascot, the Bear

or how two city chicks learned the woods may not be the best place to start a bakery…

Pagosa Baking Company began with a 30 qt Hobart mixer on the front porch, and more passion and enthusiasm than sense.  The renovation of our garage into a commercial baking kitchen 12 miles south of Pagosa Springs happened in December 2000.

We sold bread to our neighbors, from the back of the car, and from a couple of very hospitable local businesses (Handcrafted Interiors, Wolftracks Books & Coffee) .   It smelled pretty good in the neighborhood, and the bears noticed.  Kirsten came home one night to find the Shop Vac and a large sack of wheat bran sitting in the middle of the driveway.  The Shop Vac suffered some puncture wounds, and it was clear the bear did not find the wheat bran very tasty.  A few weeks later while we were out of town, our young neighbor and pet sitter Corbin arrived to find the sliding door wide open,  and 50# of sugar poured out of the bin onto the floor.  He scooped the sugar back into the bin and locked the sliding door.  We realized once we were returned that a case of walnuts, a case of raisins and a large box of shortbread cookies had disappeared as well.  Not satisfied, a few nights later the bear attempted another break in.  We found the screen door ripped out, bear claw punctures lining the door trim, and enormous muddy paw prints covering each window.  Not a happy guy…  Locked doors and windows became the rule.  Months later walking along the ditch, we found empty case boxes of walnuts and raisins.  I guess it was our contribution to his hibernation calorie stash that year.

Once we opened our retail location, shortbread bear cookies dipped in chocolate became the symbol of our bakery’s beginning in the kitchen in the woods, our mascot.  Join us on Sunday April 2, 2017, Pagosa Baking Company’s Local Appreciation Day, for a shortbread bear cookie on us, and share in our tradition.  Thanks for your support!

 

Kathy & Kirsten