Q: What is a bread subscription???
A:Short answer: you sign up for bread and then you get a loaf baked by me each week.
Long Answer: When you sign up for bread you are telling me that you want me to bake you bread each week. You can sign up for as many loaves as you like and can sign up for a 4-week, 12-week, 20-week or 52-week subscription. Bread is delivered to you at the location of your choice. When you sign up I will ask you a few quick questions to customize your subscription and get you on your way to happy bread eating.
Q: When is bread delivered?
A: Right now I have the choice of bread delivered to your home or business or location of your choice or to pick up your bread yourself. When you sign up we can work out the best pick-up location for you. I am currently baking on Fridays and Mondays. Bread is delivered to you between noon and 2pm. Payment is preferred in full at your first delivery. Won’t be home when I get there? I will deliver the bread as normal and we can either arrange a better time for me to collect payment, or you can leave it in your mailbox for me.
Q: Where is bread delivered?
A: Better question, where is it not delivered. I’m limited on my bike so here are the boundaries I can’t deliver to right now:
Nothing NORTH of Dekum St
Nothing EAST of 60th
Nothing SOUTH of Holgate Blvd
Nothing WEST of Interstate Ave or 23rd Ave. I do deliver downtown.
Still in doubt? Just ask! 🙂
Q: How do I pay for the bread?
A: Right now I have a real archaic system: cash only. When you come to pick up your first loaf of bread you can pay for your subscription in full.
Q: Should I tip my bread deliverer?
A: We don’t expect tips, but if you feel moved to tip, we won’t say no. 🙂
Q: Do you bake the same bread each week?
A: No way! Each week you can expect a different flavor. The bread is always fermented with wild yeast but I always play around with different flours, grains, spices, nuts etc. Some examples of flavors I had done before are parmesan and black pepper, multi-seed loaf, semolina and fennel, coriander and raisin, spelt, walnut….
Q: What if I don’t want bread every single week? How about every other week?
A: For now the minimum subscription is one loaf per week. If you don’t think you can eat a whole loaf in a week then my suggestion would be to find a friend to share the loaf with you.
Q: What if I forget to pick up the bread? Do I still get charged for it?
A: Yep. I only bake as many loaves as I do clients. If you forget to come and get it I still baked it for you and then it gets wasted. If you need to skip a week then read the next question below and follow the directions.
Q: What if i have to skip a week?
A: If you are planning a trip out of town or need to skip a week then make sure to let me know 48 HOURS in advance or else I will assume you want bread and will make it for you.
Q: Who are you anyway?
A; Thanks for asking! My name is Laura Birshan, I grew up in southern California and moved to Portland in 2012. I have been baking bread for YEARS and learned from the best: MY MOM! I have a culinary school background too, so rest assured, you will be eating quality bread! I make every loaf myself in small batches, and I only sell loaves if I am 100% satisfied with.
Q: What if I want to quit this bread subscription?
A: Well, that would be sad but I will understand. Just send me an email and let me know.
Q: Do you have gluten-free bread options?
A: I don’t and won’t. Gluten-free baking is not my specialty. There are a number of fine gluten-free bakeries in the Portland area who I am sure would love your business!
Q: Can I get a subscription as a gift for someone?
A: Of course! When you sign up just let me know that it is a gift for someone and then they will be notified of that gift (when you want them to be, of course!) and they can choose their own pick up time/location.
Q: I have dietary restrictions, can you accommodate me?
A: If you have any allergies let know when you sign up for bread and I will do my best to accomodate you.
Q: Why should I buy a share from you instead of buying from another local artisan baker or grocery store?
A: I know there is a LOT of good bread out there; with my CSB I strive to have almost zero waste. With larger scale bakeries there is a lot of bread left over at the end of the day and if often goes into the trash can. How sad! If you sign up for a subscription with Bakester community-supported bread you can rest assured that I am baking ONLY FOR YOU, and nothing goes to waste around here. I also source all my ingredients locally so your bread will have a light footprint on the environment. Eat away!
BAKESTER 