our friends
Shepherd’s Grain was born in 2003 and carries on a tradition that reaches back generations. Growers are owners, most of them working land that’s been in their families since the early 1900’s or before. They mix timeless values and traditions with a modern-day commitment to preserve our planet for generations to come.
Sustaining family tradition is intimately connected to sustaining the earth that enables our livelihood. Sheperd's Grain co-founders Fred Fleming and Karl Kupers envisioned a better farming model that regenerates our most precious asset, our planet.
They started Shepherd’s Grain to promote no-till, direct-seed farming so they could renew and preserve the land for generations to come – theirs and yours. They knew that better soil makes for richer grain, which produces flour that bakes better and tastes better.
As Fred, Sheperd's Grain founder says, when you bake with Shepherd’s Grain or support the many institutions who choose them, you “become a food activist and a disciple to save the family farm.”
From the beginning, Victrola, named for the popular home phonograph of the 1920's, embraced the liveliness, exuberance and fun of the Jazz era. In our popular imagination the roaring 20's represent excess, prohibition, flappers, and speakeasies. The era's fingerprints mark much of what Victrola Coffee Roasters do, from their passion for live vintage jazz to their cafes unique architectural charm.
In 2003, Victrola took a huge step and began roasting their own coffee in the tiny back room of their café in Seattle. In the cramped back room they spent countless hours experimenting with roast profiles and blends for their espresso. Early on, they committed themselves to the task of sourcing, roasting, and preparing the finest coffees available. Since then, innovation has marked their roasting operations and coffee preparation.
As a small, Seattle-based family roastery, Victrola Coffee Roasters is the perfect supply partner for Brown Bear Baking. We pair Streamline Espresso and Empire medium roast blend - roasted in small batches each week - for our espresso and coffee service pairing perfectly with our handcrafted pastries.
Origin, craft and creativity.
As a Smith teamaker, it's all or nothing. You must have good tea, carefully handled, and made with imagination in a small shop in Portland.
So you begin, as the founder Steve did in the first place, by sourcing the finest teas and botanicals from friends in India, China, Sri Lanka and Africa. You make buying trips around the world, and have samples arriving daily from tea gardens, traders and brokers. Some you purchase directly, others from auctions held in the tea trading centers of Calcutta, Colombo, Mombasa and Jakarta. You never buy pre-blended anything. Each tea and infusion you make is crafted with care and discipline.
Tasting and testing again and again — sometimes as many as 10 iterations. To protect every delicate leaf and blossom, you make each small batch by hand, under your own roof.
We proudly brew cups of Smith Tea for you to enjoy in the garden with your morning pastry and friends.
Freshly Milled Flour From The Skagit Valley
Cairnspring Mills has reinvented the local flour mill and is helping to reestablish a vibrant, local food economy.
By milling identity-preserved wheat grown in the Pacific Northwest, Cairnspring Mills produces fresh, stone-ground flour with superior flavor, nutrition and baking properties, making them a perfect partner for our daily handcrafted pastries and bread.