Many of you know Varda, who joined TFL a few years ago as a new artisan home baker and went all the way to opening a professional bakery, Bread Obsession, in the Boston area. This article from a local newspaper tells her story and mentions TFL as a key part of her journey:
Spurred by childhood memories, Waltham bakers business on the rise
It includes a nice video of Varda and her crew at work.
I've had the pleasure of trying some of Varda's loaves and they are simply spectacular. Her rye is one of the best-tasting breads I've ever eaten.
Eric
Arlington, Mass.
thanks for posting this Eric, always good to see what TFLers are up to.
Leslie
That's awesome. Go Varda go!
Thanks Floyd!
Congratulations, Varda! What a gift you provide your community. The thought of being able to buy a great loaf is foreign to most of us. I have no earthly idea how far I’d have to travel to get bread that’s made with such purpose, thought, and care. If I didn’t make my own (thanks TFL), I’d never know the sensations that come from eating great bread.
God’s Best,
Dan Ayo
Thanks for the encouragement. Very hard work!
neighbors is still one of the very best rye breads ever posted on TFL and no one has ever posted their attempt to duplicate it but Lucy swears she will one day. It is wonderful that both she and her business are doing so well. She is all about skill and great bread made with love.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/28228/borodinsky-chocolate-rye-malt
the Borodinsky, as in the new bakery it just would not come out reliably. Never got to the bottom of it. Customers complained for around a year that we didn't have it anymore. Oh well! No more scents of coriander wafting about.
As a long-time champion of small entrepreneurial star-ups, I'm always pleased to see stories of people building viable businesses, especially in cases where they stem from things the owners loved doing as hobbies.
So my best wishes go out to Varda for continued success.
Thanks!
I was just thinking about Varda a day or two ago wondering how she was getting along.
Thanks Eric for posting this - really great news about Varda's persistence of spirit and her ability to overcome obstacles on the way to her success.
So Varda, finance for others is not that interesting any longer, but finance for yourself is a real cliff-hanger(?).
Wild-Yeast
When I said lollygagging, the reporter sat up and took notice. Couldn't take it back at that point. Finance was fun as career number 2. But can barely remember it now that I'm deep into career number 3. Life is long if you are lucky. Time to do many different things.
Varda,
I like the word. It was used to explain to all near and far that I was doing absolutely nothing in classes that should have been slept through (Teacher's don't like the fact that you don't find their "stuff" interesting enough to pay attention). The truth is that I was off conquering the trade of deep thoughts on great things. "Lollygagging" was often confused with "Daydreaming" which in accordance with the Puritan image in which I was raised, meant that you were up to the Devil's work no less. If I'd been smart I should have just clasped my hands and closed my eyes so they wouldn't make such stupid associations out loud..., But what's the fun in daydreaming with your eyes closed?...,
Wild-Yeast
Lollygagging is good for the soul!