Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Love.
Hi Abby , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a Louisiana native and a 14-year veteran of the restaurant and baking industry. I got my undergraduate degree at The College of William and Mary, followed by one and a half masters’ degrees from Boston University and Simmons College. My first career was in editing and research but after a few frenetic years of hobby baking at home, I pursued a part-time job at a bakery in my Boston neighborhood. I loved it so much that I left my graduate studies and never looked back.
My winding professional career took me from bakeries into restaurants and from Boston to Virginia and finally to Austin. Once in Texas, I joined up with local heroes Dai Due Butcher Shop & Supper Club to help open their Manor Road brick-and-mortar shop in 2014. There I developed all the breads, pastries, and dessert menus based on a strict agricultural calendar.
During my time at Dai Due, James Brown started running a mill in Dripping Springs and began showing up at Dai Due’s back door with Texas flours. The ultra-local sourcing practices at the restaurant had primed me perfectly for James’ pitch: heritage grains, organically grown, stone-milled, and delivered fresh. We formed a professional relationship that blossomed into a friendship and when I left Dai Due in 2017 to pursue a more bakery-style project, our friendship became something more serious.
In 2018, James approached me with the news that Barton Springs Mill had purchased a plot of land and would be expanding their milling facility. He asked if I’d be interested in situating my much-dreamed-about bakery in the building, so I leapt at the chance which felt like the opportunity of a lifetime.
During the years of 2018 and 2019, I also taught baking classes. I envisioned them as a way to supplement my baking sales but quickly discovered that demand far exceeded supply and shifted to teaching almost full-time. My most popular class was artisan bread but I often taught specialty classes like croissants, pizza, rolls, and pies. Through my classes I got to engage with hundreds of local bakers and share my love of making food and employing heritage flours. Thankfully, Barton Springs Mill’s incredible new facility has a dedicated education space where I continue to teach on a rotation with many other talented baking instructors.
In 2021, I opened Abby Jane Bakeshop with singular goal of making delicious baked goods from the heritage grains grown in Texas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Abby Jane Bakeshop opened during the pandemic, so our journey began as an uphill battle. Since we hadn’t established a set model yet, it was beneficial to be able to be nimble with how we served customers and what we offered. Our scaled back menu evolved in the months to come and allowed us to grow intentionally. Currently, we’re dealing with egg shortages and rising costs of products, which is a universal issue for restaurants across the country. We’re lucky to have a loyal following since we’ve been open and we’re grateful to all those who support our little bakeshop.
As you know, we’re big fans of Abby Jane Bakeshop. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
When I started Abby Jane, I never set out to make pretty things. I wanted to be a link in the chain between the laborious and important agricultural work of the farmers and the people who get to enjoy the wheat they harvest. We use heritage grains grown in Texas to make delicious breads, pastries, pizzas, sandwiches, treats, sweets and more. We change our pastry case seasonally, so we’re always offering new twists on classic pastries as well as a rotating pizza menu that highlights local farms like The Refugee Collective, and soft serve and frozen drinks for the whole family.
I’m proud of the loyal following we’ve built and I’m always excited to welcome new faces to the bakeshop. We’ve been recognized as a top bakery by various outlets including Austin American-Statesman, CultureMap, Vogue, Eater Austin, Austin Monthly.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
100% luck. I was leaving the restaurant industry at the same time James was building their new space and looking for a bakery to showcase their products.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://abbyjanebakes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbyjaneyall/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbyjanebakeshop/
Image Credits
Photo credits to all other than pizza: Dave Wilson
Pizza Photo: Abby Jane Bakeshop
