Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Love.
Hi Abby, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always had a sweet tooth, but baking was a second career for me. A little over a decade ago I was living in Boston and attending graduate school for Library Science. I took a part time job at a bakery for some extra income, and I loved it so much I quit school and never looked back. More than a decade later with many moves and restaurant jobs later, I found myself in Austin as the pastry chef at Dai Due. It was there that I first assimilated the commitment to local foodways and also there that I met James Brown, the owner of Barton Springs Mill. When I learned we had a local grain mill, grinding heritage grains grown organically around Texas, my wheels started turning. Abby Jane was born when James approached me about opening a bakery in the expanded mill building he was then-constructing. Best offer I ever received.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Perhaps you’ve heard of a little something called Covid 19? We were set to open in early 2020. Construction and permitting delays slowed the entire process, and then the world shut down. For about six weeks I hid in my home like everyone else and felt very, very sorry for myself, but the bank had already given me a loan and I had already spent most of it on equipment so there was no backing out. (Which I definitely would have done, if it had been easy to do.) (I’m glad I didn’t.)
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Abby Jane Bakeshop?
I own a bakery in Dripping Springs called Abby Jane. We make 100% of our products from stone-milled flours that are ground fresh for us each week from the grain mill next door. We specialize in delicious. I hope we’re known for our slow-fermented hearth breads, our delicious wood-fired pizza, our out-of-this-world croissants, our seasonality, our connection to the planet and the community, and our kindness.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
My therapist? Just kidding (kind of.) Right now I’m working through Brene Brown’s “Dare to Lead” podcast on Spotify. She interviews experts from many different fields, but all with a lens on leadership, which is integral to keeping my business humming. I’m *always* trying to be the best leader I can be for my team. My personal Instagram feed is curated to pummel me with encouragement, wholeheartedness, justice, the natural world, and very cute animals, A steady diet of sci fi/fantasy novels on audiobook keeps my commute entertaining and reminds me that as long as enormous sandworms aren’t hunting my family on an apocalyptic desert planet, I can probably get through my Tuesday at work.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@abbyjanebakes.com
- Website: www.abbyjanebakes.com
- Instagram: @abbyjaneyall
- Facebook: facebook.com/abbyjanebakeshop
Image Credits
All photos taken by bakery staff.
