Vendor Profile: Great Harvest Bread Co.

I love what I see—and smell—when I walk into Great Harvest Bread Co. in Cary: loaves and loaves of freshly baked, whole grain bread and smiling staff ready with a slice or a sweet to taste. Recently I visited owner Paige Williams to learn about the business she and her husband, Tom Williams, have nurtured since Great Harvest opened in January 2007. Great Harvest is one of 30-some vendors at the WWFM, and we will feature them in the coming months.

Professional Loafers on Duty

During my visit, I learned the how and why behind their passion for baking bread. Tom’s background in chemical engineering translates into meticulous attention to detail. He and his crew are the early risers in the bunch: their work begins between midnight and 3 AM! They start by grinding the wheat kernels into fresh whole wheat flour in the 1,400-pound, granite stone mill located right in the bakery. The flour then is combined with water, local honey, yeast and salt to form their Honey Whole Wheat bread—a mainstay at the shop. Other natural ingredients are added to make other breads. On any given day, eight to 15 varieties of breads and sweets are available.

At 3 AM, additional team members join in the next step: every loaf is hand-kneaded on the 10-foot-long wooden kneading table! After kneading, Tom knows just the right time to put the bread in the oven to obtain the right rise and texture to the bread. By 7:00 AM when Great Harvest opens, nutritious hand-crafted loaves are ready for sampling and purchase.

So why do Tom and Paige go to such lengths to bake bread this way? This is where Paige's passion begins. Baking breads with fresh-milled, whole grain wheat flour not only produces the best-tasting bread, but the most nutritious too. Great Harvest whole grain breads are full of protein, fiber and B and E vitamins – all beneficial to maintaining a healthy whole food diet.

Taking Part in the Community

Anyone who has met Paige, chief marketer for Great Harvest, knows she’s as warm and genuine as the breads her husband bakes. This enables her to foster a great sense of community in their bakery. She also takes her passion and knowledge to schools, health fairs, public libraries and now, to the Western Wake Farmers’ Market.

“The market is a great fit for us! All of our wheat comes from family-owned farms, and we buy our honey locally too,” Paige said. “We support local farms and that feels good to us, especially in these economic times.” So drop by the store or market, taste the hand-crafted breads and sweets, and pick up a flyer with details on the month’s menu and events. It’s all so good!