Springy Updates

Yesterday’s market weather was beautiful, sunny, and warm! Goodbye to the cold, rainy market season that has dominated the bay area and hello to sunshine-ripened berries, stone fruit, and tomatoes that are around the corner!

If you haven’t been to the market lately, we now offer flatbreads! Trev cultures his own creme fraiche each week and finds inspiration for toppings from the San Rafael farmer’s market on his way back from flour runs to Petaluma. This week he blistered shishito peppers, pickled them slightly, and then paired them with thinly sliced potatoes. Try one next time!

Night Heron Bread is nominated for Alameda Magazine’s Best Bakery.

Please support us by voting before the end of May!

The Bread Club Subscriptions are now up on the website and available through the end of the week. If you’ve never subscribed, it’s an awesome opportunity to support local artisans, help us to source excellent flour, and avoid finding out that bread is sold out for the day. Bread Club members make a 2-month commitment and are reserved a loaf each week for the month of May & June. We’d love you to join!

You’ll see that we now have a mid-island pickup at Island Savoy Market on Lincoln Ave. Get your bread and turn it into a meal by pairing it with their fresh produce, delicious snacks & spreads, and my favorite, wine — all while supporting another Alameda small business!

Last, we want to give some big thanks to a collective group (all women!) that have been supporting Night Heron Bread by going above & beyond to share their time and expertise! These neighbors who are now friends have helped support, sustain, and grow our business that is now moving towards the long term goal of opening a brick and mortar bakery & cafe on the West End of Alameda.

Thank you to our market helpers Charlie, Karly, Kristen, and Zoe! Your willingness to jump in and shine early on Saturdays is breathing life into NHB’s market presence. It’s also taking the pressure away from market’s always being a family affair.

Thank you to Sandra of Loupe Coffee Consulting! Though you are new to our team, we can already see how the structure, organization, and accountability you bring will move our business forward. Excited to see what the future holds now that you’ve challenged us to do that long-term thinking!

And last but not least, thank you to Andrea! The OG subscriber, backyard beautifier, coffee company founder, vivid visual storyteller, and ultimate connector. Your enduring belief in Trevor & I to stay committed and share our passion with our community fuels our pursuit.

Soak up the sun, Alameda!

Robin, Trevor, & Bodhi

No Market on Christmas Eve - Holiday Pre Orders for Pick Up at 478 Taylor

Hi bread friends,

In lieu of the market this Saturday (closed for the holiday), we’re planning to do the Christmas Eve bake at our house. We’ve put together a fun menu of both bread and pastry offerings which we’re excited to share with you!

The baker’s choice is going to be chestnut and candied Meyer lemon! We’ll also be making our sourdough country loaves which is always a nice accompaniment to charcuterie boards or brunches you might be planning.

There will also be large and small pastry boxes available. The boxes are filled with an array of our whole-grain cookies and scones with a few holiday touches. Personally, I’m excited to taste the egg nog custards and rosemary brownies.

If we’ve piqued your interest, preorders for Saturday are available on our website. Note that if you have a Saturday subscription, it includes holiday bread.

Thanks, everyone! On Saturday, we’ll have a little milk punch to sip on and share too. Trevor worked at Tartine with one of the Brennan’s and all of the bakers would indulge in this drink after the holiday push. Feel free to linger a bit with your neighbors and spread some holiday cheer. The recipe is below.

Robin, Trevor, & Bodhi

Brennan's Milk Punch

4 ounces of Milk

1.5 ounces of Whiskey or Bourbon

0.5 ounce of Maple or Simple Syrup

Combine first three ingredients over ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a lowball glass or wine glass with no ice. Garnish with nutmeg

Freshly Ground Nutmeg, for garnish

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Combine first three ingredients over ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a lowball glass or wine glass with no ice. Garnish with nutmeg

Back to School Subscriptions!!

Hey Bread Friends!

I hope everyone had a fantastic summer. Our household is busy adopting new routines as we gear up for another year of commuting to SF. For those who don’t know, my other gig is being a garden educator at an independent school in the Mission. Bodhi is starting kindergarten there too. Oh and traffic is back so we’re relying on planes (well boats & bikes!), trains, and electric automobiles to get there. I can’t believe how many bread folks I run into on the ferry. Well, if you’re like us and do the commuter dance that gets you to work or school - we see you and hang in there :)

Mountain biking this summer w/ Bodhi (not during our commute)

Trev posted a letter recently from our main flour distributor, Central Milling. It talks a little bit about the volatility of the grain market right now and how that’s impacting pricing. The sourcing of our flours is unfortunately connected to these larger political and economic forces at play. And for further context, this is the third letter we’ve received in the last year; yikes right?! Worth a quick read.

Spring Onion & Poppy

Last, if having a Back to School Night Heron Bread subscription will lead to the peace of mind you need, then you’ll be pleased to hear they are now up on the site. Click here to be directed to our ordering page. If you are a subscriber, we sent you a passcode which will give you first dibs and then we’ll open subscriptions to everyone on Saturday am. We are taking off Labor Day weekend so subscriptions will begin the following week. Midweek pick ups are back too but we are shifting to Tuesday evenings from 5-7 pm. There are limited subscriptions still on Saturdays and please note that it’s the only day to get Baker’s Choice (at least for now!).

Take good care everyone!

Robin, Trevor, and Bodhi

Plant Paradise at Magpie & Thorn in collaboration w. Plant Baybe (every last Sunday of the month - check it out!)

2022 Wheat Crop Report

Summer Updates

Hi bread friends!

Hope you’re all leaning into summer. We’re excited for the 4th of July parade this Monday as a few of my friends and neighbors will be participating. After a hiatus, I’m sure people are going all out and the floats will be super extra. Maybe we’ll see some of you there!

Look for my friend Morgan’s creation- a lovable giant Totoro!

Alameda Farmer’s Market

We want to thank EVERYONE who has helped us make our transition to the Alameda farmer’s market. Being at the market has really highlighted for us the hard work of the farm workers and vendors who grow, harvest, transport, and sell their food from all parts of California.

The market has also been an opportunity to see generations of families working together and learn from other family-owned food businesses. The other vendors have been really kind and supportive! Shout out to super momma Alejandra from Alex’s Bee Farm who is a booth or two down from us every Saturday. Her son and Bodhi have become fast friends and now market days are more like a playdate for these two.

Also big thanks to our friend and griddle master, Arthur who spent late nights baking with Trevor for the market and then the next day met up with us there to teach me a thing or two about customer service. He’s off to the east coast and Alameda won’t be the same with out him.

Our friend, Dominic with some bread board inspiration.

Summer Subscriptions & Pre-Orders

My apologies for such late notice but our website is finally now updated to include our summer plans. We’ve made the decision to really slow things down and that means there will not be a Wednesday bake for July - August. This means Saturday is our big bake day and we’ve created some intentionally flexible ways of getting our bread.

• Sign up for a summer bread subscription! - Saturdays in July, Saturdays in August, or Saturdays in July and August.

• Pre-order bread for Saturday - This is a good option if you’d like a single loaf and are arriving later to the marker or maybe you’re hosting a party and wanted a few loaves, you can now pre-order country and sandwich loaves to be picked up on Saturdays at the market.

Thanks for reading! Cheers to the first BLTs of the season!

Robin, Trevor, and Bodhi

Heirloom Tomato Galette

Saturday Market

Hello Bread Friends,

We hope everyone’s well and maybe even getting a little break from work this week if you’re on the school schedule like me. Our family just came back from reliving a trip that Trev and I took to Joshua Tree exactly 7 years ago. Back then, we drove an old VW bus that the rental place called “Mad Max”. The minute we took to the road these ginormous smiles overtook our faces, evident that we were checking an experience off our bucket lists. The Joshua Tree trip was so memorable and solidified our desire to escape New England winters and move to a place known for its delicious sourdough and epic landscapes.

Robin behind the wheel of Mad Max in 2015

Being in the desert was different this time. Yesterday, Bodhi and I did some fun rock scrambling at Skull Rock. It’s clear that he’s inherited a love for this kind of physical and risky behavior from me and developed an affinity for collecting crystals which he lovingly calls his “ jewels”. I’m kinda hoping that Bodhi brings his jewel collection to the farmer’s market so he can tell you which ones will give you energy and strength. Maybe he’ll eventually have his own booth?

Alameda Saturday Market

So big news! If you haven’t heard yet, we are moving our Saturday pop-up to the Alameda Farmer’s Market. Our official start date for the market is Saturday, March 5th. Look for our blue tent! The line up will start out being pretty similar to what we’ve been doing at our house. Though, the hope is that as Trevor gets comfortable in the new kitchen, the access to equipment like convection ovens, proofers, and dough sheeters will lead to more offerings at the market. We’ve already been brainstorming how spring produce might inspire some new savory pastries and focaccia varieties.

Trevor and I are anticipating a few growing pains along the way. I’m already missing working together in the house early Saturday mornings— Trevor excitedly pulling bread out of the oven and running out of space on the rack while I try to keep up stamping and filling bags in our living room. Bodhi’s even now old enough to help bag the baguettes!

We sincerely thank you for being a part of Night Heron Bread and supporting us as we take this next step. Many of you sound just as excited as we are!

Early Spring Subscription Sign Ups!

Apologies for the late notice, but bread subscription sign-ups are finally up on our website. Current subscribers will have until this Saturday morning to resubscribe using the emailed password. If you’re already coming by our house, just let us know that you are interested.

Your options are to pick up Wednesdays (5-7p) at our home or Saturdays (10-12 noon) at the Alameda Farmer’s Market. We are offering an additional Baker’s Choice subscription on Wednesdays, with the intention of taking a little pressure off of the market day. We hope you’ll consider it but we understand if you’ve got a solid Saturday routine.

And alas, this Saturday will be our last pop up at 478 Taylor. We’re a little sad to let go of this familiar flow but it’s time. Tetrahedron Coffee is having their garden party on Saturday too so be sure to stop by there for coffee and beautiful garden views on your neighborhood walk. With the timing of the party and Arthur working overtime at his other gigs, we just couldn’t pull it off this month but will try to get the band back together for either March or April. Be sure to say hi to my friend and colleague, Nicole’s KitChin who will be there with her baked goods. Warning, she makes a highly addictive Chex-mix!

Hope to see you this weekend!

With great appreciation, Robin & Trevor of Night Heron Bread

Subscriptions, Market, & Apple Fest

Hi bread friends,

Apologies, we’ve been a little sluggish to release the next batch of subscriptions. There’s a lot going on and neither Trevor nor I are one to look too forward into the future. But it’s important to note that the “holidaze” are upon us and so it’s time to renew your Night Heron Bread subscription to support all of those soups and stews to keep you cozy as we enter the rainy season in California.

Holidaze Country + Baker’s Choice Subscriptions

We’re offering a 2-month subscription which will take you through the rest of 2021. We’ll also be baking on Thanksgiving morning 11/25 and Christmas Eve 12/24 but we’ll release separate sign ups if you’d like to order bread, parker house rolls, or apple galettes for your gatherings.

If you’re hyped to renew, just follow the link above and type in the password you received via email. If you’re not a current subscriber, we’ll be taking off the password on Saturday, Oct. 30. We’re sticking with the same pick up schedule: Wednesday (5-7p) and Saturday (10a-12p). Thanks to all of the customers who signed up for the Back to School subscription and we hope you continue to enjoy our bread!

Market News

We’re excited to share the news that we’ve been accepted to the Alameda Farmer’s Market on Saturdays! Trevor will be baking out of a shared commercial kitchen in San Francisco. This move will help us go from producing 6 to 24 loaves an hour. Subscriptions will continue to be offered, the only change is that the pickups will be at the market. Wednesday bread will still baked out of our trustly Rofco oven! We’ll let you all know when the paperwork and permits all go through so you know where to find us. Until then, come to 478 Taylor!

Apple Fest Garden Party

Finally, our monthly pop-up event is this Saturday, October 30 from 10-12. Andrea, from Tetrahedron Coffee will be frying up her cider donuts and we’ll be there with apple-forward toast! Here’s a sneak preview of our menu. This might be the last one of the year so we hope to see you in the garden at 312 Santa Clara.

APPLE FEST ~ GARDEN PARTY ~ SATURDAY 10/30

French Toast “Toast”

oat porridge bread topped with warm apples and burnt cinnamon cream

Egg in a Hole

country bread with fresh egg, cheddar, seasonal greens, + fermented apple cider mustard

Apple Butter

slow cooked apple butter with pickled persimmon

Side of Bacon

Hobbs Smoked Bacon

Summer Subscription Info

Feeling reflective as we near a year! 

It’s fun to watch how people’s curiosity leads them to stop and ask about our cottage bakery. I try to put them at ease and make them feel like it’s totally normal to be purchasing sourdough bread out of someone’s home. I focus on being present and try to not feel too embarrassed that I’m still in my slippers or that Bodhi’s shouting his latest demand at us from the house. Maybe I'll tell you how Trev got into bread baking or give you a little peek inside to see our tiny oven, but overall, my goal is to make you feel like you discovered something special, slightly hidden, and very unique about our West End neighborhood.

Time is telling us that we are nearing our one-year anniversary and I have to say it’s extraordinary to see our Night Heron supporters grow. Trev and I are consistently blown away by the kindness, generosity, and support we’ve received in its many forms. Thank you for all of your recommendations to friends, flower bouquets, written and spoken appreciations, freshly caught fish, backyard beehive honey, bulk sesame seeds, homemade lime curd, wire shelves, and in particular, the ways you’ve shown Bodhi some love (masks, children’s books, and toys). I know I’ve missed something but my goodness we are lucky people and our heads, hearts, and stomachs are full.

Summer Goals

As we peel off our masks and resume some sense of normalcy, we hope Night Heron Bread continues to be a part of your life here on the West End of Alameda. We are noticing a bit of changing tides and a desire for more specialty breads (does anyone have a lemon tree that hasn’t been picked so we can make olive bread again?!) and are working on new pastries such as a cherry pistachio bar that will easily become a new favorite! Loads of folks are expressing interest in helping us to move into a commercial kitchen space. No updates on that yet but renting a kitchen that can accommodate an oven that bakes more than 6 loaves an hour would mean waking up a little later on Saturday mornings, participating in a weekly farmers market, and more time for Trevor to develop new products to share with all of you. Fingers crossed, we keep thinking hopefully by the winter holidays!

As of Sunday, summer is officially here and we are feeling it. We’re ready to slow down and reconnect with our east coast family, meet Bodhi’s new cousin, swim in the warm Atlantic waters, and eat an unhealthy amount of pizza and bagels.  So in order to do these important things, we’re closing the bakery for about 3 weeks. Our last production day for a little while will be Saturday, July 10th. So now is your time to stock up, fill your freezer, and be sure you have enough bread to make Panzanella salad the minute tomatoes really start to come in.  

In terms of subscriptions, we’re releasing 2 different options for the summer months that are available for Thursday evenings & Saturday mornings (No Wednesdays in August).  You can either go big and do a “Summer Subscription” which is 6 weeks of bread.  That’s the first two weeks of July and all of August.  Or perhaps you are doing a bit of traveling too and would rather plan for 4 weeks of bread and sign up for an “August Subscription”.  Baker’s Choice is available as well, with both summer or just August options! We also wanted to put it out there that many of our customers tend to gift bread to their friends and family when they are out of town and unable to enjoy it themselves.  It’s a wonderful gesture that ensures the bread doesn’t go to waste and helps us spread the word about Night Heron Bread.  

Garden Party 

One final note is that we hope you join us tomorrow, Saturday, June 26th as it is our fun monthly pop-up event at Tetrahedron Coffee!  For those who have never attended, it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet your neighbors, spend time in a beautiful garden setting, all while sipping on a deliciously crafted coffee and a tasty griddle toast.  We feel so grateful to Alex, Andrea, & Rohan of Tetrahedron Coffee who have so much intentionality around being a small business that celebrates community on the West End. And to our friend, Arthur who continues to collaborate with us and fire up his griddle! This month, we’re highlighting early tomatoes and stone fruit season with Shakshuka toast and Stone Fruit with Labneh  - both are sure to be delicious!  Bring your friends!  We’d love to see you. 312 Santa Clara from 10-12.

Best wishes leaning into what summer has in store for you! Robin, Trevor, Arthur, & Bodhi

Pizza tips

10/6 Country loaf pricing

Country loaves will continue to be $9 per loaf for subscription members as an incentive to purchase a monthly share.

Non-subscription pricing will now be $10 per country loaf to better with the operating expenses of our small bakery and allows us to support small producers and source locally milled grain

Thank you.

9/23 UPDATE

We’re offering a “CSA” style subscription for the month of October!

You’re guaranteed to have bread on the table (we’ve been selling out every week). In turn, this model will allow us to purchase quality flour, grains & equipment and helps keep up with operating expenses. Win-win!

The goal is to be mostly subscription-based so all the loaves will be accounted for. I’ll try to have a few extra to sell off-hand but no guarantee. I will also try to offer some add ons such as focaccia.

Finally, we’re going to switch to a Saturday bake rather than Sunday. Trying to have one full day with Robin & Bodhi now that everyone is back in school.

Thanks for your support, if you have any questions send me a message!