APPLETON (NBC 26) — Locally-sourced bread made fresh every day. That’s the promise of Voyageurs Bakehouse. The bakery’s first location in Green Bay opened in March of 2020. Now, the family-owned business has a new home in downtown Appleton, opening its new location at 201 W. College Ave on Thursday.
Co-owners Ben Cadman and Celeste Parins met in Asia while traveling overseas. Cadman says one of the things that stood out to the couple during their travel was the popularity of local bakeries.
“We loved the concept of being able to go to your local bakery and it was modern and fresh and had great coffee, great sandwiches and really nice sourdough bread," Cadman said.
That's when Cadman began experimenting with bread, starting out as a hobby home baker.
"My dad was a home baker for a long time and I realized that he was fermenting his bread using his starter that he had in the fridge forever. I thought 'okay cool I want to do that too'," Cadman said. "So I started my first sourdough culture and it just became a weekend hobby."
The couple opened their first bakery at 340 North Broadway in Green Bay at the start of the pandemic. Just a week after opening their new business, they had to close it when the state went into lockdown. Fortunately, the couple was able to quickly adapt thanks to their home-delivery service.
"We were stuck at home so our online orders were amazing. People were ordering bread like never before and cinnamon rolls and treats because the whole family was stuck at home," Cadman said.
Cadman and Parins value the quality of their product above all else. All of the bakeries items, from their bread to their pastries are made fresh every single day. The couple is also committed to using locally-sourced ingredients, with at least 50% of the whole grain used in their bread coming from local Wisconsin farmers.
“Part of our brand promise is that everyday you walk in you’ll be getting something that’s been baked fresh today. We don’t ever sell anything that has been baked the day prior,” Parins said.
After establishing roots in Green Bay, the two are excited to now bring their high quality product into the Fox Cities.
"We're really excited Celeste and I to be down here, to be part of the community. We're here for the long term," Cadman said. "To be down here on College Avenue where all the markets are and the events, we can't wait for this space to become integral to that in the future.”
Voyageurs Bakehouse is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m to 2 p.m.
