Black Cat Bake Shop

Fifteen years ago, Jack & Christy Wich were living in Montpelier, VT, where Jack worked as a first-year Chef Instructor at the New England Culinary Institute. Christy, a native Montanan, wanted to be closer to her parents in Helena, and so they made the decision to move to Missoula, MT and fulfill Jacks lifelong dream of opening his own bakery. Lit... tle did they know how their bakery story would unfold. Christys parents helped them find a house with a large daylight basement that could be converted into a commercial kitchen. That winter, Jack and Christy began the process of purchasing essential commercial baking equipment and obtaining the necessary permits and licenses from the County. Their goal was to have the bakery open and running in time to sell Jacks delicious organic hearth breads at the Missoula Farmers Market in the spring. Missoula received the new bakery well, and the demand for the Black Cats bread steadily increased. The neighbors grew accustomed to the delightful smell of baking breads on Friday nights in preparation for Saturdays Market. To keep up with the increased demand, Christys parents would travel from Helena each week to help out. Her mother would cook large meals to feed the bakery staff, and her father helped clean the bakery while they were all selling at the Market. His only payment request: a six-pack of his favorite Heineken beer! As the business continued to grow and the Market closed for the season, the Black Cat began preparations to sell their Christmas Stollen. They had taken advantage of the Market to advertise their mail order Stollen and had a sign-up sheet for interested customers, ensuring continued income during the winter. When family arrived for the holidays, they were greeted by falling snow and the smell of fresh Stollen baking in the basement. Each year, more and more people would call and request Stollen to create the perfect holiday celebration, and the Black Cats Stollen became part of many family traditions. Later that year, there was a new bun in the oven. ...Read More