Breadsmith School Program

In the fall of 2014, Breadsmith began making and rolls for the Minnetonka Public School District. “In a collaborated effort with the leadership of the Minnetonka School District food program we have been able to develop whole grain recipes that kids of all ages enjoy eating.” commented Dave. The breads taste great, meet the USDA guidelines (51% whole grains), and contain the highest quality ingredients (many of which are organic) and are locally made. The soft Multigrain bread and rolls and the White Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns are the products developed for the school programs.

Breadsmith is a local, family owned . They bake bread from scratch each day. No breads are kept for the next day; instead they are donated to support local community efforts. The bakery specializes in a variety of sandwich, crusty European, and sweet breads, but has hundreds of recipes that make appearances throughout the year. Breadsmith is a Kosher Parve bakery, which means that all its products are dairy‐free.

The Breadsmith strives for the best ingredients. This decision process starts with taste (such as cranberries from , peaches from Colorado and blueberries from ) local (flour milled in Winona, MN) and organic (organic eggs from Larry Schultz Organic Farms).

Owned by David and Robin Wright, Breadsmith started in 1994 with a passion for authentic European breads with great flavors and satisfying crusts. Dave left a corporate job to start the bakery. More than just an opportunity to run a small business this was a chance to encourage the classic bakery story.

Over 20 years ago, when they opened in Edina, to their amazement, they sold more than 500 loaves on the first day. But day one is only the beginning for a business that requires daily, consistent effort. Co‐owner David Wright commented, “Making bread is a beautiful work, but also involves hard labor with so many night hours and physical efforts. We have an incredible group of bakers. Many have been with us for over 15 years. From the start we knew that treating employees exceptionally well would need to be a key element if we were to be successful. We offer full benefits to our employees and strive to create a workplace where employees never want to leave. We conduct regular management training seminars to enable our managers to communicate in an effective, supportive manner and to develop lifetime management skills.”

The Minnetonka Breadsmith, which opened in 2003, provides all the fresh baked breads for the Minnetonka school lunch programs.

Visit the in Edina, St. Paul or Minnetonka to see the bakers at work. Tours are available by appointment (Contact Dave [email protected]).