Today we’d like to introduce you to Sienna Walters.
Hi Sienna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started Companion Bread as a side project next to my regular baking job. At the time I was really focused on using grains grown in Ca and milling them myself. I ended up in 5 farmers markets and it became my sole focus. Some restaurants reached out asking for wholesale but I didn’t feel like I could handle that scale of production alone but when Bica opened, they convinced me to wholesale to them and it sort of opened the wholesale floodgates. Now I primarily wholesale and unfortunately now I can’t mill enough flour to fill the demand, so that part of the business is on pause. But I’m really happy with where the direction of the company has gone. As someone who’s always worked in kitchens at restaurants and bakeries, it’s fun to be on the other side of the industry as a vendor. Now the company is growing. We have 2 other bakers and a farmer’s market worker and our goal is to grow our wholesale program to eventually fund a brick and mortar location.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’d say the biggest struggle has been the ability to grow. I started the business with no money in the bank and have just grown slowly and organically. We’re such a small business, and so are our margins, that if something breaks or if we want to introduce a new style of bread that requires special equipment.. it can be difficult to afford.
We’ve been impressed with Companion Bread, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We’re a sourdough bread bakery that specializes in pan loaves. We do everything mostly by hand with very little machinery, and ferment our loaves for 24 hours. We do go to the Poway farmers market and sell at the Home Ec Store and Origins Grocery but we mostly wholesale to restaurants and cafes, which is something I’m really proud of and am working to expand. Both to more places and also our menu of offerings.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think, for my success anyways, I can attribute it to being willing to adapt (the business was never meant to be a wholesale bakery but I’m really happy with the direction it’s taken) and also being willing to push through the hard times (there have been so many times that I am so burnt out both emotionally and physically and just wanted to give up but I have to remind myself that I always pull myself out of it and I’d rather work for myself than work for someone else’s bakery. The work is hard, making bread is so taxing on your body and you don’t make a lot of money doing it. But to me it’s so worth it). I’ve really learned to trust the process.
Pricing:
- $12-$13 retail loaves
- $7-$8 wholesale loaves
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Companion.bread
Image Credits
The one of me folding dough and the one of me standing in front of the mixer were taken by Manorath Naphaphone
