Hewn News, March 2016

Hello Hewn Fans…. There is much to report in this month’s newsletter, so we will just jump right in!

St. Patrick’s Day, Passover and Easter Specials

We love St. Paddy’s Day here at Hewn….at our respective colleges, this was like a national holiday! Last year, our Irish Soda bread was a big hit, so we are bringing it back again this year. We will also offer St. Patricks Day sugar cookies and Hot Cross Buns. All of these items will be available March 12th through March 17th. Our St. Patrick’s Day Breads will be Country (with a shamrock!), Whole Wheat Seeded, Cheddar, Picholine Olive, and Caramelized Onion Rye. These breads will be offered on the day of the Chicago parade (March 12th) and St. Patricks Day (March 17th).

Passover is another popular holiday with our Hewn Employees. Just in case you have an extra seat, know that we never turn down a seder invitation- we will bring the macaroons and Ellen harmonizes very well. Just a warning though – she gets a little out of control singing dayenu. From April 22-30th, we will offer fresh coconut, dark chocolate and plain macaroons.

Easter is also a busy time here at the bakery. In addition to Hot Cross buns, we will be putting out a special bread menu in the coming weeks. Please be sure to place your orders ahead of time to insure that you are able to get the products you need for the holiday.

The Good Food Fest, UIC Forum, March 24th – March 26th

The Good Food Festival & Conference began eleven years ago as the Local Organic Trade Show, the first event of its kind. This event plays an essential role in building local food infrastructure and creating lasting relationships that have helped push the Good Food movement forward. The Good Food Festival & Conference is also a celebration of Good Food. The all-day Good Food Festival on Saturday gives families and individuals the opportunity to learn directly from experienced farmers and gardeners in our Organic Valley Good Food Commons; hear from thought leader panelists about the future of our agricultural system; watch chef demos highlighting local food; and engage with more than 100 farmers, food business, and non-profit exhibitors at the Good Food Marketplace.

This year, our very own Ellen King will be presenting on two different panel discussions: On Friday, March 25th at 1 pm, Ellen will speak on a panel entitled “Scaling Up Local Grains,” along with Gilbert Williams of Lonesome Stone Milling, Harold Wilkins of Jamie’s Farm, and Greg Wade of The Publican. On Saturday, March 26th at noon, she will discuss “Breadmaking with Heirloom Grains.” The latter program will partner her with our good friend Andy Hazzard of Hazzard Free Farms in Pecatonica, Illinois. www.hazzardfreefarm.com     Both discussions are sure to be informative for all those in attendance.

To learn more, visit http://www.goodfoodfestivals.com. To purchase tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2016-good-food-festival-conference-tickets-20477784605

After Hours at Hewn

We had a great time at our After Hours at Hewn – Making Beer Bread in February. All participants learned much about the intricacies of how we make and bake our bread. We also want to thank Cesar from Sketchbook Brewing here in Evanston – both for bringing the beer and for explaining the similarities between baking and brewing. If you haven’t visited Sketchbook yet, be sure to check them out soon. www.sketchbookbrewing.com

Our next After Hours at Hewn class is scheduled for Thursday, April 7th at 6 pm. This class will focus on how to make your own starter (levain) for baking. Ellen will also discuss how we bake our whole wheat bread. Food and Evanston refreshments will be served as well. These classes sell out quickly, so be sure to purchase your ticket soon by visiting the Brown Paper Tickets website at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2515214

Hewn 2.0

We are knee deep into construction documents and planning for our expansion into 812 Dempster. We are excited about the new space and the possibilities involved with having a larger kitchen and retail area. Our new space will allow for additional products such as soups, salads, and increased sandwich offerings. And, we will be able to make more of our current offerings as well. We also have some great plans involving coffee and (non-alcoholic!) drink service. More to come on that later….

We will be doing our best to stay open during the construction period this spring. As a newsletter subscriber, we promise that you will be among the first to know about our progress with this project! For continued updates, be sure to follow us on our Instagram (hewnbread), Twitter (@hewnbread) and/or Facebook (www.facebook.com/hewnbread) social media accounts.

Thank you again for being a loyal Hewn customer. Hope to see you at the bakery soon!

-Ellen, Julie and the entire Hewn crew