The Otter Creek Bakery was founded in 1986 by Ben & Sarah Wood. The Woods first opened their business as Otter Creek Café & Bakery in The Frog Hollow Mill Building. This was their first venture as a team after many years of working the seasonal restaurant circuit. Ben started his training in 1975 in various kitchens on Nantucket Island and Sarah joined him there in 1979. They apprenticed with chefs from Miami to San Francisco in the off seasons, returning to Nantucket for summers and gaining valuable experiences all along the way.

Ben and Sarah identified Middlebury, Vermont as a perfect location for their new bakery business. The couple settled in Vermont after months of survey and statistical analysis. Three years later, in 1989, they purchased the old Esso Station at 14 College Street. The duo completely renovated the building into the current Otter Creek Bakery, running the Café in Frog Hollow at the same time. In 1991 they sold the café business to concentrate solely on the bakery.

Ben’s original Café Menu carried forward into catering and special orders from the bakery’s kitchen. Sarah continuously fine tuned the bakery’s offerings, and experimented with new ideas.

Some 34 years later the Woods decided to seek new adventures and sold the bakery. The continuity of the great staff keeps the business rolling forward. Otter Creek Bakery is now owned by Ned Horton, a Vermont native, entrepreneur and graduate of Middlebury Union High School many moons ago.

The solid foundation built by the Woods shows in the product, the staff and the relationship with the community. Otter Creek Bakery is truly in the heart of Middlebury, VT and vice versa.

Enjoy!

Bakery Manager Chiyo Sato and her dedicated team work hard to source the very best ingredients from neighboring businesses. Maple Meadows’ eggs and Monument Farms’ dairy products have been in the mix from the very beginning! Our Vermont suppliers are great partners for developing new menu items. When Chris Cartier brings in a special cut of meat, or Marian and Marjorie at Orb Weaver Farm have extra-large shallots & eggplant in August we are sure to make something special with it. It is great to see the producers themselves when they deliver and stop for a sandwich.

Our stellar bakery staff is committed to serving our loyal customers and our incredible Vermont community. We stand in solidarity with the citizens of our Addison County area and we are dedicated to inclusion plus fair and equal treatment for all. Otter Creek Bakery appreciates the support we receive from our local community and we like to give back as well. We are thankful for the wide range of citizens, small businesses, nonprofits and educators that seek to make our community better every day. Our mission is to be here when needed and to faithfully serve our close-knit Vermont community.