Steven VanDermyden went against the grain and made a big business decision last summer. He opened his own bakery and cafe, devoted to true artisanal baking, in Captain Cook. While having a bread business with a fierce emphasis on the best ingredients, natural leavening and radical freshness, may be harder to chew for some, VanDermyden was confident and his flour power is evident by the steady flow of customers. Two years ago, VanDermyden began baking and selling breads at farmers markets in Captain Cook and Keauhou. This outlet gave him the opportunity to raise the capital to have a brick-and-mortar business, as well as test his product, gain exposure, build a customer base, determine the demand, and establish a relationship with other local producers. These farmers markets served as a startup incubator of sorts, giving him greater understanding of his business and validating assumptions. The experience helped him figure out his vision as an entrepreneur. VanDermyden expanded by opening Oven &Butter, a full-service bakery and cafe at 82-6127 Mamalahoa Highway, in June. It’s a place dedicated to “putting the craft back in handcrafted breads.” Its specialty is sourdough breads, of which there are more than a dozen different varieties. Food has been a part of VanDermyden’s life, from baking with his mother and grandmothers to working his first restaurant job in Stockton, Calif., where as a teen he was responsible for making two dozen French bread loaves served nightly. Baking bread was a hobby he started in 2010 after taking a class. “I left the food industry for 20 years, when I operated a construction company for nine years and worked as a real estate broker for 14 years. Realizing that my passion really was in food, I decided to come back and follow my passion into food,” he said. “It took a while thinking about what I wanted to do before I remembered my passion and talent for bread. I still see the magic in seeing flour and water turn into a hot, fresh loaf of bread. I can’t think of anything better than that.”
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 01:30:01 +0000
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